It’s that time of the year again, and besides the new COVID-era concerns about retail supply chains comes the age-old question: what’s the best educational toy to buy for the child (or grandchild) in your life? There’s a vast range of toys that claim to stimulate learning, or foster creativity, or boost kids’ STEM skills. […] … learn more→

When it comes to collecting sports cards, people often focus on the cards’ financial worth. And understandably so. After all, when a small piece of cardboard that originally cost just dollars or even cents is suddenly worth more than a million bucks after the featured player rises to fame, it’s hard to ignore the kind of […] … learn more→

In a remote classroom session with Zoom video conferencing software last year, my son’s teachers gave the following instructions to their little kindergarten students: “Your eyes watch, your ears listen, your voices stay. silent, your bodies do not move. However, I noticed that my 6 year old kept manipulating all kinds of objects found at home, […] … learn more→

I taught teenagers economics for almost 40 years until my retirement a few years ago. When I started teaching in the 1970s, I used to refer to the last period on a Friday afternoon as the “graveyard slot”. It was hard to get any work out of the students, who just wanted to go home […] … learn more→

People who are bad with numbers are more likely to experience financial difficulties than people who are good with numbers. That’s according to our analyses of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll. In this World Risk Poll, people from 141 countries were asked if 10% was bigger than, smaller than or the same as 1 out of […] … learn more→

Living with Covd19 has not been the occasion for an unexpected and bonus writing retreat. Well, it might have been for a few. But for most people, working from home didn’t become the occasion for increased productivity. Many people had increased caring responsibilities, with their usual supports harder to access. Those of us in higher […] … learn more→

A few more brushstrokes and the student gasped with excitement. There in the dirt was a small, bronze statue of a calf, revealed for the first time in 3,000 years. The discovery could have been yours! In this article, I dip into the many opportunities for you to take part in an archaeological dig both […] … learn more→

It’s always interesting when you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up. Some children seem to come into the world with a definite idea of who they are meant to be. Knowing your path in life from an early age is quite amazing, when you think of it. Other kids seem […] … learn more→

As Christmas approaches, many primary schools and nurseries in Britain hold their traditional nativity plays or musicals. Teachers adapt the biblical story of the nativity and children often dress up as angels, innkeepers, shepherds, stars, wise men, Mary or Joseph. Parents and guardians are usually invited to attend performances in schools – but COVID-19 restrictions […] … learn more→

The acting minister for education and youth, Stuart Robert, wrote a letter last week to Australian Research Council (ARC) CEO Sue Thomas, listing four demands. These included changes to ARC funding models and an overhaul of the ARC itself. These “expectations” were repackaged for the public in a press release on Tuesday entitled “New direction for the Australian Research Council […] … learn more→