-
The annual clown show begins anew. Williams is #1, Union #43, for those who care.
-
"In the end, I don't give the proverbial rodential posterior what Francis Collins' religious views are, as long as they don't directly impact NIH science policy, and I see no evidence from his track record that there's any reason to be concerned that he'll be somehow injecting them into the NIH or using them to determine policy or funding priorities. Personally, I find that whole line of criticism to be a huge distraction over what is far more important in a new NIH director, namely his policy priorities."
-
"Of course, the current pre-med curriculum, based on a rather inflexible menu of courses, already delivers basic concepts of science to students. But the challenge posed to educators -- and yes, administrators -- by "Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians" is the notion that mathematical and scientific content should be presented in context, preferably by emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches in the classroom and laboratory. Robert Alpern, co-chair of the AAMC-HHMI Committee, asserts correctly that the curriculum could "become much more interesting." "
-
"â¢Send gifts: To be honest, sending merchandise to buy votes from colleagues in the US News reputational survey probably won't work - in large part because the president rarely gets to see the goodies sent (other administrators snag them beforehand). So, to make an impression, think big. Send a car. It worked for Oprah. And this year is the perfect time. You can probably get a great deal on a fleet of American brands. "
-
"Sometimes, the caveats in a study speak louder than the findings. I think that's the case here. A suggestion that classroom instruction supplemented by online exercises can lead to more learning than classroom instruction alone would hardly come as a surprise. But that's about the only firm conclusion I draw from this meta-analysis. "
-
"While students are spending considerable time completing homework, parents are generally supportive of homework practices, the study shows. They're also involved in homework -- usually in minimal but supportive ways, said Ken Kiewra, UNL professor of educational psychology and an expert on learning strategies, homework and study methods.
"Our findings should squelch the sentiments that homework is robbing children of free time and that parents are opposed to homework practices," Kiewra said. "Parents generally report that children spend ample time playing and socializing and report that homework workloads are reasonable.""
-
"Death Star
An unshielded exhaust port leading directly to the central reactor? Really? And when you rebuild it, your solution to this problem is four paths into the central core so large that you can literally fly a spaceship through them? Brilliant. Note to the Emperor: Someone on your Death Star design staff is in the pay of Rebel forces. Oh, right, you can't get the memo because someone threw you down a huge exposed shaft in your Death Star throne room."
Categories
- Log in to post comments
More like this
Learning Curves: Verizon Wireless Reminds You to Silence Your Cell Phone During Class
"I'm willing to put corporate logos on my PowerPoint slides if the Math Department gets to keep a decent share of the ad revenue. "
(tags: academia education economics math silly)
Pre-K students benefit when…
slacktivist: The short straw
"Tony Perkins looks nervous, unsure if he should be glad he gets to go first. He reaches out and makes his choice. Grinning broadly, he holds up the long straw for the others to see and, chuckling to himself, makes his way to the back of the room.
âItâs not fair,â…
How to get a college roommate you can live with
First and foremost, don't be a jerk yourself.
(tags: academia education social-science psychology news)
Want to Lower the Drinking Age? Hope You Like Spam :: Inside Higher Ed :: Higher Education's Source for News, Views and Jobs
MADD-- all class,…
One of the advantages of hanging out around home on the proverbial staycation is that, instead of actually paying more attention to the news, I've paid less attention to the news. That's why I didn't notice some stories from earlier this week about what the new director of the NIH, Francis Collins…
Not that I expect any kind of answer, but how on earth do West Point and Annapolis qualify as liberal arts colleges?
The US News classifications of colleges are based on some long-ago categorization scheme that probably didn't make much sense at the time, but makes even less sense now. This is another thing that colleges and universities try to manipulate for the sake of their image-- the "Liberal Arts College" group is more prestigious than "Master's Universities" or "Baccalaureate Colleges," so schools try to arrange to be "Liberal Arts Colleges" rather than either of the others.
I think the key criterion is the absence of a significant graduate program, though that's not the whole story. Kickbacks to the magazine publishers may or may not be involved.