Rough-Cut Research Peer-Review: On Remote Work
One more thread to be saved before I write something of my own; this time it’s James Heathers‘ scathing take down of Talia Varley’s article in the Globe and Mail.…
Teaching
On Keeping Kids "Safe" From Pride
Student Trustee Kenzy Soror wrote an excellent, brief thread on the problem with parents keeping their children home because it’s pride day or month: “I take great concern with the…
On Letting Them Fail
In my recent “Kids Today” post, I mentioned the problems with not letting kids fail classes as one of many examples of how we swoop in to rescue them instead…
Kids Today!
A letter has been circulating and in the news complaining about kids today. Things have changed in the last few years, but I don’t think it’s as dramatic a shift…
Neurodivergent with Hindsight
Maybe because I finally have some time to just exist without anything to plan or prepare, or maybe because I’m back in school as a student, whatever the reason, many…
A Quick Evolution of Masking
After my laptop died, and I found out the harddrive was corrupted, and all my pictures were lost, I started backing up my phone photos, and noticed an evolution in…
World Health Network’s Safe Schools Initiative
The World Health Network has a 30 minute video out about Safe Schools with a small panel of people looking at how to make schools DavosSafe! Michael Bailey, co-founder of…
The Times They are A-Changin’
Doing another degree has been eye opening to see how much university has changed over the past 20 years since my last Masters. TL;DR: It’s a lot more like high…
Year in Review
I don’t normally do a year in review, but his was my most tumultuous year in decades. It’s right up there with the year I dropped out of high school…
Yup, Masks Really Work. I’m not Sure Why This is So Hard to Grasp!
I’ve been inundated lately with pictures from the sides of mask boxes that say something like this: I could return volley with this, from the side of my 3M Aura…
On OCDSB’s Mask Motion
The OCDSB motion to require masks in all schools but allow exemptions for anyone who finds masks to be a hardship was not passed tonight after a 6-6 tie. Both…
Moore on Masks: It’s All on Families to Get Back to ALL of the Basics
I watched it so you don’t have to! I’ve transcribed most of it, but left out repetitive information in places. I also added timestamps to some of the more pertinent…
Covid and Kids
I feel like I’m “cheating” just copying threads instead of writing, but so much work on social media needs to be acknowledged and saved in a more searchable manner. Here’s…
Teachable Moments: Should Schools Teach About Covid?
I’ve been talking with parents who are trying desperately to keep their kids safe in the classroom. It sounds like most staff and students are unmasked despite higher Covid numbers…
What To Do If Our Classrooms Aren’t Safe
I’m getting these types of questions over and over: What should I do if other students and the teachers won’t wear masks? What do I do if my child gets…
Strategic Plan: What about Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic??
This isn’t a response to a question directed at me, but some people are questioning trustee campaigns like mine that speak to equity and student well being without mentioning how…
A Really Deep Dive into Anti-CRT Rhetoric
This will be a long one, but I’ll break it into headings (after this preamble) for easier bit-at-a-time reading! There’s a division among school board trustees and some parents around…
Privatization in Ontario
It’s vital in Ontario that we understand the problems with privatization because the shift of essential services from the public to private sphere is happening right under our noses. Brittlestar…
Covid-Free Schools are Possible!
A school in Texas has been 100% Covid-free with zero learning loss. They used good masks indoors (N95 or better) with no ‘mask breaks.’ Everyone eats outdoors even in the…
We Need to Discuss Systemic Racism in Schools
In The Record article, “Waterloo Region District School Board Trustee Mike Ramsay speaks up about sanctions against him,” Mr. Ramsay writes that he is concerned that education has shifted from…