Education

Ever wake up just before your alarm? It might not be a coincidence… It turns out, our brains have a natural way of keeping track of time, an inborn “clock” mechanism, which is synchronised to light in our environment. It’s got the coolest name for such a tiny brain region: the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) - literally, the group of cells (nucleus) above (supra) the optic chiasm (crossing). The SCN is essentially your brain’s “master clock” because it is responsible for coordinating our circadian rhythms. Light-sensitive cells in your eyes send signals to the SCN, which regulates melatonin - a hormone that makes us sleepy - via the pineal gland. Our species evolved to be diurnal, being active in the day and sleeping at night. As a result, daylight inhibits melatonin release, making us more alert. At night, the lack of light promotes melatonin release, making us sleepy. This is why for better sleep hygiene, experts often recommend limiting exposure to electronic devices for at least an hour before bedtime. The light from electronic devices can shift your body clock and this gets aggravated by heightened anxiety associated with doom scrolling -- neither of which helps your sleep. Want to support your brain’s internal clock? A few simple habits can make a big difference: 👉 Get natural sunlight in the morning. This helps reset your body clock. 👉 Stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. 👉 Limit screens at least an hour before bed. 👉 Keep your bedroom dark and cool to promote better sleep. BTW, in teenagers melatonin starts to be produced later at night, which is why many teenagers don’t feel sleepy until much later in the evening. It’s also the reason they struggle to get up in the morning. For teens, going to school early is a bit like forcing them into a different time zone during the week and only letting them reset on weekends. When your teenager sleeps in on the weekends, bear in mind they are dealing with a genuine biological change in their circadian rhythm during the teenage years. So when you wake right before your alarm, blame (or credit!) your suprachiasmatic nucleus for being such a good time keeper! Understanding our biology helps us work with our natural rhythms rather than against them. How do you optimize your daily schedule around your circadian patterns?

Montana, Maine, Alaska, Nevada, and Michigan recently joined the growing number of states with official AI guidance for K12—bringing us to 31 states and 1 U.S. territory. Common priority areas across these new state guidelines include: • Human-Centered Approach - Ensuring AI augments rather than replaces human capabilities, judgment, and decision-making, with educators remaining central to instruction • Data Privacy and Security - Protecting student data and ensuring FERPA, COPPA, and state laws • Ethical Use and Academic Integrity - Establishing clear policies on plagiarism, proper attribution of AI-generated content, and responsible use practices • Professional Development - Encouraging districts to prioritize professional learning for educators on AI tools, pedagogy, and classroom integration strategies • Transparency and Accountability - Communicating clearly with stakeholders about AI use, disclosing when AI is employed, and establishing responsibility for tool selection and outcomes • Equity and Fair Access - Ensuring all students and schools have access to AI technologies, preventing widening of the digital divide • Policy Development and Governance - Creating board-approved guidelines, acceptable use policies, and frameworks for ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement Notably, Maine and Nevada also include AI for Education resources like our Drafting a GenAI Academic Policy and AI in Education 101 for Parents guide. This state-level policy development reflects the need and activity already happening at the district level, with recent research showing that 68% of districts have purchased an AI-related tool. We're also hearing from partners that it serves as a catalyst where state guidance exists—motivating districts and schools to begin their own local AI policy development. For those who want to learn more, we’ve compiled all of the current state level guidance for K12 in a single resource which includes summaries and links for each individual state. There you can also find all of the AI for Education resources shared as part of various state level guidance, including: • Drafting a GenAI Academic Policy at Your School • AI in Education 101 for Parents • Top 5 Questions for GenAI EdTech Providers • An Essential Guide to AI for Educators (free course) • Prompt Framework for Educators: The Five "S" Model • Prompt Library for Educators • How to Use AI Responsibly EVERY Time • AI Adoption Roadmap for Education Institutions Link in the comments!

"𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆," a student told me when I asked about AI's impact on their education. It was honest, unfiltered, and resonated with everyone present. And here's the reality: 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 '𝘯𝘰' 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘐 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦. But how do we address concerns like this as AI becomes deeply embedded, even in our learning systems? I recently had the privilege of exploring this and more in two speaking opportunities - on the '𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁' podcast with Rosaria Silipo, and at the 𝗞𝗡𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲 event at Republic Polytechnic's beautiful campus recently. Here's what I shared about navigating AI's role in education and organisational transformation:  • 𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻, our Data, Platforms, and People ecosystems must work in harmony. One without the others will fail.  • 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹-𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱, a powerful ally when used with wisdom and ethics, but a liability when misused or misunderstood.  • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 even for data professionals who need new capabilities like AI literacy, prompt engineering, ethical practices, and critical interpretation of AI outputs.  • 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗜 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 is the need and can no longer be reserved for techies. Every role, at every level, and everywhere needs human-centered strategies for this transformation.  • 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, not disappearing, so educators need to transition from traditional tutors and lecturers to becoming coaches, facilitators, and co-learners alongside the students. Thank you Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Nickholas Anting Anak Guntor and Henry L. for sharing your experiences with data and AI, for the sideline conversations and for demonstrating how you embed data and AI learning in your curriculum and schools. It's great to see how you are involved in preparing the future generation of workforce in Singapore and Malaysia. The future isn't about choosing between human skills and AI - it's about fostering our uniquely human and adaptive capabilities to work in tandem with artificial intelligence. What's your take? How are you seeing AI reshape learning and work in your organization? #AI #Education #DataLiteracy #AILiteracy #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation #KNIME

In a recent The Wall Street Journal op-ed, I shared why international students are essential to America’s future. Their ideas, energy and varied perspectives strengthen our communities. They help to support U.S. companies, generate billions in exports and fuel innovation across sectors — from ed tech and health care to AI and semiconductors. At ASU, nearly 18,000 international students enhance our university, help power our research, drive investment and deepen our global impact. Limiting their access doesn’t protect U.S. institutions; it weakens them. The success of American industry depends on humans as well as technology. Read more: https://ow.ly/iFKH50Ws4b4

Learning flourishes when students are exposed to a rich tapestry of strategies that activate different parts of the brain and heart. Beyond memorization and review, innovative approaches like peer teaching, role-playing, project-based learning, and multisensory exploration allow learners to engage deeply and authentically. For example, when students teach a concept to classmates, they strengthen their communication, metacognition, and confidence. Role-playing historical events or scientific processes builds empathy, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Project-based learning such as designing a community garden or creating a presentation fosters collaboration, creativity, and real-world application. Multisensory strategies like using manipulatives, visuals, movement, and sound especially benefit neurodiverse learners, enhancing retention, focus, and emotional connection to content. These methods don’t just improve academic outcomes they cultivate lifelong skills like adaptability, initiative, and resilience. When teachers intentionally layer strategies that match students’ strengths and needs, they create classrooms that are inclusive, dynamic, and deeply empowering. #LearningInEveryWay

“Show outcomes, not outputs!” I’ve given (and received) this feedback more times than I can count while helping organizations tell their impact stories. And listen, it’s technically right…but it can also feel completely unfair. We love to say things like: ✅ 100 teachers trained ✅ 10,000 learners reached ✅ 500 handwashing stations installed But funders (and most payers) want to know: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵? That’s the outcomes vs outputs gap: ➡️ Output: 100 teachers trained ➡️ Outcome: Teachers who received training scored 15% higher on evaluations than those who didn’t The second tells a story of change. But measuring outcomes can be 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. It’s easy to count the number of people who showed up. It’s costly to prove their lives got better because of it. And that creates a brutal inequality. Well-funded organizations with substantial M&E budgets continue to win. Meanwhile, incredible community-led organizations get sidelined for not having “evidence”- even when the change is happening right in front of us. So what can organizations with limited resources do? 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵: That study from Daystar University showing teacher training improved learning by 10% in India? Use it. If your intervention is similar, cite their methodology and results as supporting evidence. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀: Baseline and end-line surveys aren't perfect, but they're better than nothing. Self-reported confidence levels have limitations, but "85% of teachers reported feeling significantly more confident in their teaching abilities," tells a story. 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Universities need research projects. Find one studying similar interventions and collaborate. Share costs, share data, share credit. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘅𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Can't afford a 5-year longitudinal study? Track intermediate outcomes that research shows correlate with long-term impact. 𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Let beneficiaries help design and conduct evaluations. It's cost-effective and often reveals insights that traditional methods miss. For example, train teachers to interview each other about your training program. And funders? Y’all have homework too. Some are already offering evaluation support (bless you). But let’s make it the rule, not the exception. What if 10-15% of every grant was earmarked for outcome measurement? What if we moved beyond gold-standard-only thinking? 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 “𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹”. We need outcomes. But we also need equity. How are you navigating this tension? What creative ways have you used to show impact without burning out your team or budget? #internationaldevelopment #FundingAfrica #fundraising #NonprofitLeadership #nonprofitafrica

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿? The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey 2024 makes one thing clear: 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬, the 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 won’t be memorised facts, but 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆. As this chart shows, the world is shifting:  • From static knowledge to lifelong learning  • From routine tasks to creative and analytical thinking  • From individual achievement to collaboration and emotional intelligence. As educators and policymakers, we must ask ourselves:  • Are our classrooms cultivating these future-ready skills?  • Are assessments aligned with what will truly matter?  • Are we enabling students to thrive, not just survive, in an uncertain future? It’s time to move from a content-heavy curriculum to one that values agency, self-awareness, and purposeful learning. Every school should, and can, be a place where every child learns to be a problem-solver, a systems thinker, a compassionate teammate and, most of all, a curious, adaptable, humane being. At ThriveNow Education, we believe in a balanced approach. Yes, the future demands adaptability, creativity, and digital fluency but these must be built on solid foundations of literacy, numeracy, and global citizenship. Our curriculum blends core academic learning with real-world experiences, integrated projects, and values-driven action. We support students to achieve in essential subjects, but also to develop the skills and mindsets they’ll need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Let’s move beyond the false choice between knowledge and skills. The future belongs to those who can think critically, act ethically, adapt appropriately, and connect deeply and that starts with an education that is both rigorous and relevant. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀—𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱. (𝘐𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦: 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 2030, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘌𝘍 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘣𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘺)

💡 What if every lesson felt like an adventure, not a chore? Let’s be honest: unforgettable learning doesn’t happen with boring lectures or endless notes. It happens when students feel excited, curious, and emotionally connected. 🔥 Here’s how to make learning stick—and spark real transformation in the classroom: 1️⃣ Light the curiosity fire first 🔥 Don’t dump facts. Start with a question so intriguing they can’t look away. When curiosity leads, engagement follows. 2️⃣ Make it a full-sensory experience 🎧👀🖐️ Learning isn’t just mental—it’s physical. Get them seeing, touching, hearing, and doing. The more senses involved, the deeper the retention. 3️⃣ Show, don’t tell 🧪 Skip the theory dump. Demonstrate it. Let them experiment, explore, mess up—and learn through doing. Discovery beats instruction. 4️⃣ Tap into emotion 💥 Stories. Surprise. Laughter. Relevance. When students feel something, they remember it. Emotion = memory glue. 5️⃣ Be the guide, not the guru 🧭 You’re not there to give all the answers. You’re there to open doors, ask great questions, and empower them to find the answers themselves. 🎯 Truth bomb: The best classrooms aren’t quiet—they’re buzzing with energy, ideas, and wide eyes. Learning isn’t about memorizing—it’s about experiencing. Let’s stop teaching for the test and start teaching for life. Who’s ready to make education magical again? #UnforgettableLearning #ModernTeaching #STEMEducation #LearningThatSticks #CreativeTeaching #StudentEngagement #EdTech #ExperientialLearning #FutureOfEducation #TeachingReimagined #India #Kawal #EducationReform #PassionForTeaching #21stCenturySkills #TeachingTips

𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻. In Kenya, 76% of scientific publications are co-authored by foreigners. Most of our research is funded externally, driven by donor priorities, not local needs. We're the data points. But rarely the authors. Rarely the funders. Rarely the owners. This isn't just a knowledge gap; it's a power gap. Yes, Kenya spends 0.8% of its GDP on R&D , second in Africa. But over 80% of that is donor-funded. Even institutions like KEMRI depend on billions from abroad. This is parachute science. It’s neo-colonial. And it’s unsustainable. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱? ✅ Fund local research from national budgets. ✅ Shift from token collaboration to true co-creation. ✅ Commercialize African knowledge. ✅ Make universities the engines of innovation, not donor-dependent projects. Africa must move from being studied… to being the scholar. We don’t lack genius. We lack ownership. Let’s fix that. Let’s take this conversation further, let me know your ideas on local research funding models. Let’s build a pan-African brain trust. Wavinya Makai is a historian, development scholar, Pan-Africanist, and international relations expert. She reads the world not just to understand it, but to change it. Founder of unchained conversations. #ResearchOwnership #AfricaRising #KenyaScience #DecolonizeData #FundingOurMinds

I keep seeing posts like this one circulating in teacher training programmes and from professional communities on social media. Despite being widely debunked, the idea that students learn best when instruction matches a preferred “style” (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, etc.) still finds its way into classrooms. This is not just outdated, it’s harmful. It encourages teachers to pigeonhole students, distracts from proven strategies that actually work, and wastes valuable time on ineffective methods. Clearly researched and peer reviewed evidence shows that matching teaching to “learning styles” does not improve outcomes: Pashler et al. (2008) – No credible evidence supports learning styles improving achievement. Coffield et al. (2004) – Found over 70 models of learning styles, most lacking validity or reliability. Brown, Roediger & McDaniel (2014) – Emphasise strategies like retrieval practice and spaced repetition. Hattie (2012) – Focus on visible learning and teacher clarity, not style-matching. Howard-Jones (2014) – Labels like these promote “neuromyths” with no scientific backing. Great Teaching Toolkit (2020) – Prioritise high-impact instruction over learning style theory. We owe it to our students, and to the profession, to move on from feel-good myths and focus on what works. We should base our practice on research, not repetition of outdated myths.