Complementary schismogenesis
I don’t know about anything else I accomplished during spring break, but I learned a new term, complementary schismogenesis, that has its roots in a 1935 article by Gregory Bateson about cultural contact but is probably less used today by anthropologists than communications folks such as linguist and pop-communications writer Deborah Tannen. (See a June […]
Oregon moves back to paper-and-pencil tests
After the disaster with Venture Systems’ online testing system, the Oregon Department of Education has decided to return to paper-and-pencil testing for the rest of the year. This change is going to be disruptive; how much or the effects on accountability measures, I don’t know.
Utah’s attempt to limit gay-straight clubs in school may backfire
The NY Times article on the Utah law adding lots of red tape to all student groups (i.e., a law hoping to eliminate gay-straight alliances in Utah’s high schools) may backfire, because it requires that all clubs be treated equally in placement on bulletin boards, and because the teens currently in clubs became politically active […]
Suspended for praying or for blocking traffic?
The story of the 12 Heritage High School students’ suspensions after they prayed in the school’s corridors is probably going to become an urban legend. According to the story in the Columbian, the students prayed in the class’s corridors, and administrators asked them to move to a room so they wouldn’t block traffic. Administrators claim that because the […]