Open to Debate: Can We Evaluate Openness and Curiosity?

16/06/2025 26 min

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode of *RASCALS’ Roundtable*, we tackle one of the most quietly controversial elements of the new ESL devis: how do we teach—and evaluate—openness, respect, and curiosity? Mikhael Kowalak joins us to unpack what this means in real-life CEGEP classrooms. From grading group discussions to navigating cultural sensitivity, we talk pedagogy, ethics, and that time a student's politics didn't quite align with his - and yet he still got an A+.   🎧 Featuring: Mikhael Kowalak, teacher and researcher at Cégep de Sherbrooke   📚 Publications:  - Lau, S. M. C., & Kowalak, M. (accepted). *Crossing the linguistic and disciplinary divides...* (Routledge)  - Lau et al. (2022). *Soutenir les apprentissages des étudiants immigrants...* Le langage et l'homme, no. 561  - Lau et al. (2020). *Supporting immigrant students’ academic and social integration...* Canadian Modern Language Review  - Blandford et al. (2019). *Une approche plurilingue...* Correspondance, 25(2)   🔗 Learn more: Centre for Integrated Plurilingual Teaching and Learning