Blog Archives

Why science matters so much in the era of fake news and fallacies

Why science matters so much in the era of fake news and fallacies

Democracy and social progress die without science and fact-based knowledge. Science and facts are the foundational basis for rational and logical disputation and the possibility of reaching some truths. Fake news, on the other hand, is a calculated assault on democratic freedoms. The power of the notion of fake news and of its practitioners is demonstrated […] … learn more→

What definitions for reading at school?

What definitions for reading at school?

At the time of the Paris Book Fair flourish speeches on reading. And in this moment of introspection of our society on its relation to reading , the world of education finds itself particularly involved. But the question of reading is not clear. What are we talking about when we talk about reading at school? In reality, it covers different definitions that are not always […] … learn more→

Why learning another language is still a sign of privilege

Why learning another language is still a sign of privilege

There is a class divide in language education in England. Young people from working-class backgrounds in socially deprived areas are far less likely to choose, or have the opportunity, to study languages at secondary school, than their more affluent peers. Foreign language learning is at its lowest level in UK secondary schools since the turn […] … learn more→

Higher education: teachers reinvent themselves with digital

Higher education: teachers reinvent themselves with digital

On the Internet forums, social networks or WIKI, the knowledge flows today with the speed V, without the intermediary of the teachers . But if they must admit to no longer being the sole depositories of knowledge, their role as smugglers is only transformed. In the wealth of information conveyed on the web, you have to know how to […] … learn more→

University of California’s break with the biggest academic publisher could shake up scholarly publishing for good

University of California’s break with the biggest academic publisher could shake up scholarly publishing for good

The University of California recently made international headlines when it canceled its subscription with scientific journal publisher Elsevier. The twittersphere lit up. And Elsevier’s parent company, RELX, saw its stock drop 7 percent in response to the announcement. A library canceling a subscription seems like a simple, everyday business decision, so what’s the big deal? It was not just the clash-of-the-titans […] … learn more→

Debate: How to make good use of school assessments?

Debate: How to make good use of school assessments?

What can be done when evaluations do not stop falling, be they international ( Pisa , Pirls or Timss ), or national ( CP, CE1 ), and that they are not very good? Should we deplore, with Stanislas Dehaene, the absence of a reaction of the “Pisa shock” type  ? The disappointing performances of French students in recent surveys have most often had the effect of indignant […] … learn more→

Teacher unions say they’re fighting for students and schools – what they really want is more members

Teacher unions say they’re fighting for students and schools – what they really want is more members

When schoolteachers in Los Angeles went on a weeklong strike in January, the head of the local teachers union described it as a “battle for the soul of public education.” When Denver public school teachers went on a three-day strike in February, they did it in the name of “schools Denver students deserve.” When teachers began their […] … learn more→