Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre and public high school teacher. He received his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education from the University of Manitoba and Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University in Virginia. He is the author of A Sage on the Stage: Common Sense Reflections on Teaching and Learning, and co-author of What’s Wrong with Our Schools and How We Can Fix Them. He is a frequent author of education policy research and newspaper columns across Canada. His research mainly focuses on curricula, teaching instruction and public education. Michael’s research and commentary have been featured in radio, television and newspapers across the country. Michael lives with his wife and children in Steinbach, Manitoba.
Things are changing so fast that two-thirds of the jobs that will exist in 15 years haven't been invented yet. Perhaps you have heard this claim before or something similar to it, if so, then you have also heard that our school system is stuck in a 19th century...
Michael Zwaagstra is interviewed on BridgeCity News about political correctness on university campuses and the damaging trends towards teaching students "what to think" as opposed to "how to think. "
Michael Zwaagstra discusses back to school issues on CBC Blue Sky Radio.
“Teachers – don’t worry if you don’t have the knowledge or skill set. You are the lead learner. Inquire not lecture.” This was an actual tweet from a prominent education guru. Sadly, this message is far from isolated. There is a common belief in education circles that...
Introductory Comment Brian Giesbrecht, Retired Judge, Frontier Centre Senior Fellow: The Frontier Centre for Public Policy is honoured to present Mr. Manning’s latest offering, in what he calls a fictionalized story. It is about everything that has happened to this...
Many Canadians are aware of stories of how immigrants were originally attracted to Canada through the promise of free land. The then Minister responsible for immigration, Clifford Sifton, had his staff spread out across central and eastern Europe promising free land...
Students, parents and teachers are being overwhelmed by “edu-babble.”
Michael Zwaagstra discusses 'Whats Wrong With Our Schools' on the radio here. (17 minutes)
We don’t automatically promote bad drivers –so why would we promote students until they’ve mastered their grade?
In an attempt to get away from “unfair” grading, too many teachers are now forced to engage in complex calculations that are no improvement on more straightforward marking.
Music students need to practice scales and continually repeat songs until they play them correctly—so why do many teachers think rote learning has no place in the classroom?
Teachers who use direct instruction assume that students are not experts and if their misinterpretations are not corrected, then the students will have an inadequate understanding of the subject matter.
Forget child-centered classrooms. How about teacher-centered classrooms for a change?
The reluctance or refusal of school boards to allow parents to choose schools for their children is especially unfair for low-income families.
Mainstreaming every kid may not always make sense.