College is a serious commitment that costs many thousands of dollars and several years of one’s life, all for the sake of receiving a degree intended to make a high-paying, … Continue reading “The Promise of Apprenticeships”
Colleges perform two vital functions: They disseminate to the people (especially their own students) the knowledge and wisdom acquired through time in ways that enhance the common good, and they also … Continue reading “Colleges: Go Back to Basics”
Here is a good reason to be cheerful about art instruction in America. A new master’s degree program trains art teachers to instruct using the traditional techniques of 19th-century “atelier” … Continue reading “The New Masters of the Atelier”
It’s a sad fact that many of our teachers are weak. They’re weak on knowledge of their subjects and weak on teaching technique. Unfortunately, we know little about effective professional-development … Continue reading “America Needs Better Teachers”
The notion of antiracism now dominates at all levels of education, from infant to university. In a previous piece, I described how the 2017 President of American Educational Research Association … Continue reading “Credo Quia Absurdum: Education and the Cult of Anti-Racism”
Karl Marx is a common fixture on college course syllabi. From English to sociology to philosophy, the German socialist’s writings are explained, analyzed, and dissected. I find myself, a teacher … Continue reading “We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure”
One of the most important aspects of our society is educating our children to properly function within it. While the education system is centered around the “core” academics, research in … Continue reading “‘Core’ Academics Neglect Social, Emotional Learning—Music Education Can Change That”
Alan Jacobs’ new book, Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind, is a coaxing argument to read “old books that come from strange times.” … Continue reading “The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed”
To speak against critical thinking in today’s academy is comparable to denying the divinity of Jesus in the medieval church—it’s heterodox. Not only does it rail against the values of … Continue reading “The Case Against the Cult of Critical Thinking”
The importance of college football to university education is vastly overrated. Rather than an integral part of the college experience, football means more student debt, another burden for taxpayers, and … Continue reading “Is College Football an Expensive Luxury for Many Universities?”