In this article, found on The Guardian Higher Education network, David Reed, Director of Generation Change explores alternative ways to prepare students for higher education, which could reduce costs and have a wider benefit to local communities. We thought this was an interesting exploration of alternative learning methods and a good analysis of how study, life…
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Medical technology and prosthetics are developing and improving rapidly. This BBC article about Almerina Mascarello, the first recipient of a bionic hand with a sense of touch to be used outside of a lab environment, is an fascinating example of how technology is changing our perceptions of what is human and what is machine. Scientists in…
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We thought this TED Radio Hour podcast from NPR made fascinating listening. It explores the theme of Future Consequences and how we can predict and prepare for changing the environments of the future. We were particularly intrigued by the work of designer Anab Jain from Superflux, who speaks about how Superflux create worlds, stories, and…
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This new report, a collaboration between Arup’s Foresight, Research and Innovation and Integrated City Planning teams, makes the argument for a child-friendly approach to urban planning. It sets out actions that can help take city planning beyond simply providing playgrounds for children, arguing that if cities fail to address the needs of children, they risk…
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In this article from wired.com, Clive Thompson explores how allowing space for boredom inspires creativity. Without time to let the mind wonder, we may not give ourselves the space we need for imaginative thought, which is important throughout our lives for learning and development. “I‘m dying of Boredom” complains the young wife, Yelena, in Chekhov’s…
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This article, found on The Guardian’s Teachers’ Network, is a fantastic example of how journalism, creative writing and filmmaking can inspire the imaginations of the next generation to challenge the status quo. As a result of documentaries like Blue Planet II and A Plastic Ocean and books such as Duffy’s Lucky Escape, teachers and students…
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We came across a video on the BBC website, documenting how Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss’s story has been preserved through virtual reality. This is a fascinating example of how human memories can be documented and accessed using new technologies and how these technologies can better help generations to come to empathise with and understand important experiences…
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In this article, found on the conversation.com, scientist Anthony Ryan describes how creativity can come from he most unlikely places. He describes how limitations can improve creativity, meeting the needs of desperate situations with unlikely solutions. Here, he explains how he and a team sought to grow food from mattresses with refugees in Za’atari. I am a…
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We thought this article, found on The Guardian, was an interesting exploration of the use of technology in child development. The article looks at how using technology for technology’s sake isn’t always benefical, or more powerful, than traditional development methods. In order to maximise the potential of technology for learning, imaginative practices need to be employed…
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