Delivering subject content through nine life themes
“If we want children to be prepared for risk, we need to allow them to come into contact with risk.” So says Prof Rolf Schwarz of Karlsruhe University of Education in a recent newspaper article on how Germany is leading the way in an… Continue Reading “Adventurous play helps children learn resilience and how to assess risk”
Discussing the number of Americans who believe in at least one phenomenon that defies the laws of science, Professor Steven Pinker mentions psychic healing (55%), ESP (41%), haunted houses (37%) and ghosts (32%), “…which also means,” Pinker writes, “that some people believe in houses… Continue Reading “Why teaching critical thinking is critically important”
Earlier this week the UN secretary-general António Guterres tweeted about the dangers of conspiracy theories, rumours and lies which are seriously hampering efforts to limit the remorseless spread of Covid around the world. The tweet included a graphic highlighting several questions that Guterres urged… Continue Reading “Studying history helps us deal with conspiracy theories, lies and disinformation”
A leading classical musician is introducing an eye-catching initiative to widen access to music for children. The Chinese pianist, educator and philanthropist Lang Lang has announced plans to set up several ‘piano labs’ in schools, each with 20 to 30 keyboards. The first piano… Continue Reading “Invest in music education”
The acclaimed author and former children’s laureate Michael Morpurgo says that teaching children to love writing is more important than learning about grammar. Morpurgo’s latest intervention – headlined Let’s not suck the joy out of writing in the print edition of the Guardian –… Continue Reading “Literacy and creativity go hand in hand”
Researchers say that there was an increase in screen time during the Covid pandemic affecting all age groups, and most noticeably in children aged six to ten. Screen time is the amount of time spent using a device with a screen such as a… Continue Reading “Limiting screen time”
The phrases ‘blue-sky thinking’ and ‘thinking outside the box’ would probably be somewhere near the top of many people’s list of most annoying examples of management speak. Clichés are, by definition, tired and hackneyed, but they usually convey something important – in this case… Continue Reading “Promoting creativity”
A recent report suggests that young people are increasingly relying on social media platforms rather than traditional news channels to keep up to date with the news. This is a worrying trend. How do we know that what we read is accurate or even… Continue Reading “Critical thinking and fake news”
Douglas Adams said: “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” It’s one of my favourite quotes about writing. Another comes from Margaret Attwood: “A word after a word after a word is power.” Too many children find… Continue Reading “A Boost for Creative Writing”
‘Apparently the arts and humanities aren’t important’ – so tweeted architectural historian and broadcaster Jonathan Foyle at the weekend alongside a photo like the one above of the vast Glastonbury crowd. His ironic tweet hints at widespread concern about the downgrading of creative subjects… Continue Reading “Creativity and the arts”