Me#1You#10 Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004 Posts: 6503
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: "Palin essay assignment stirs uproar at Metro" |
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Yet another exercise in (cough) "critical thinking" from academia...
Quote: | Palin essay assignment stirs uproar at Metro
Cbs4 News, Denver
Friday, September 19, 2008
Metropolitan State College of Denver is investigating an instructor who asked students to write an essay critical of Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska's governor.
One student said the instructor singled out Republican students in the class and allowed others to ridicule them.
"I was shocked. I was 'Holy cow, this is just an open door for him to discuss politics with us,' " said Jana Barber, a student in the class.
Barber shared the assignment with CBS4 on Wednesday. Instructor Andrew Hallam asked students in an English course to write an essay to contradict what he called the "fairy tale image of Palin" presented at the Republican National Convention. Hallam declined an interview with CBS4 News on Thursday.
"The faculty's responsibility is to provide opportunity for critical thinking and civic engagement, so bringing something of relevancy into the classroom was the faculty's goal," said Cathy Lucas, spokeswoman for Metro State. "Should he have broadened it and included all the political figures? Yes."
Metro State officials said they are investigating claims of bias, harassment and bullying.
Hallam is in his first semester at Metro State.
A former student of Hallam's e-mailed CBS4 on Thursday and said he could understand how the professor's style could be misunderstood. Hallam often picked a topic for students and asked them to write from a specific viewpoint as an exercise in critical thinking, the student's e-mail said. Hallam has since revised the assignment. Students may now write about any of the candidates.
Rocky Mountain News |
See also FOX News, Breitbart.com |
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