Canada’s Residential Schools: Abuse, Disease, Colonialism, and… ESP Tests
December 15th, 2016 marks the first anniversary of the release of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. The Canadian TRC was about Canada’s residential school system for indigenous children. The schools were mandated by the federal government but were run by churches and were sites of awful abuses. The secular …
Anti-vax “prof” ignites scandal at Queen’s U
This week the Principal and Provost of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario publicly acknowledged student complaints that an instructor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies was promoting anti-vaccine materials in a basic health class. The instructor in question, Melody Torcolacci, is reported to have presented her Health 102 class …
Required Readings, 5 January 2014
Is Bill Nye the Science Guy right in accepting to debate creationist Ken Ham? This and more in 2014’s first Required Readings. Good morning everyone, and happy new year! Have a good time enjoying our first Required Readings of the year! I think Bill Nye is great, but I think …
Quebec helpfully shows how NOT to do secularism
There is currently a fair bit of controversy over the ruling separatist government’s plans to institute a “Charter of Quebec Values” [note: English version is incomplete and mostly still in French…quelle surprise] that would ostensibly put an end to the years-long question of what constitutes “reasonable accommodation” of religious minorities …
Pop Quiz: What is your experience with grants?
Hey there everybody and happy Monday! I just got hired by a couple of senior faculty members to do some writing and editing on a large grant proposal we are submitting this fall. This already the second round and chances look pretty good that we will ultimately get the funding, …
Required Readings, 23 May 2013
Good morning, teachers and learners! My spring semester is officially over. Today is graduation for my school. I have 4 days to prepare for my summer session. Joy! However, let’s first assign these required readings. 2-Year Colleges Are at Risk of ‘Separate and Unequal’ Future, Report Says – Is it …
Required Readings, 12 May 2013
Happy Mother’s Day! Or is it Mothers’ Day? Whatever. Let’s make Mom proud by doing our homework. If rebellion is your thing, it was Henry Rollins who once said, “The best way to rebel against your parents is to know more than them.” I’ve got a lot of good readings …
Pop Quiz: Who should be footing the bill for higher ed?
Hi everyone! I’m very pleased to be joining the network as a writer after many years of reading and commenting (where you may have known me as delictuscoeli). As you might notice in my bio down below (aside from my awesome cat), I live and teach in Canada, so I …