The Future of Education Could be in Our Stories
Speculative fiction as a genre of narrative storytelling has been used for decades to express dissatisfaction with social systems, whether in the form of gripping books such as 1984 by George Orwell or through dystopian shows such as Black Mirror. This isn’t surprising, as we have used the power of stories throughout human history to understand the world […]
Branching Out: Analyzing the Study Abroad Program Experiences of QF’s Students
This was originally published in Qatar Foundation Universities have started to play a greater role in equipping students with the mindset needed to thrive in a global economy. These efforts include promoting values associated with globalization, such as global citizenship and intercultural understanding. One of the primary methods for this approach is the study abroad […]
Finding Our Voices Through Creative Writing
Writing is a practice as old as some of our ancient civilizations – it has been taught and practiced for centuries and long served as a gateway for creativity. Creative writing is not all that new, has developed massively within English-speaking countries and is gaining momentum around the world. Using creative writing with youth as […]
Building Intercultural Understanding Through Music
This post was originally published on UWCSEA | International school in Singapore. Uniting Nations Day at East Campus Each December, over 1000 Primary School students on East Campus come together to showcase the amazing and diverse learning that happens in our Primary School Music program. Uniting Nations Day at East is a celebration of our community’s diversity […]
Formulating Language Policies for Globalized Contexts
Decisions about languages to teach and use as part of formal schooling directly impact educational outcomes globally. They influence the accessibility of content and create implicit messages about whether students’ heritages and identities are welcome and capable of succeeding at school. Current language policies in many contexts negatively impact educational opportunities for indigenous and migrant […]
Creating Cultural Harmony Through Digital Learning
How one views one’s self in the context of the other is an embedded social and cultural phenomenon. If one’s self is perceived as equal in importance to the other, whether or not the other is of differing personal, social, and/or cultural worlds, then social and natural harmony is achievable. “Through the discovery of others, we reinforce […]
Constructing a Better World Using Compassion as a First Item in the Toolbox
We live in an increasingly globalized world. Many of our children are growing up exposed to greater diversity than ever before, through direct contact with people around them, as well as via the various media channels with which they interact daily. While many inner-city schools across the UK boast over 30 different languages spoken by […]
Promoting Social Media Wellness in a Digitally Disrupted World
Keeping kids socially, emotionally and physically safe online and in real life seems to be a daunting and relentless task. Over the past decade, just as one challenge is solved in our ever-changing digital world, two or three others tend to pop up. In my two decades of work with students on executive functioning skills […]
An International Movement Calls for Greater Investment in School Leaders
This article was originally published on NYC Leadership Academy. While schools in Nairobi face different challenges from schools in Hong Kong or India or the U.S., there is increasing agreement across contexts that to transform schools, you need great school leaders. An international movement is growing to increase and improve school leadership by calling for more […]
How We Can Use Brain Science to Inform Educational Innovation
First: Understand how relationships matter (This essay is adapted from The Brain Basis for Integrated Social, Emotional and Academic Development (SEAD): How Emotions and Social Relationships Drive Learning. By Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Linda Darling-Hammond and Christina Krone. Published by the Aspen Institute National Commission on Social, Emotional and Academic Development.) Throughout life, and to an extraordinary […]