Soft skills are also known as those social and emotional skills that complement technical skills and are crucial for each person’s personal and professional success. In a labor market in which competitiveness increases, the ability to work in a team, adaptability or problem solving in a changing and globalized context is increasingly valued. All of them […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Assessment, a soft skill?
Rights of transgender students and their parents are a challenge for schools, courts
As an increasing number of elementary, middle and high school students in the U.S. have begun to identify as transgender, school leaders have struggled to figure out how to respond, and how – and whether – to communicate about their actions to parents. In Maryland, for instance, three sets of parents filed a federal lawsuit in 2020 that challenged […] … learn more→
Whether it’s a new teacher or class – here’s what to do when your child is not loving it
The first signs were the half-eaten lunches coming home from high school. This was in stark contrast to the primary school years, where the box looked as if a demolition team had run through it with only a few crumbs left. The problem was finally disclosed over a quiet chat before bedtime when we did […] … learn more→
‘Numberless math’ gets kids thinking about and visualizing algebra
Today, elementary mathematics classrooms look and sound very different than what many parents may have experienced. Many mathematics education researchers note that getting learners talking about mathematics and developing their own explanations is important. To build students’ comfort and capabilities talking about math, sharing tasks that involve only pictures — what we call numberless or textless tasks […] … learn more→
3 reasons not to be a Stoic (and try Nietzsche instead)
For an ancient philosophy, Stoicism is doing extremely well in 2023. Quotes from the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius litter my Instagram feed; you can find expert advice from modern Stoic thinkers on leadership, relationships, and, well, just about anything. It is hard to imagine Zeno, the Athenian philosopher who founded Stoicism, or his Roman counterparts Seneca, Marcus Aurelius […] … learn more→
I introduced social entrepreneurship to my trainee teachers – why it’ll make them better at their jobs
The daily headlines from South Africa are largely gloomy. The country’s government seems unable to address a years-long electricity crisis that is steadily worsening. Unemployment is high. Food prices are climbing. But there are pockets of excellence – like stories of social entrepreneurship, an approach that uses business principles to create positive social and environmental impact. It involves identifying social problems using […] … learn more→
Learning grammar is just as important as it always was but the way we teach it has changed
Many students are returning to school this year face a renewed focus on grammar. Just before Christmas, the NSW curriculum was overhauled to include the “explicit teaching of grammar, sentence structure and punctuation in high school”. This comes amid concerns about literacy levels, particularly among teenage boys. Last month, a major Productivity Commission report on schools also criticised nationwide literacy […] … learn more→
You can’t fix school refusal with ‘tough love’ but these steps might help
School attendance levels in Australia are a massive issue according to Education Minister Jason Clare. As he told reporters last week, he hopes to talk to state colleagues about the issue at a meeting later this month. There’s evidence that school attendance rates have been dropping now for ten years, and we see it amongst boys and […] … learn more→
How to learn better throughout life
Throughout his life, human beings are confronted with new situations, acquire new knowledge which they transpose to new contexts, develop new ideas and skills, and even modify their environment to improve their well-being. We do all of this through an extraordinary skill called “learning,” which has allowed our species a greater degree of flexibility and adaptability, […] … learn more→
Why teachers are letting students solve math problems in lots of different ways
Families might be wondering why their child’s math classroom looks so different from what they remember in school. Why aren’t teachers putting students on the spot and getting them to prove that they know the math? Why are teachers letting students solve problems in lots of different ways instead of just telling them how to do it? […] … learn more→
