It only took a few days for “pedagogical continuity” to become a subject of national concern. Until recently, this was a principle that was invoked when talking about students moving from one class or cycle to the next – and the arrangements required to ensure student success during these transitions. With the Covid-19 pandemic, pedagogical continuity refers to […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Covid-19 : the miseries and misfortunes of French pedagogical continuity
Positive discrimination is a net negative
I am not easily shocked, but I’ll admit I was shocked to hear that a number of academics had recently questioned why I had been awarded a top scientific prize in 2012. According to some, I’m told, my success was simply because I ticked the ethnic diversity box. I had no idea that this kind […] … learn more→
Homework in times of confinement: are they effective?
Due to the coronavirus, we are experiencing the most radical situation of educational exceptionality that the world has experienced since the great wars of the 20th century: closed educational centers, students and teachers confined to their homes, doubts and uncertainty about the usual processes in the educational system (evaluation of the second trimester, next year’s […] … learn more→
Violent behaviour shows up at primary school – and can end there too
Schools should be safe places. Yet, throughout the world, violence in schools remains a problem. Girls and boys who are seen as ‘soft’ or ‘gay’ are the main victims of bullying, name-calling, physical violence and sexual violence. These experiences in schools affect children’s concentration and academic performance. In some instances girls drop out of school […] … learn more→
Bitcoin –a digital way to make money
The role of the cryptocurrency miner is therefore to validate the transactions carried out. He is thus paid in cryptocurrency tokens for which he confirmed a new block. A cryptocurrency developer will develop the computer protocol on which cryptocurrency is based, which notably defines the number of tokens in circulation, their circulation speed, their storage […] … learn more→
Life as a writer outside the boundaries of academia
No one who aspires to a fancy job as a tenured research professor in the life sciences should read this article. For those who wish to follow this career path, I can give only one piece of advice: make sure it’s EXACTLY what you want out of life. Life as an Academic I started out […] … learn more→
Coronavirus: 14 simple tips for better online teaching
The past few days have seen increasing numbers of schools and universities across the world announce that they are moving to online-only learning. Hundreds of thousands of teachers are busy working to move their face-to-face lessons online. Designing online courses takes significant time and effort. Right now, however, we need a simpler formula. Here […] … learn more→
Pandemics and PhDs
The pandemic is upon us. My university is moving rapidly online with everyone who can working at home. I’ve seen a lot on social media about how to teach online, whether to teach on line, and how to offer students support. I haven’t yet seen a lot about PhDers and their research. Well maybe a […] … learn more→
Schools closed to students: lessons from the virus (and some tips for parents)
The closure of schools and universities for an indefinite period is necessary due to public health requirements. The Ministry of National Education says it has anticipated the situation, but the organizational problems are far from all resolved. Secondary teachers are summoned to their establishments, and it will be up to them to organize themselves as best as possible with the digital […] … learn more→
Online learning will be hard for kids whose schools close – and the digital divide will make it even harder for some of them
Public and private schools across the nation are closing their doors as everyone scrambles to protect themselves from the COVID-19 viral disease pandemic. With little or no time to prepare for this disruption, families from Seattle to the New York City suburbs are suddenly having to figure out how to help their kids learn at home. This is an unprecedented […] … learn more→
