In a park in July, during the picnic following the end-of-year concert of a musical initiation device through orchestral practice, several children spontaneously grab their instruments and start playing Frère Jacques for ” say goodbye to their music teacher ”. Visibly moved, Bernard, one of the executives of the device, turns to us and declares: “No, but don’t […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Children’s orchestras, a way to democratize musical practice?
3 ways schools can improve STEM learning for Black students
Black people make up just 9% of the STEM workforce in the U.S. As a scholar who studies how STEM educators can more effectively reach Black students, I want to help all people develop an understanding of how anti-Black racism is a significant barrier for Black students learning STEM. Many scholars have argued that our current ways of teaching STEM are bad […] … learn more→
During lockdown, South African students wrote a book about ‘a world gone mad’
South African student voices have largely remained unheard in formal discussions around COVID-19. A pandemic that should not be put to waste, COVID-19, on some podiums, is seen as laying the groundwork for germination of seeds of change. The students in this collection of stories by the Initiative for Creative African Narratives (iCAN, a project […] … learn more→
Sweets, a way to create social links between schoolchildren?
One might think that candy is not found in secondary schools, that it is “childish” foods, eaten on birthdays or other celebrations. However, these sweets, which, according to many parents must remain on the order of the occasional, are invited daily to college. Although they are very often prohibited in the internal regulations of schools, students […] … learn more→
5 ways to use hip-hop in the classroom to build better understanding of science
Back when I attended M.S. 101 in the Bronx, I tuned out the science teacher because I didn’t think science was for me. I viewed the subject as something distant and inaccessible. I never saw myself becoming a scientist. Things changed, however, when my physics teacher at Marie Curie High School used hip-hop to make […] … learn more→
School nurses have a big job – is 1 for every 750 kids really enough?
When many people think of a school nurse, they imagine a person who hands out Band-Aids for boo-boos. But school nurses do so much more. They are school leaders who address the physical, mental and emotional health needs of students. As the COVID-19 pandemic played out, many school nurses took on even greater responsibilities. These […] … learn more→
Print, audio or video: which media to choose for better learning?
During the pandemic, many university professors abandoned traditional textbooks in favor of digital documents or multimedia devices. As a linguistics teacher , I compared electronic communications and printed texts from the point of view of learning. Is the level of understanding of information the same depending on whether it is read on paper or on a screen? And is listening or […] … learn more→
Multiple-choice exams favour boys over girls, worsening the maths gender gap
Boys perform better than girls in tests made up of multiple-choice questions. Multiple-choice questions are considered objective and easy to mark. But my research shows they give an advantage to males. I compared around 500,000 test results of boys and girls who sat the same international test, but whose exam papers differed by detail (although not […] … learn more→
Six books to rediscover the universe of Roald Dahl
With the exception of Charles Dickens in the XIX th century and JK Rowling at the end of the XX th century, few British children’s literature writers whose works have enjoyed a reception as enthusiastic in their lifetime than that been reserved for the works of Roald Dahl. And the author’s success continues today and goes beyond the boundaries of […] … learn more→
To school you have to walk and with friends
Covid-19 has shown that the world we know can change at any moment. The stress caused by economic, political and social insecurity can lead us to think that planning for the future, even the near and simple one, may seem impossible. For many people, these situations have only compounded the growing sense of insecurity. Although these are […] … learn more→
