I’ve been taking a bit of a breather from media of all sorts as I visited my family in Cali, but posting shall continue, sporadically as always, throughout this blessed new year.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to continuing to explore schools as ecosystems in 2015! Here’s a few of the most popular posts from last year:
Snow Days and School Choice, Will Johnson
In which Will argues against school choice: “No child should be forced to wander the city in a storm simply because free market ideologues wish it to be so.”
In which I draw an analogy between a Nautilus article on nonaddictive painkillers and a NY Times article on Brownsville: “why is our society so adept at providing access to “stuff” that perpetuates yet more compulsive behavior, but so terrible at providing access to the knowledge and resources that make life worth living?”
A Heartwarming Apology from A.D.H.D. Experts, Will Johnson
In which Will examines the consequences of pushing drugs over behavioral therapy in treatment of the ADHD: “drugs can help students calm down and focus, but they won’t teach a student how to function effectively in and out of the classroom.”
Thoughts on Disability, Will Johnson
In which Will reflects on the vagueness of definitions of disability: “why does a society that cares so little for disabled and disadvantaged adults cast such a wide net when classifying students as disabled?”
Why don’t I hate being an adjunct, Michael Hicks
In which our new contributor, Michael Hicks, introduces why he’s OK with being a tyro and an adjunct professor: “I know that this is the special time that I will look back on throughout my career and remember what it felt like when everything about my new profession was, well, new.”
In which I question how we define success, in the wake of Success Academy’s phenomenal NY state test results: “what I want to know is whether what Success Academy is doing is truly preparing students for the future, for the long-term.”
Slouching Towards Progressivism
In which I reflect on how I’ve been slowly shifting towards progressive educational philosophy, from the influences of Coro New York and Elizabeth Green’s book: “a well-crafted problem, designed intentionally to surface deep-seated misconceptions and create productive confusion, can be simultaneously engaging and enlightening.”
