Blog Archives

How parents can help kids deal with back-to-school anxiety

How parents can help kids deal with back-to-school anxiety

As a child, I had a great deal of anxiety. If you’ve ever seen me speak in public, that might surprise you. But anxiety among children is extremely common and affects almost all children, to varying degrees. During pre-pandemic times, researchers noted that as many as 7% of children had a diagnosable anxiety disorder that disrupted their […] … learn more→

School students at the heart of a COVID outbreak change the story of how it spreads

School students at the heart of a COVID outbreak change the story of how it spreads

The central role of schools in the Brisbane COVID-19 outbreak means the virus might move through the community differently from previous outbreaks. Previously, the focus has been on the spread of the virus through the aged care sector and via service workers. People in education systems move and interact differently. Sociology can provide a useful lens for understanding how the virus is […] … learn more→

Why do young boys hardly read poetry?

Why do young boys hardly read poetry?

The Gipuzkoan poet Gabriel Celaya (1911-1991), one of the greatest exponents of postwar Spanish poetry, has a poem entitled Poetry is a weapon loaded with the future , in which he immerses himself in creative work as a means of exchange with society, to the point of erasing their individual authorship to collectivize the voice. However, currently […] … learn more→

Thinking of taking a language in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to know

Thinking of taking a language in year 11 and 12? Here’s what you need to know

Some students elect to study languages in their senior years because of personal interest, or because they have previously been successful in language learning. Others may choose to do so because of future career plans, or because they wish to further their studies at university. Other important influences on students’ decisions are perceived cognitive benefits. Studying […] … learn more→

Kids set free to roam on their own feel more confident navigating in adulthood

Kids set free to roam on their own feel more confident navigating in adulthood

The distance from home that kids are allowed to roam and play has shrunk significantly over the last 50 years. That’s largely due to parents’ concerns over safety, especially in cities. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted children’s independent activity. As a Ph.D. student in psychology, I studied factors that affect people’s spatial navigation skills – or how they […] … learn more→

Taking the circus to school: How kids benefit from learning trapeze, juggling and unicycle in gym class

Taking the circus to school: How kids benefit from learning trapeze, juggling and unicycle in gym class

Twelve public schools in Winnipeg are currently operating circus programs in physical education. Circus arts have been gaining popularity in schools around the world. Added to physical education programs, circus arts instruction not only seems to motivate children to exercise, but also has the potential to develop other abilities beyond the physical. My research team measured resiliency […] … learn more→

Schooling in lockdown isn’t home schooling – but we can learn from the real thing

Schooling in lockdown isn’t home schooling – but we can learn from the real thing

Adding to the clamour of argument over whether schools should be open to all during lockdown is confusion in terminology. Using the term “home schooling” to describe schooling during lockdown is disrespectful to both teachers and home schoolers.   Have heard from teacher friends that they are sick of media and parents referring to ‘home […] … learn more→

Do you want to participate in a climate summit or learn to be a researcher? Educational board games teach you

Do you want to participate in a climate summit or learn to be a researcher? Educational board games teach you

The singer-songwriter Tontxu, in his 1997 song Risk , said: “ A game of Risk, a Trivial, a Parcheesi. Lots of questions about you. Mix your chips with mine. Under the table, you cheat your caresses. “ Almost 25 years later, not only do I continue to meet with my people whenever I can to “play a little game”, but I have also begun […] … learn more→

Feeling like an imposter? ask “what’s going on here?”

Feeling like an imposter? ask “what’s going on here?”

The term imposter syndrome is everywhere. People “have it”, “suffer from it” or “ have a bad case of it.” Imposter syndrome is a term that worries me. I’ve been concerned at how it’s used for quite some time. I’m hardly the only one. The original inventors of the term, Pauline Clance and Suzanne Innes, rejected […] … learn more→

Advantages and disadvantages of online learning

Advantages and disadvantages of online learning

Learning is an activity that has to go on throughout our lives if we wish to improve our lives. People who keep learning despite facing obstacles, swear by the positive changes that learning promotes. In the current era of the internet, learning has become accessible to so many people in ways like never before. Even […] … learn more→