Miriam’s First Academic Article Published!
As many of you may know, our Country Director, Miriam Mason is working towards her PhD at the University of Durham. Unsurprisingly, her research relates to training teachers in Sierra Leone, a topic close to all of our hearts. As Miriam’s research has progressed, there are a number of academic articles relating to her work…
Read MoreLiteracy Skills for Sierra Leone in 21st Century
To what extent do you believe the literacy skills required for a new world will be more or less the same as they were before? Will new literate practices need to be generated and does that mean that new literacies be required? If so, what do you think these new literacies will be and how…
Read MoreA Day in the Life of an EducAid Volunteer
By Zeinab Makki In celebration of Volunteers’ Week (1st to 7th June), Zeinab Makki interviews one of EducAid’s most frequent volunteers, retired biology teacher, Ken Hall. “You meet young people with a drive and passion for doing something to change lives – which you don’t see in the same way in English…
Read MoreWhat kind of teachers will continue to flourish in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
A contribution to the Global Teacher Blog Series Photo by Olivia Acland The Fourth Industrial Revolution is reaching Sub-Saharan Africa in bits and pieces. The consequences of the Fourth Industrial Revolution reaching the rest of the world are more likely how we will experience it more and more before we, ourselves, start really engaging with…
Read MoreA Holistic Learning Approach for All the World’s Students in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
What should an holistic approach to learning look like and how do we shift the focus from the accountability measures in existence now to ones that are relevant for all students in a changing world? Please share specific case studies/examples from your classrooms, schools and communities that can inspire the rest of the world. A…
Read MoreGladys Mansaray – Lawyer in the Making!
I am Gladys Mansaray, a third year LLB Honours student at the University of Makeni (UniMak). I went to the EducAid Secondary School in 2009. Before 2009, it was really not easy for my parents to pay my school fees. I got to know about EducAid, a free school that is providing good quality education. …
Read MoreSpace to learn & live & love
Space to learn & live & love Contribution to the Blog Series: Space2Learn.edublogs.org The conventional wisdom is that the best place for any child growing up is in their family. In an ideal world, where that family is financially stable and the family has the wherewithal to care for the emotional, social and welfare needs…
Read MoreTaking Climate Change Seriously in our Schools. What are your best Tips for Teaching About Climate Change in Your Classroom?
Taking Climate Change Seriously in our Schools. What are your best Tips for Teaching About Climate Change in Your Classroom? Contribution to the Global Teacher Series 2018 Strangely, and somewhat frustratingly, it has been quite difficult over the years to get our students in Sierra Leone to think about taking their part in protecting the…
Read MoreHow are you promoting well-being, health and happiness in your classrooms?
How are you promoting well-being, health and happiness in your classrooms? Contribution to The Global Teacher Series 2018 The Battle For The Mind Physical and emotional safety are usually pre-requisites to us being willing to take risks. Risk-taking is usually a pre-requisite for trial and error leading to healthy growth and development. As a…
Read MoreWhat careers advice would you provide to those entering the workforce in 2030?
What careers advice would you provide to those entering the workforce in 2030? Contribution to discussions for the Global Education & Skills Forum 2018: ‘How do we prepare young people for the world of 2030 and beyond?’ The world has been changing exponentially quickly over the last decade plus and is unlikely to stop doing…
Read MoreHow do we instil a better idea of risk taking and struggle in students?
This post is from the Top Global Teachers blog series. Find out more at www.cmrubinworld.com The western world is moving towards lifestyles that require less and less resilience. Physical hardship for many children is becoming a rarity as western parents live up to their dreams of making their children’s childhoods free from suffering. These parents find…
Read MoreSeptember 2017 at EducAid
September was an eventful month for everyone at EducAid. Teachers and staff gathered together for training and meetings before welcoming the children back into the classroom on 11th September. This was no small achievement after the devastation of August’s mudslide and flooding. A new facility is taking shape in Rolal and EducAid students joined the Climate…
Read MoreMitigating Poverty
MITIGATING POVERTY — Solving poverty is not the prerogative of educators but equalizing every student’s opportunity for success in the classroom is. Part of The Global Teachers Blog series ‘The GEM Report provides an authoritative account of how education is the most vital input for every dimension of sustainable development’ (UNESCO, 2016). The whole…
Read MoreStanton House walk 100km and raise £6,546 for EducAid
I was fortunate enough to be one of twelve Stanton House employees that tackled the London to Brighton 100km walk. EducAid is a charity that we are truly passionate to support and I cannot believe that through many generous donations we were able to raise enough money for EducAid to provide an education, food…
Read MoreEducation is the answer. What’s the question?
Education is the answer. What’s the question? Sierra Leone has had a traumatic and traumatising few decades. I have been involved with this beautiful country since before my first visit in 1997. Since then, we have seen coups, the ending of an eleven year conflict, the ‘Ebola crisis’, annual flooding culminating in this latest round…
Read MoreDo you believe the curriculum needs to be more relevant for a 21st century world?
Do you believe the curriculum needs to be more relevant for a 21st century world? If you had the power to change the school curriculum, what would you change? Part of the Top Global Teacher Blog Series Prince Ea’s ‘The People vs the School System’ video nearly says it all! The curriculum, the assessment system…
Read MoreIN A 21st CENTURY WORLD, TEACHER LEARNING NEVER STOPS
IN A 21st CENTURY WORLD, TEACHER LEARNING NEVER STOPS —Technology is quickly and forever changing. The moment teachers master one new piece of ed-tech, there may be something newer you need to know more about. Teachers attend professional development sessions of all kinds. If you were calling the shots, how would you change ongoing…
Read MoreDr. Véronique Desnain – EducAid Trustee
Dr. Véronique Desnain is one of the newest members of our Board of Trustees. Véronique is an educationalist: a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and a long-term friend of Miriam and of EducAid. In April 2017, Véronique travelled to Sierra Leone to visit Miriam, our programmes and to deliver the second phase of our…
Read MoreExploring Genius Time in Schools
Companies like Google allow employees to spend “20% time” – that is 20% of their time working independently (on concepts they think will most benefit Google) – the goal being to inspire creativity and innovation. Some significant advances have happened and “20% products” include the development of Google News, Gmail, and AdSense. How could this…
Read MoreHow important is teaching ethics in the classroom? How do we instil a moral compass in every student?
When we teach, we are the catalysts for the development of the next generation. As Helen Caldicot said, ‘Teachers are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth.’ There are of course the reductionist and utilitarian approaches that see education as preparation for jobs but…
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