It seems today the mistrust of official health advice and spread of “alternative” treatments for COVID-19 are as frightening as the virus itself. How is it that so many people are ill-informed (and seemingly choose to be so) about the pandemic, despite decades of compulsory science education? Of course we are entering a post-truth era in which fake news […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Teach questions, not answers: science literacy is a crucial skill
4 ways to teach you’re (sic) kids about grammar so they actually care
First, a grammar quiz. Which of these sentences do you think begins the Eric Carle classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar? a) A little egg lay on a leaf in the light of the moon. b) On a leaf, in the light of the moon, a little egg lay. c) In the light of the moon, […] … learn more→
3 ways to get kids to tune in and pay attention when schools go virtual
When nearly all U.S. brick-and-mortar schools suddenly closed in March 2020 and went online, large numbers of students simply didn’t log into class. Even if they did show up, many more weren’t paying much attention or doing their schoolwork. As a new school year gets underway, is there anything that teachers and families can do to curb these […] … learn more→
COVID-19 : How to approach the ‘new education’ if half of the students do not have internet or computer?
91% of all students in the world have been affected by the closure of schools in 194 countries due to the pandemic. This enormous global challenge has generated an abrupt and unplanned transition to distance learning. It is clear that we were not prepared for such an abrupt transition, but it is no less so that distance learning […] … learn more→
‘It really sucks’: how some Year 12 students in Queensland feel about 2020
With a little over three months to go, Year 12 students have their sights set on the last major hurdle that will see them complete their final year of school — exams. What a year it has been for them. All students have experienced disruption, some for many weeks with learning at home rolled out […] … learn more→
Running a tweetchat
During this difficult pandemic period, Anuja Cabraal and I have been hosting a weekly tweetchat on the #VirtuaNotViral hashtag. Now, a “twitter chat” is not a new thing and we are not the only people doing them. However, we’ve got interested in them as a particular type of social media interaction, and I’m using this post to […] … learn more→
A-level results: confusion is the result of months of inertia and years of policy
Thirty-six hours before the release of A-level results in England on August 13, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced a new procedure to review the grades. This followed five months of work by teachers and exam regulators to produce results which were sent to universities last week to filter applications. A head teachers’ representative said the latest measure […] … learn more→
Myths and facts about the promotion of the reading habit of children and young people
In full vacation, although this year they are certainly far from the normality to which we were accustomed, the eternal question arises: how to get children to read? As a good enduring (and challenging) dilemma, it does not have a clear answer, but there is room for reflection around fundamental questions that can serve as guidance. […] … learn more→
Digital, new proposals for the cultural awakening of children?
Should we see art and culture as the preserve of adults? On the contrary, these areas are essential to nurture the thoughts and imaginations of young children, believes psychologist Sophie Marinopoulos. The idea is at the center of his report on the cultural health of toddlers, submitted to the Ministry of Culture in August 2019. Not only does this […] … learn more→
Videos won’t kill the uni lecture, but they will improve student learning and their marks
In response to COVID-19, almost every university has scrambled to move its teaching online. To do this, academics have been choosing between two approaches: live videoconferencing using tools such as Zoom, or pre-recording videos and posting to platforms such as YouTube. Previous reviews have shown videoconferences are an okay substitute for classes, but what about videos? […] … learn more→
