What types of physical activity benefit students? Can bringing movement and play into different academic classes help children learn? How can spaces and classes for movement be inclusive? Nina first meets Fotini Vasilopoulos, a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sydney in Australia. “Physical activity is important for physical health, for mental health, and it also can drive behaviours for learning.” Fotini suggests giving children different types of experiences - not just sports, but also play and dance, which can foster inclusivity. Next, Nina speaks to Saumil Majmudar in the Himal ..read more

In what ways do students differ from each other in their learning? How does one student vary in their own learning from day to day? How can schools embrace these types of learning variability? In this episode, Nina talks to Julia Leonard, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Learning variability, Julia explains, is both “my learning might be different than your learning” and “my learning one day might be different from the other day”. It is also that “my learning in one class might be different than another class”. Julia’s research asks how educators can create contexts that b ..read more

How can teachers help students make a positive change in their communities? How can schools better connect education with the future of work? In this bonus mini episode of Teachers’ Voices, Nina hears practical tips from last episode’s guests Alison Yang, Barbara Bilgre, Maud Seghers, and Larisa Akrofie. Nina is also joined by Tanya Sheckley, an edupreneur and host of the podcast Rebel Educator. All share their tips and inspiring resources for instilling an entrepreneurial mindset and preparing students for the future of work. Join the Teachers' Voices WhatsApp group and read the community gui ..read more

What is an entrepreneurial mindset? Why should educators nurture entrepreneurial mindsets in young people? What entrepreneurial projects have teachers developed in classrooms around the world? In this episode, Nina first speaks to Maud Seghers. Maud is a global education advisor at VVOB in Belgium, an international organisation devoted to education development. An entrepreneurial mindset is not just about starting and managing projects, programs, and businesses that generate wealth, Maud says, as a lot of entrepreneurs and young people also want to “maximise benefits to society and the environ ..read more

What barriers keep girls from fulfilling their potential in STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics – subjects?  Nina first meets Maliha Fawzia, the interim Global Head of Girls’ Education at Teach For All. Maliha joins Nina from Bangladesh. Maliha explains that the first barrier for girls studying maths and science is feeling welcome in the classroom as girls. “It's first and most important to feel safe, to be seen, to feel confident, to share their opinion”, she says. Next, Nina meets math teacher Patrycja Janekankit, based in Poland. Patrycja gets to know her st ..read more

What is neurodiversity? How does it differ from neurodevelopmental disorders? How can schools make sure all children feel like they belong? In this episode, Nina meets Alyssa Alcorn, lead researcher for the Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS) project at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Alyssa explains that neurodiversity concerns everyone, because everyone has a brain. Neurodiversity is a biological fact. “We are all different in how we think and feel and learn because our brains process information differently”, she says. “Neurodivergence is not about having a diagnosis, i ..read more

In this bonus episode, Nina celebrates International Day of Education with former science teacher, Sarah Horley. Sarah is Programme Manager from Teachers for the Planet, a program that aims to improve climate change education. Teachers for the Planet are showcasing teacher-led climate change education solutions at the Learning Planet Festival. Three teachers share their solutions with Nina. First, secondary school teacher Astrid Hugli in Switzerland explains how she helps students understand whether common statements about climate change are true or false. Astrid also helps students understand ..read more

Why is education important for conflict-affected children? How are teachers in conflict zones using EdTech? Can EdTech adapt to children’s changing learning conditions and help them to thrive? In this episode, Nina talks to Jasmine Turner and Olena Onyshchenko from War Child about the EdTech solution Can’t Wait to Learn. Talking to Nina from Uganda, Researcher Jasmine explains that Can’t Wait to Learn is a digitized adaptive self-paced personal learning program, aligned with the national curriculum in each country it is used in.  Jasmine believes that education should not be an additional ..read more

In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from International Baccalaureate (IB) in Washington DC. Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at IB, tells Nina that since the start of the pandemic, the IB has ensured wellbeing is at the core of the learning experience in their schools. “Wellbeing is so central to learning. Without it, there’s little space in a student’s mind and body to focus on learning”, Nicole says. Jennifer Merriman, Global Director of Research, Policy & Design at IB, tells Nina about how the IB worked with Oxford Wellbeing Research Center to come up with a definition and fram ..read more

What are children around the world learning about looking after finances and other resources? What should be in a financial and social education curriculum? How can teachers involve parents in discussions on these topics? In this episode, Nina talks to two experts from Aflatoun, an international organisation based in the Netherlands that brings financial and social education to children worldwide. Cristina Peña, Programme Manager for the Americas, believes that “now more than ever, we need to really understand how to manage our resources”. Cristina says that children aren’t necessarily taught ..read more