learning
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How To Use Quotations
I gave a lesson on integrating and formatting quotations on Tuesday, and – serendipity! – Carol Saller at the Chronicle of Higher Ed published about correct use of quotations the next day, right AFTER it would have been of some use to me. It doesn’t really matter; I’m unlikely to pass on any advice containing… Continue reading
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What Will Happen If I Leave College?
Last week, I received this query from N, a college sophomore. I will publish my reply on Thursday, but for now, I’d like to know what you think. What should he do? Dear Auntie Siobhan: My senior year of high school I found myself going from a good student in AP classes to having no… Continue reading
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Why Do I Have to Learn This?
Every so often, students ask me, “Why do we have to learn this?” It’s no use telling them that learning is a good thing, period. They’re taking seven or eight classes. Some are doing “part-time” jobs that have them working thirty hours a week. Making out with their boyfriends is a good thing. Playing Mortal… Continue reading
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How Do Games Help Us Learn?
In an early post of mine, you can read about a couple of games that I have used in my classes to get students moving, talking and thinking: a getting-to-know-you game, and a grammar relay race. A few weeks ago, a reader (OnQuicken), left a comment on that old post, asking to hear about more classroom games.… Continue reading
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University Isn’t Everything
This is the final post in our series “What Students Think Should Change About School.” In today’s post, Ruth explains that our fixation on getting everyone to university means a poorer education for everyone. * Society has this idea that certain levels of education are necessary for a person to have any worth. I think… Continue reading
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Students Need To Know Why They’re In School
It seems that there are a lot of things students would change about school if they could. For example, MaplesAndMerriment thinks that students need a clearer understanding of why they are in school at all. This is Post #4 in a 5-part series on what students think should change about school. * If I could change… Continue reading
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Lighten Up About My Grades
What else should change about school as we know it? This is Post #3 in my series on what students would change about school, if they could. Today’s post is from Katy George, who believes that we need to change our attitude toward grades. * I am currently a senior in college majoring in journalism… Continue reading
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School Is Too Easy
This week, I’m featuring posts from five students who have shared their thoughts on what they would, if they could, change about school. Today’s post is from Emily. Her take? School should be more of a challenge. * I’m a high school student at a nationally acclaimed magnet school. I go there because my home… Continue reading
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Here’s What I’d Change About School
Dear readers: There are some exciting developments happening at Classroom as Microcosm. The last week has seen a major uptick in traffic, not least because a recent post, Fail Better, was chosen as a WordPress Freshly Pressed feature and so attracted a whole bunch of new followers and, at last count, 228 comments – welcome… Continue reading
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What is the Deal With Class Size?
Does class size really make a difference? Frequent commenters Gen X and Army Amy have asked me to give you my thoughts on class size and its effect on learning. Early in this blog’s life, I wrote a post on class size, in which I assert that I believe that if every class in the… Continue reading
About Me
My job is to teach people to read and write; aside from that, I like to learn things.
Classroom as Microcosm 