Blog Archives

Reading is more than sounding out words and decoding.

Reading is more than sounding out words and decoding.

When I was younger I decided to learn Greek. I learnt the letter-sound correspondences and could say the words – the sounds, that is. But although I could and still can decode these words, I can’t actually read Greek because I don’t know what the words mean. Being able to make the connection between the […] … learn more→

University: how to introduce sustainable development into training?

University: how to introduce sustainable development into training?

At the instigation of Delphine Batho, Cédric Villani and Matthieu Orphelin, 80 deputies have tabled a bill on the teaching of climate issues. Without waiting for this legislative initiative, it appears that many actions have already been launched in universities to integrate this dimension of “sustainability” into training. Through this article, I want to draw some conclusions from […] … learn more→

The 'parental pin' undermines the trust between family and school

The ‘parental pin’ undermines the trust between family and school

The relationship between family and school is a connection between individuals who share responsibility for the growth and development of girls and boys. In this sense, Clarke, Sheridan and Woods argue that a relationship between family and school is healthy and beneficial for children, families, teachers and the school if a positive and constructive link is established […] … learn more→

How much of a difference does the number of kids in a classroom make?

How much of a difference does the number of kids in a classroom make?

Chicago’s teachers went on strike in October, suspending instruction for the city’s public school students for 11 days. Educators in the nation’s third-largest school district were seeking higher pay and improved benefits. But they also wanted to reduce the number of classrooms with large numbers of students. The deal the union representing Chicago’s teachers struck with the city […] … learn more→

Readings: These classics that Harry Potter introduces to your children

Readings: These classics that Harry Potter introduces to your children

“All the children of our world will know his name,” prophesies Professor McGonagall at the beginning of Harry Potter . More than 20 years after the appearance in bookstore of the hero imagined by JK Rowling, it is clear that fiction has become reality. The series in seven volumes that traces the path of initiation of the young orphan was published more than […] … learn more→

Academic freedom: repressive government measures taken against universities in more than 60 countries

Academic freedom: repressive government measures taken against universities in more than 60 countries

Universities around the world are increasingly under threat from governments restricting their ability to teach and research freely. Higher education institutions are being targeted because they are the home of critical inquiry and the free exchange of ideas. And governments want to control universities out of fear that allowing them to operate freely might ultimately […] … learn more→

Tolkien vs Disney: educate or entertain?

Tolkien vs Disney: educate or entertain?

What are the similarities between JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit , and Snow White and Walt Disney’s Seven Dwarfs ? None, except that the two works for young audiences were born a few months apart – the novel in September 1937, the cartoon at Christmas – and they both feature a group of dwarves. Tolkien discovered those of Disney at the beginning of 1939, in a cinema […] … learn more→