Rod
@rodjnaquin
High school English teacher | Exploring dialogue & classroom conversations | Writing about educational practice at http://rodjnaquin.substack.com | Books, music & more
Every thought is inherently rhetorical, even when we think we're being purely logical. We're always taking a position, anticipating responses, addressing someone (even if just ourselves), and trying to make a perspective stick. This means even our most private thinking has a…
"All kids don't learn the same way" - this quote sounds reasonable, but several aspects of it are actually quite contested. The biggest issue is how vague this statement is. Of course kids are different - they have different backgrounds, interests, and prior knowledge. But when…
The question of "essential learning" in ELA feels strange because the field is inherently expansive and constantly evolving. Unlike subjects with more defined content, ELA encompasses reading, writing, speaking, listening, language skills, and media literacy across an enormous…
Best of Jesuitical: How to become a mystic (and keep your day job) pca.st/episode/81cc81…
Mitchell's article makes a basic mistake: she says AI chatbots don't have minds or intentions, then immediately calls their mistakes "lies" and "manipulation" - words that only make sense if something has a mind and is trying to deceive you. You can't have it both ways. Take her…
Marcus Luther's TQE (Thoughts, Questions, Epiphanies) system is a close-reading approach adapted from Marisa Thompson's work. Students use "I noticed" for thoughts, "I wonder" for questions, and "I realize" for epiphanies while annotating texts. The system includes desk decals as…
Jonathan D. Cohen and Isaac Rose-Berman warn that smartphone gambling poses unprecedented risks, especially for young men. Unlike traditional gambling, 24/7 mobile access and addictive app design have created a crisis where up to half of men 18-49 have betting accounts. The…
“No you’re dogmatic!” “No you’re dogmatic!” “This advocacy is a problem— however my advocacy is not a problem because…” what?????
*does the Travolta looking around the room meme* —straw men rule everything around me?! So is the argument here more abt how teachers receive the rhetoric of Ed reform? Cause there don’t seem to be claims here referring to student learning outcomes at all? Is it always someone…
This blog warns about a "pandemic of stupid" but fails its own standards - making claims without sources, treating correlation as causation, and oversimplifying complex issues. While correctly noting problems with misinformation and cognitive bias, its smug tone and…
Me and the oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States— photo by Teeny heartoflouisiana.com/saint-louis-ca…
“‘‘Twas a time when the commie lefties were reading the Old Testament homie” open.spotify.com/track/5qBqBdfT…
Kevin Mahnken reports on Houston schools chief Mike Miles' dramatic turnaround of America's eighth-largest district since its 2023 state takeover. Through "wholesale systemic transformation," Miles raised school ratings dramatically - A/B-rated schools jumped from 93 to 170,…
Ecclesiastes 3:22 International Standard Version I concluded that it is worthwhile for people to find joy in their accomplishments, because that is their inheritance, since who can see what will exist after them?
This big study from Common Sense Media shows that while AI companions are super popular with teens (72% have tried them), most kids are actually pretty smart about how they use them. The majority see them as tools or entertainment, spend way more time with real friends, and can…
Why Don't Students Like School? (2nd Edition) audible.com/pd/1666106240?…
✳️without knowledge there is no critical thinking✳️ Don’t fall for the fantasy that our learners no longer need content knowledge. They will have nothing to think critically about.
Education that prioritises "21st-century skills" over content knowledge is like teaching someone to fish by removing all the fish from the lake. You can't think critically about nothing, collaborate meaningfully around ignorance, or create innovatively from an empty vessel.
English teachers: Here are 66 books that you can share with your students: canonchat.com/selections There are resources for each title and discussion questions you could adapt for your classes. Please explore! #CanonChat
Took an hour and forty five minutes, but they finally argued abt the 60 minutes stuff — here for it #2341 - Bernie Sanders pca.st/episode/f399ab…
