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.
Are you a visual learner, an auditory learner, or a tactile-kinaesthetic learner? If you think this is a valid question, then you, like many others, have fallen for one of the most pervasive education myths out there. It’s not hard to test this claim out. Take a large...
Finally, there’s a ray of hope in the Halton District School Board (HDSB). After months of defending the indefensible, HDSB trustees passed a motion asking its director of education to draft a dress code for teachers. If this dress code requires even a minimum level...
The Winnipeg School Division might soon allow delegates to present remotely at its board meetings. One of its rookie trustees recently introduced a notice of motion to allow this virtual option. Trustee Rebecca Chambers argues that this change would make board...
Reading is the most important skill taught in school. If students don’t learn how to read, not much else that happens there is going to matter. That’s because being able to read is important in virtually every job. Without the ability to read, life itself will be a...
Those of you who are tired of my rants about the demise of our once great health system will be pleased to know that this is my last editorial. I am retiring from the BCMJ Editorial Board; currently, I am the longest-serving member (more than 20 years). I have been a...
Back in the lofty, pre-Justin Trudeau government days of 2014, back when oil was booming, pipelines were planned to east and west coasts, and Alberta and Saskatchewan were swimming in money, around $81 billion was spent in capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the Canadian...
Our society is under serious strain right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the worst in some people, particularly on social media. No longer do we give people the benefit of the doubt. Rather, we automatically assume the worst about those who disagree with...
Canadians were saddened when they learned that long-time “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek passed away earlier this week from pancreatic cancer. For more than 35 years, Trebek was a familiar face in our homes. There was no better way of testing your general knowledge than...
Picture a school in an underprivileged part of north London, England. One-third of nearby families live in poverty, a significant percentage are visible minorities, and the neighbourhood crime rate is twice the national average. What kind of academic results would...
Desks in rows with students facing the front of the room. Teachers providing lots of direct instruction. Students spending plenty of time doing individual practice work in their own desks. No, we did not travel back to the 1950s. This is what many classrooms look...
On Aug.1, the provincial government will announce its back-to-school plan for the fall. It is likely that K-12 classes will be in-person rather than online. Good thing too. It’s one thing for university students to take courses online. All professors have to do is to...
If some petitioners get their way, Cecil Rhodes School will be no more. To be more precise, the Winnipeg school would still exist, but under a new name. No doubt most Manitobans who hear about this have one burning question: Who is Cecil Rhodes? Cecil Rhodes was a...
One thing we’ve learned this year is that global pandemics have a big impact on teaching and learning. Since mid-March, regular K-12 classes have been suspended and instruction has moved online. While schools will partially reopen in June, this does not mean things...
These days, grocery shopping looks a little different than usual. People wait patiently outside the store in long, spaced-out, lineups. Direction arrows show customers where to move next. Customers stand at least 6 feet apart in the checkout lines. Cashiers carefully...
School is out across Manitoba. Earlier this week, the Minister of Education announced that classes won’t resume until the Chief Provincial Public Health Officer says it is safe to do so. This means that teachers must become distance learning educators. School...