Category Archives: Uncategorized
Professor, Heal thyself! On unprofessionalism and lack of empathy in (complaints about) student emails
A recent op-ed in the Guardian, entitled “I’m not LMAO at ridiculous student emails” lodges a familiar complaint: students don’t know how to communicate with professors in a professional manner, flaunting reasonable social codes and ignoring professors busy lives outside … Continue reading
What I Did on My Summer “Off”
Hi folks, been a while since I blogged at ya. School starts in a few short weeks (on Labor Day for us), so I thought I would briefly fill you in on what I have been up to this summer. … Continue reading
Quick thoughts on the what and why of science outreach
Scicurious and Kate Clancy recently shared some interesting thoughts about science outreach. Sci was pointing out that scientists have a lot on their plates, and being held accountable for not reaching out to the public doesn’t make sense when all the … Continue reading
Final Exam for my History of Psychology class (take home, open book, open notes)
Here is my final exam for the class I teach of all seniors in psychology. It is a capstone course, intended to provide a capstone experience for the majors in psychology, a required element for all students at Randolph-Macon. I … Continue reading
“Then, they came for the 3rd grade teachers, and I said nothing”
German pastor Martin Niemoller is quoted as saying First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a … Continue reading
Purple Doesn’t Exist: Some thoughts on Male Privilege and Science Online
I don’t often write about gender and science, but I have been thinking and reading about it lately. If you were hoping for my typical aloof lecturing, or overblown (yet intellectual) ranting, just wait a few days (or you could … Continue reading
Economists to teachers: We’ve dropped the “Deselection” and moved straight to “Fire ’em”
I had a few thoughts about the big teacher quality and VAM study that came out today that I wanted to share before they float away. My thoughts are less about the methods of the study itself and more about … Continue reading
Chapter 4: Case Studies and Testimonials
This chapter deals with an enduring theme in my own thoughts, and a tension between the practice of science and the limits of the human mind. Those pieces of evidence which we naturally find convincing do not do real work … Continue reading