American students are terrible writers. Employers, professors, and statistics agree. In 2011, only 27% of American 8th and 12th graders were deemed proficient in writing. Naturally, teachers are working hard to overcome this problem. But a recent article in The Wall Street Journal makes me wonder if some are approaching it the wrong way: “English
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Yesterday The Washington Post reported on a growing phenomenon: more single, separated, or divorced mothers are joining forces and moving in with each other. “When Kimberly Taylor separated from her husband three years ago, she and her daughter, Amelia, stayed in the marital home — a four-bedroom house in Woodbridge, Va., with a finished basement
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Discourse, especially in schools, is miserable these days. As Randall Smith, the Scanlan Professor of Theology at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, argues, there are only three options when it comes to uncomfortable topics, “Non-judgmentalism, furious indignation, or ironic detachment.” How he describes his experiences teaching at the college level goes a long
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I walked by my childhood playground a few months ago. The massive wood structure, steep slides, and high swings were gone, replaced by a much smaller – and safer – set of plastic equipment. Such a change is a common occurrence these days – after all, we want our kids to be safe, right? But
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According to sociologists, cultural appropriation occurs when a dominant culture takes culturally significant practices or symbols from a weaker culture. Such takings are seen as oppression or even cultural genocide and therefore, “bad”. The latest example of the fight over cultural appropriation occurred at the University of Ottawa when a free yoga class was cancelled
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Americans are realizing that children need more time for outdoor free play. Lack of play is increasingly tied to a decline in non-cognitive skills and a rise in hyperactivity. But what happens to the parents who actually provide outdoor playtime for their child? Some of them are threatened with jail time. California mother Sonya Hendron
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