Teachers’ Voices Season 4 Episode 8
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Join educational researcher Nina Alonso for this podcast series as she shares powerful stories from teachers around the world, talking in their own words about their own experiences.
Why is evidence so important in education solutions? How is evidence incorporated into large-scale educational solutions? How can evidence lead to greater equity in education?
In this episode, Nina first speaks to Vicky Colbert, from Colombia. Vicky is the founder of Fundación Escuela Nueva, an NGO that has shaped the way multigrade classrooms operate. Vicky tells Nina how they use evidence to ensure their work is effective, equitable, and scalable. Evidence improves outcomes by showing what works and what doesn’t work. Teachers are the agents of change in their solution, as they get together to learn. Vicky says that “teachers sometimes learn more from other teachers than from experts”.
Next, Nina meets Karen Levesque, Head of Research at Imagine Worldwide. Imagine Worldwide is an NGO making education accessible through technology and self-directed learning. They strongly believed that personalised EdTech had the potential to make a difference in Sub-Saharan Africa, but they wanted to prove it could make a difference before implementing their solution. “Having an evidence base can help schools and systems decide: what is best for our children?” Karen says.
Both NGOs are winners of the 2024 Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prizes, in recognition of institutions and individuals implementing evidence-based solutions aimed at promoting child development and learning in practice.
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Listen out for
- Improving self-esteem of students and teachers.
- Teachers learning from teachers.
- Thinking beyond average effects of an intervention.
- Empowering students through student government.
Find out more on BOLD
A child-centered approach to education – How collaborative efforts and holistic education empower children (Clarita Arboleda, Chief Operating Officer of Fundación Escuela Nueva)
How EdTech is shaping education in challenging environments – Personalised learning with EdTech can help close literacy and numeracy gaps (Rapelang Rabana, Co-CEO of Imagine Worldwide)
When teachers believe in their students’ capabilities, those students learn more – Helping teachers create high-quality learning environments that are equitable and inclusive (Beatriz Cardoso, founder and executive director of Laboratório de Educação)
Guests and resources
Vicky Colbert: LinkedIn, X
Fundación Escuela Nueva: website, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube
Karen Levesque: LinkedIn
Imagine Worldwide: website, short introduction video, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X
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