One of my pet peeves is reading sentences which contain an ambiguous pronoun. The pronoun stands alone, isolated. The lonely goatherd on the hilltop. Sentences that start with, or contain, an unattached this, they, it, those, these seem to expect the reader to just know what the this, they, it, those, and these refer to. In reality, the singleton pronoun is […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
This, they, it, those, these – a revision strategy
Effective virtual team building activities for online learners and teachers
Team building is one of the most important processes in creating a successful virtual classroom. Both students and teachers need to connect with each other to perform as a high functioning team. Even though as an educator, you have your own way to manage a virtual classroom, you should consider that there can be a […] … learn more→
“Discussion” – it’s about moving forward
Discussion. It’s a word that immediately comes to mind when we think about communicating research. First we report the results, and then we discuss them. Discussion might be a separate thesis chapter just before the conclusion, or the end of a series of chapters each featuring a different key result, or the discussion might morph […] … learn more→
Learn to learn how geniuses do it
One of the emerging phenomena in this century is the progressive consolidation of international consensus on educational policies. This is the case, for example, of the redesign of the curriculum and its focus on competencies , understanding as such knowledge, skills, and attitudes and values. This orientation is the result, on the one hand, of the digital revolution […] … learn more→
Four things that can bias how teachers assess student work
The way that teachers assess students has been under scrutiny since the UK government announced that this would be one element of a range of evidence used to replace GCSE and A Level exams this year. Teacher assessment is a key part of university study, too. University educators play a pivotal role in judging and grading written and non-written […] … learn more→
Until teachers feel safe, widespread in-person K-12 schooling may prove impossible in US
Safely resuming in-person instruction at U.S. public schools is important for the academic, physical, emotional and social well-being of children and their families. It’s also a key factor for the nation’s economic recovery. But in mid-July, despite considerable pressure from the Trump administration, many school systems around the nation had announced that they didn’t yet believe that anything close to […] … learn more→
Rock star effect: how to get the full educational potential of music video games
Music education notably influences cognitive development and the acquisition of psychomotor, social and emotional skills. Research carried out in the field of neuroscience has also demonstrated the numerous benefits on brain plasticity of constant musical practice from the infant stage. However, for the digital-born generation, the early stages of conventional music learning, which typically focus on repetitive, […] … learn more→
Federal spending covers only 8% of public school budgets
State and local tax dollars cover the bulk of U.S. public school funding. The federal government spends just under US$55 billion per year on K-12 education, in addition to outlays for early childhood education and post-secondary programs like loans and grants for college tuition. That’s just 8% of the total $720 billion it costs to run the nation’s public schools during the […] … learn more→
So you want to blog – a blog of my own
Why would anyone start a blog? It’s a big commitment. A blog can be seen as an “extra”, as a “vanity project” as “not scholarly”, particularly if it doesn’t directly hit a “public engagement” or “impact” target. It’s so much easier to write for other blogs. So why bother with your own? Well, I can […] … learn more→
Simply scrapping the SAT won’t make colleges more diverse
When the University of California decided in early 2020 to stop using the ACT and SAT in admissions by 2025, the decision sparked discussions anew about how fair and useful college entrance exams are in the first place. Studies have shown, for instance, that some SAT questions systematically favor white students over Black students of equal ability. Some scholars say […] … learn more→
