Six Sources That Can Help Teachers Think Like Entrepreneurs
‘Entrepreneurship’ is an immortal buzzword. A simple online search will provide you with over 146,000,000 answers (and multiple pictures of Richard Branson) of which the first one (by Wikipedia) will give you the following: Entrepreneurship has traditionally been defined as the process of designing, launching and running a new business, which typically begins as a […]
Can Learning Increase Intelligence?
All eyes are on her. It’s her worst nightmare, and everyone is watching as she is about to be gobbled by shame. She hopes no one can notice her shaky legs, her flushed face. The long moments of silence are only disrupted by hurtful whispers and badly concealed giggles. The teacher is still waiting. “Well? […]
“Local is Lekker” – Innovation Is Best When It Is Local!
“Local is lekker” is the South African way of saying ‘things from home are usually the best’ (my paraphrase of the meaning). This phrase can apply to anything from sport, to food or culture. I really think that “local is lekker” when it comes to innovation in education too. Innovation one of those buzz words […]
Refugee Crisis: Education Aid is Only a Click Away
I often find my daily news feed packed with harrowing visuals and reports of people risking their lives in search of a better life. Emergencies – natural and manmade – big and small – are forcing millions to flee their homes, cities and countries for foreign lands. We are witnessing the highest levels of displacement […]
Best Practices for Running Schools in Refugee Camps
The disruption of education for Syrian children has been one of the worst consequences of the six- year conflict. Years of schooling lost directly correlate to poorer employment prospects and increased social disadvantages in years to come. The Jusoor program is one of a few NGO initiatives that directly address this huge need by providing non-formal […]
Higher Education and Inclusion of Refugees
Globally, refugees constitute vulnerable groups since their migration is forced and since they are in need of protection. Their future status in terms of residence, citizenship, permits and visa is often in a situation of limbo for long periods of time. Refugees and asylum-seekers also live lives in a sort of a vacuum, where the […]
Education Technology for Rapid Response
Despite increased access to primary education in many countries, the number of out-of-school children (OOSC) and adolescents rose from 122m in 2011 to 124m in 2013. Globally, 250m children cannot read, write or count, despite many having been in school for years. The proportion of children who do not complete primary education who come […]
How Reflection Can Help Teachers Become More Effective
Research indicates that critical reflection makes a significant impact on a teacher’s knowledge, skills, and effectiveness (Brookfield 2004; Cranton, 1996; Willis, 1999). The skills of critical reflection now form the underpinnings of most teacher education programs internationally (Clarke & Otaky, 2006). Cranton (1996) argued the process of critical reflection allows individuals to identify and locate […]
The Four Big Fails That Made My Business Succeed
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison Failure and Success are like two rivaling siblings that continuously squabble in front of every starting entrepreneur. In starting my own business, I have not found a way of having one without the other. It is no secret that you need […]
Increasing The Competitiveness of Arabic Language: Some Unusual Alternatives
Arab visitors to the small Mediterranean island nation of Malta may hear a familiar language. Maltese is derived from the language of the Fatimid Empire that ruled south Italy from the ninth through twelfth centuries. Maltese is written in the Latin script and has many imported words, but its grammar is North African Arabic. It […]