When I started lecturing full-time a little over five years ago, I knew what everybody does: that we all learn better by doing. I knew that “active learning” – literally doing anything apart from just talking through a PowerPoint presentation – is the way to go. I’d also been introduced to the “flipped classroom” concept, […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Turning traditional teaching on its head helps rural science students
The Spellings Commission: Same story, different decade
Eleven years ago today, the Department of Education released the culminating report of its Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education. That report, spearheaded by then-U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, laid out a bold vision for greater accountability and transparency in the postsecondary education system. But over a decade later, few of the […] … learn more→
The College cargo cult
As the student loan debt is now getting closer to 2 trillion dollars than 1 trillion dollars1, it’s time to consider how it happened. “Cargo Cult” refers to religious splinter groups that kept forming among the stone-age tribes in the Pacific as they encountered modern civilization, during the 20th century. The best book to discuss […] … learn more→
Five ways ancient India changed the world – with maths
It should come as no surprise that the first recorded use of the number zero, recently discovered to be made as early as the 3rd or 4th century, happened in India. Mathematics on the Indian subcontinent has a rich history going back over 3,000 years and thrived for centuries before similar advances were made in […] … learn more→
A kind word is too rarely heard
My career has been divided between school and university teaching: in both I made late discoveries. I’d been a teacher of English in high schools for almost 20 years before it became clear to me that the most significant component of what I was doing with my students was what I call “making meaning”. Each […] … learn more→
Guilty, as charged
I’ve been thinking about guilt lately. Academic guilt. And why I seem to feel it – a lot. The most recent guilt ridden occasion was just last weekend. The week before I’d been away for four days at a conference. I’d left home at 5 am on Tuesday and arrived back at 2 30 am […] … learn more→
Why you should quit your job and become a teacher
If you are among the many struggling to find purpose in your life and attempting to chase your dreams yet finding a sort of emptiness at every turn, the solution may not be in the big promotion in your current job. It may be as simple as finding your purpose through teaching and even though […] … learn more→
Top 8 modern education problems and ways to solve them
In many ways, today’s system is better than the traditional one. Technology is the biggest change and the greatest advantage at the same time. Various devices, such as computers, projectors, tablets and smartphones, make the process of learning simpler and more fun. The Internet gives both students and teachers access to limitless knowledge. However, this […] … learn more→
Doctors, lawyers and ministers all take a professional pledge: here’s why teachers should too
What do these occasions have in common: a wedding, a witness about to give evidence in court, and a citizenship ceremony? All are public occasions, all require witnesses, and – most importantly – all require those at the centre of the occasion to make a vow, swear an oath, or make a binding pledge. Such […] … learn more→
Conference small talk – the definitive guide
Making small talk with someone who’s just given a talk, whether at a conference or at a colloquium or invited talk, can feel intimidating, especially if you’re a student or early in your academic career. But as someone who’s currently spending a lot of time on the opposite side of that divide, I’ve realized that […] … learn more→
