
Inspiring professors, Tesla burns, Satan the racist, campus activism, student suicides, and financial aid: Required Readings, 05.10.15
Should professors be “a fearsome mind or a moral light, a role model or inspiration” to students? Maybe, maybe not. Science teachers: in case anyone missed the memo, burning your students with a Tesla coil is not a good idea, even if the students are OK with it. After a Georgia …

Sex ed live, NY teacher evals, race and discipline, science ed, banned books 2014, and more: Required Readings, 04.20.15
In pop culture, today is 420, sort of a Cannabis Christmas. However, educators are more likely to associate the date with the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. One of the biggest education stories of the past week involved a mother (and renowned sex researcher) who observed a lecture given as …

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 …

College sport myths, science un-fairs, student power, no more biblical thoughts for the day, SXSWedu, and more: Required Readings, 03.15.15
In honor of yesterday’s release of the NCAA men’s basketball brackets, we’d like to begin today’s RR with 5 myths about college sports. This idea probably won’t come as a surprise to many of our readers, but many believe that Science Fairs Aren’t So Fair. Why Do American Students Have So …

Required Readings, 1 August 2013
Good afternoon, teachers and learners! I’m writing to you from a computer lab with a terrible keyboard, so please pardon the brevity of this required reading list. Talking at mealtimes boosts children’s confidence – So says a study, referring to mealtimes at home, not necessarily at school. Paleontology MOOC is …

Pop Quiz: They Took Our Jeeeerrrbbsss
Hello, Scholars of Doubt! My Pop Quiz today relates to my earlier article about Derek Black. This young man recently wrote an open letter in which he laid out his reasons for renouncing the white supremacist views that he had promoted for most of his life. He cited his college …

Walking Away From Hatred
“Hey dad, you know that racist online empire you’ve devoted so much time to building? I think I broke it. Oh and you know that group of guys you really love, the ones who made you a grand wizard or whatever? I think I might’ve broken them too.” Derek …