Author Archives for Melissa Yu


In a bilingual Canada, many view a second language as an essential component of good education. Hence, many parents rush to enroll their children in French programs. However, concerns arise when the overwhelming popularity of French immersion programs phase out... View Article


Computer science: Obama prepares for the future

February 4, 2016 11:00 am
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The proposed 2017 US budget includes a three-year, $4B “Computer Science for All” initiative. President Obama wants to ensure that everyone, especially girls and minorities, have the chance to learn. Michelle Meyers explores this initiative in her article. The new... View Article


Is technology stealing your memory?

October 7, 2015 11:00 am
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The wealth of information available through technology acts as a crutch and results in the deterioration of memory. A study of 6,000 adults residing in Europe found that over a third of participants relied on technology as their first source... View Article


Turning classrooms on their head

August 16, 2015 11:00 am
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The growing presence of technology in education allows schools to develop new and innovative approaches to student learning. One of the new methods is called “flipped learning.” Liam Casey explores this method of learning in this article. How it works... View Article


Trounced by a brain-training octogenarian

May 11, 2015 11:00 am
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An article by Adam Shaw in the BBC explores whether brain-training exercises are really the hoax people claim they are. While brain-training has received a lot of criticism in the past, including a 2009 BBC study suggesting they are “no... View Article



Success Academy experienced its humble beginnings in 2006, as a charter school in Harlem for economically disadvantaged students who could not attend the wealthier elementary schools because they lived outside the appropriate school zone. It provided these students with the... View Article


Are students getting bang for their buck?

March 28, 2015 6:00 pm
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An article in the Economist brings into question the actual value of a university degree, a seemingly popular commodity in modern society. In recent years, a degree has become synonymous with “a decent job and an entry ticket to the... View Article


Education policies intrude on classrooms

February 1, 2015 6:00 pm
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Writing in the Washington Post, Valerie Strauss criticizes the US Department of Education’s overbearing reach into classrooms with policies and programs that provide no real benefit to teachers or students. Federal programs, such as Race to the Top and NCLB... View Article


Technology causes decline in student performance

January 30, 2015 6:00 pm
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In an article in the New York Times, Susan Pinker questions whether the rise of technology in education will actually improve student learning. In a study conducted in the early 2000s at Duke University, economists Jacob Vigdor and Helen Ladd... View Article



The teenage brain continues to be a topic of contention among neuroscientists as they attempt to account for behavioural differences between teenagers and adults. Dr. Francis Jensen, chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School... View Article


China’s Adaptive Education System

November 24, 2014 6:00 pm
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It is no secret that China consistently dominates standardized tests on the international platform. Their education system, although stressful, adapts students to roles needed in the economy. China’s Educational history While far from perfect, their education system has successfully served the... View Article



A Scientific American article by Carl Wieman examines how lecture-style classes, the typical structure employed in most university classrooms, may not be the most effective method for teaching, especially when it comes to science and engineering. Instead, research favoured a... View Article