Category: Reading List

The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom

The Case for Banning Laptops in the Classroom

A colleague of mine in the department of computer science at Dartmouth recently sent an e-mail to all of us on the faculty. The subject line read: “Ban computers in the classroom?” The note that followed was one sentence long: “I finally saw the light today and propose we ban the use of laptops in class.” While the sentiment in my colleague’s e-mail was familiar, the source was surprising: it came from someone teaching a programming class, where computers are absolutely integral to learning and teaching. Surprise turned to something approaching shock when, in successive e-mails, I saw that […]

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Are These Released Detainees Really The Taliban’s ‘Dream Team’?

Are These Released Detainees Really The Taliban’s ‘Dream Team’?

From Think Progress…

Are These Released Detainees Really The Taliban’s ‘Dream Team’?

AP Photo/Michelle Shephard,

 Pool Since the light-speed transition from elation over the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl to burgeoning political scandal , a meme has developed that says that the five prisoners released in the deal are the “hardest of the hardcore.” While none of the detainees who have been released are innocents, collectively they’re a far-cry from the game-changers that they’ve been depicted as. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) began the process when he appeared on CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday. “These are the highest […]

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Since Obamacare Enrollment Began, 6 Million More People Have Gained Public Insurance

Since Obamacare Enrollment Began, 6 Million More People Have Gained Public Insurance

From Think Progress…

Since Obamacare Enrollment Began, 6 Million More People Have Gained Public Insurance

An enrollment counselor helps Jerome Davis Jr. 36, sign up for Medicaid in Chicago. CREDIT: AP Photo/M. Spencer Green By the end of Obamacare’s open enrollment period, six million additional low-income Americans were enrolled in public insurance programs compared to the period before the health law’s coverage expansion, according to a new report from the Health and Human Services Department. The new enrollees were most highly concentrated in the states that agreed to expand their Medicaid programs. Those six million people — who include enrollees in both Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — are in addition […]

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