New ED Secretary, critical digital literacies, shoulders shock professor, censored student journalism, and more: Required Readings, 12.19.16
So, it turns out the last Required Reading news about potential nominees for Secretary of Education missed the mark. Meet Betsy DeVos. But what’s the worse that could happen? Truthy Lies and Surreal Truths: A Plea for Critical Digital Literacies An Idaho university student received a zero on a humanities …
Illegal aliens in academic libraries, first secular chair, research guide to Lemonade, international students, unemployed law graduates, and more: Required Readings, 05.29.16
A move by the House of Representatives will require the Library of Congress to retain the term “illegal alien” for cataloging and search purposes, reversing the library’s plan to replace the term with less prejudicial identifiers, such as “noncitizens” or “unauthorized immigration.” How does this relate to education? Most college and university libraries …
Teacher appreciation (or not), image manipulation, overexposed football player, campus care, and follow-ups: Required Readings, 05.03.16
Happy Teacher Appreciation Day! Not feeling particularly appreciated today are public school teachers in Detroit, who are engaging in a sick-out for the second day. Why? They were told that the district would be unable to pay them once $48.7 million in emergency state aid runs out June 30. Then there …
No ASSoL after all, algebraic debate, evidence based sex ed, learning styles, and more: Required Readings, 04.11.16
Alas, the law school at George Mason University will not be named the Antonin Scalia School of Law (AssoL) after all, but many faculty and staff are not pleased. The Chino Valley Unified school board has been ordered to pay $200K to the Freedom From Religion Foundation for expenses in a suit the district …
BYU law school troubles, genetic discrimination, anti-science bill roundup, and more: Required Readings, 02.10.16
The American Bar Association is investigating Brigham Young University’s law school for its practice of expelling students who live in same-sex relationships or leave the Mormon faith. Genetic discrimination? A California elementary school tried to transfer a boy because he carries the genetic markers for cystic fibrosis and two other students in the school had …
No-nonsense nurturing, rural schools, lying law schools, not-so-brainy games, and more: Required Readings, 01.11.16
The no-nonsense nurturing approach to classroom management: “keeping expectations high by only praising outstanding effort” or “too much emphasis on compliance, not engagement”? The unique challenges and opportunities in America’s rural schools A lawsuit against the Thomas Jefferson School of Law regarding false job-placement statistics will proceed, per a California judge. What does …
Pilkey banned again, default color, Christianity in LA schools, charter admissions, and more: Required Readings, 11.01.15
The latest book in Dav Pilkey’s Captain Underpants series will not be available at a school book fair in Michigan because one of the characters travels into the future and learns that he will be married to a man. The parent-teacher organization, school principal, and superintendent were concerned students might purchase the …
Absent students, pay equality, fail ’em all, ATL test scandal, peer review sexism: Required Readings, 05.03.15
Hot on the Internet this week: a father’s response to a school’s letter regarding his children’s unexcused absences for a family trip. Then he scolded the media over its coverage, while the principal’s son asks the public to stop harassing his mother. Female profs at McMaster University will be getting …
Jihadist students, porn in sex ed, black life at UVA, the Bar, and more: Required Readings, 03.22.15
Welcome to the first Required Readings of spring (or autumn, for our colleagues in the Southern Hemisphere)! A German instructor discusses her new book about why Western students join jihadist groups. A Danish professor recommends that porn be shown and discussed in sex education courses, a Brit thinks schoolboys should …
Higher ed data, law school, school reform, e-books, and Ferguson schools: Required Readings, 08.19.14
Today’s first Required Reading will flood your brain with data: The Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual almanac of academia provides data on everything from the professional backgrounds of college presidents to the high school dropout rate in North Dakota. One of the things I learned while watching friends and loved …