All opinions expressed in Paul's blogs are solely his own. They do not represent the opinions of his employers and/or associates.

Strange New Worlds

Strange New Worlds

It is troubling to think that students don’t see their skills as transferable from one class to another, but how often do we give students reason to believe otherwise? Our education system long ago drew borders between the disciplines....Students cross a literal, physical threshold as they move between classes. That threshold tells them that when they enter their math class, it is now time for math, and it is no longer time for English. It makes sense, then, that they would dump their English literacy skills at the door.

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Out of this World

Out of this World

Science fiction is one of the best tools we have for empowering our students' identities and freeing their imaginations, while also encouraging critical thought with logical rationalization....There are plenty of obstacles in our way, but we have the power to ensure that we are not one of them. We can be allies in empowering students' imaginations in the sciences and the arts, whether they have down to earth dreams or ones that carry them out of this world.

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Down to Earth

Down to Earth

Children often dream of growing up to be superheroes, and astronauts still qualified as superheroes when I was young. Now, NASA’s budget is a shadow of what it once was, the United States has to hitch a ride with other countries in order to get people into space, and there are few exciting prospects for human space travel in the near future. Appreciation for space exploration and its impact on our culture have faded as I’ve grown up. The superheroes have fallen back to earth.

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