Education Archives - Queen's Journal

Education students concerned about return to in-person learning

Written on November 26, 2021. Posted in News.

Some students in the Faculty of Education have recently expressed concerns with the return to in-person lectures for certain courses, following a return from fall semester practicum placements. Students allege lecture material is only available in-person and not online for Winter 2022, a possible...

Let’s make academics more accessible and less elitist

Written on November 26, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

In the past few months, I have used the term “anticolonialism” about 367 times. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve explained Edward Said’s “East vs. West dichotomy” to an unsuspecting econ major, I’d probably have 10 cents—and that’s two too many. I love political theories as much as the next person...

Supporting a culturally diverse campus is essential

Written on March 19, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

When it comes to teaching students about other cultures, the way schools go about teaching them is vital. Orientalism continues to pervade Western curriculum. Instead of taking a nuanced approach to giving students a clear understanding of different nations, Western society too often lumps people...

Black creators are using TikTok to educate. We should all pay attention.

Written on March 2, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

TikTok is home to more than just dances and funny videos; for many, it’s a platform to discuss social issues in need of more attention. The ‘Black Leftist Hype House’ is a recent TikTok account comprised of Black leftists who share their views on imperialism, capitalism, and white supremacy on their...

The forced partnership between Queen’s and Athabasca University takes advantage of students

Written on February 26, 2021. Posted in Opinions.

Queen’s encourages students to enrol at Athabasca University to make up credits when completing them at Queen’s is not a timely or viable option. This forced partnership is not working and doesn’t serve students. Queen’s School of Computing sends students to complete courses at Athabasca University,...

Crafting equitable curricula with care

Written on February 26, 2021. Posted in Features.

Alana Butler believes that as classrooms from kindergarten to post-secondary become more diverse, it’s crucial for teachers to consider the unique needs of all students—especially racialized students. “Teachers, in [the faculty of] education in particular, have a responsibility towards cultural...

Indigenous Knowledge Initiative adapts to COVID-19

Written on February 9, 2021. Posted in News, University.

The Indigenous Knowledge Initiative (IKI) has undergone significant changes under COVID-19 to safely continue serving the Queen’s community. The Initiative began with the intent to integrate Indigenous Knowledge at Queen’s and facilitate connection between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars. Former...

‘Credit mills’ stack the odds against hard-working high-schoolers

Written on February 28, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

A student’s high school transcript should speak to their academic abilities, not their ability to buy their grades. Inflated marks from certain private schools dubbed ‘credit mills’ have made it increasingly difficult for universities to differentiate between prospective students who have and haven’t...

Educational series seeks to bring decolonization to the classroom

Written on February 13, 2020. Posted in News.

In an effort to increase the presence of Indigenous ways of knowing in classrooms, the Queen’s University Centre for Teaching and Learning will continue to host a pedagogical series for educators. As previously reported by The Journal in 2019, although the University’s senior administrative staff’s...

Educating girls is an overlooked solution to the climate crisis

Written on February 11, 2020. Posted in Columns.

We’ve all heard the most common ways to reduce climate change: limit our consumption of animal products, ditch fossil fuel-powered cars, reduce food waste, transition to solar and wind energy, and so on. However, one of the top solutions to the global crisis may surprise you: empowering young women...

The future of education in Ontario doesn’t lie in more cuts

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Ontario’s proposals to “modernize the classroom” won’t drive the province’s education system forward—they’ll see it pushed further into the past. In March of 2019, the Ford government released a plan for the Ontario education system that was shocking in the scale of its proposed cuts. The province...

Online classrooms only bolster in-person learning

Written on November 15, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

Online learning often gets a bad rap. A recent opinion in The Silhouette suggested that in-person courses allow students to get more out of their learning. When students weigh the benefits of a digital classroom with those of a real one, it might seem like online courses don’t facilitate the same...

Indigenous Studies degree approved by Arts and Science faculty

Written on November 15, 2019. Posted in News.

After years of planning, Queen’s is introducing a new Indigenous Studies degree program. A Bachelor of Arts (Honours) major and medial in Indigenous Studies was approved by the Arts and Science Faculty Board last week. If it receives Senate approval this month, it will be on its way to the Ministry...

Private religious education should not be favoured in public funding

Written on November 1, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

In 2019, public secular education is no less important nor less valid than private Christian education. Provincial government funding must reflect this. In Alberta, a five per cent cut in the budget for advanced education from the United Conservative (UCP) government hit all but five private post-secondary...

Educated women are pursuing ambitions, not marriages

Written on October 8, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

Of all the criticisms facing women today, the view that university-educated women’s supposed high standards destroy their chances to find love has to be among the most ridiculous. A recent column published in The Wall Street Journal saw the author disparaging the “college gender gap,” pointing to...

Former First Nations University president to lead Indigenous Knowledge Initiative at Queen’s

Written on September 12, 2019. Posted in News.

After spending five years in Saskatchewan at Canada’s First Nations University, legal scholar Mark Dockstator is coming to Queen’s to lead the Indigenous Knowledge Initiative. Queen’s Trustees David Sharpe, Law ’95, and member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, donated $250,000 to Queen’s to fund...

What I’ve learned paying my own way through a Queen’s education

Written on September 5, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

The first time I told this story, I was in my first year of university. I was sitting on the grass at City Park, just a few blocks away from Queen’s, with my orientation leaders and group. We were playing Two Truths and a Lie, and one of my truths was that I was a 20-year-old first-year student. I...

Educating parents key to public health

Written on February 14, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

As the anti-vaccination movement sweeps North America and leaves preventable diseases unaddressed, it’s critical parents learn how to protect their children. Parents’ fears of vaccines are nothing new, but organized opposition against vaccinations is on the rise due to extensive misinformation...

Marking should encourage debate

Written on February 5, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

Within arts and humanities, most assignments are evaluated on the quality of their ideas, opinions, or intellectual insights. But given the subjective nature of the grading process, students risk losing marks. This fact has resulted in a lack of academic integrity from both students and evaluators,...

Arts students should be prepared for employment, not excluded

Written on November 9, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Students pursuing liberal arts degrees face more criticism than their peers in other disciplines because of their major’s perceived irrelevance in the job market. It’s up to faculties to adapt to these heightened and fluctuating expectations. As workplaces value interpersonal ability, students who...

Indigenous education isn’t a trade-off for effective government

Written on October 16, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Canada’s history with its Indigenous peoples is a harrowing reality that many students in their formative years of studying history don’t effectively learn, and that’s a problem. Before the Ontario Conservatives came to power in June, they campaigned on effective government. But their handling of...

Health Canada's cannabis plan allows for informed decisions

Written on September 11, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Health Canada’s latest investment in its cannabis public education strategy promotes a sustainable and healthy relationship between young people and marijuana. If you tell teens not to do something, they’ll still try it. A legalized substance with potential risks deserves a forum for thoughtful...

Liberal arts programs need to be protected at universities

Written on March 28, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

It shouldn’t take students launching a protest for universities to recognize there’s more value in studying liberal arts than pennies and dimes. At the University of Wisconsin at Steven’s Point, the school’s administration has proposed they drop 13 majors in the humanities and social sciences so...

Students shouldn’t have to choose between education and experience

Written on March 23, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Over time, the perception of what university is and what it’s meant for has changed. University isn’t exclusively about studying anymore. In the few years students spend as undergraduates, academics have always been a huge part of their lives. However, having experiences outside of academics is necessary...

Ontario sex-ed curriculum needs to stay

Written on March 16, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

For any other school subject, we look to academics and experts to explain what children should be learning. Biological health shouldn’t be any different. In 2015, the sex-ed curriculum in place across Ontario was updated by the Liberal government for the first time in almost 20 years. Kids’ lessons...

Education on the Canadian marijuana industry is necessary

Written on February 6, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

With marijuana legalization coming in July, post-secondary institutions are rising to the challenge of providing education about the industry to Canadians. New courses are popping up in Canadian universities and colleges that seek to provide industry-specific knowledge on the marijuana industry to...

USATs need reforms to have a real impact on teaching

Written on February 2, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Even though everyone is expected to fill out USATs at the end of the semester, what students might not know is how much of an impact these single pieces of paper can have on their professors. The debate surrounding whether or not the USATs present fair evaluations of instructors has been around since...

It's time to educate youth about mental health

Written on November 30, 2017. Posted in Editorials.

Introducing early and legitimate education on mental health to young Canadians is vital. Not only would putting resources into education on mental health help to de-stigmatize it, but this shift could also prepare students who may end up dealing with it themselves. I wasn’t exposed to topics on...

Efforts to increase fluency in Indigenous languages need Canada's support

Written on November 24, 2017. Posted in Editorials.

Residential school systems in Canada have perpetuated the loss of Indigenous languages for centuries. Considering the level of endangerment Indigenous languages across Canada are facing as a result, government help in restoring them is vital. In an article originally published in Chatelaine, Métis...

Final exam process needs re-evaluation

Written on November 3, 2017. Posted in Editorials.

Even though re-evaluating how we approach final evaluations can have some real value at universities, we need to consider everything that would need to be altered before we throw out the old system. In an opinion piece from University Affairs, the validity of final exams at universities comes into...

Tag: Education

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