1. Several pieces from last Friday’s weekly Learnit newsletter, these first three a bit sombre:

Gangs in Latin America: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/schools-out-in-latin-america-gangs-are-thrilled/ 

Covid management in France: https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-sets-stricter-Covid-protocol-for-schools-including-masks-and-distancing

Private schools in Ghana: https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/31/ghana-s-private-school-sector-hit-hard-by-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Less sombre, though, is the thought of an exam-free future: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-seize-on-perfect-time-to-explore-a-future-free-of-gcses-3qgxwdbrd (you may need to register for that one)

and – unless you’re feeling very cynical – the news that Jeff Bezos is about to invest $2 billion in a Montessori-inspired network of preschools https://www.edsurge.com/news/2021-01-21-jeff-bezos-wants-to-go-to-the-moon-then-public-education

Here’s more about Learnit https://learnit.world/#about-us and you can sign up for their newsletter yourself here: https://learnit.world/newsletter-signup

2. I’ve mentioned EEF, the Education Endowment Foundation, before: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/  EEF started a podcast recently  https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/podcast/  and the second edition, on Managing behaviour and building habits, examines the evidence on supporting pupils to form effective learning behaviours, both in-school and at home. You could split your listening of the podcast up into the three different lively interviews it comprises, and I think it would make a good shared listening activity for a TAG (teacher activity group).

3. More, fascinating detail on that wonderful Sutton Hoo helmet I was talking about the other day here: https://youtu.be/zYk0GH5iFYI The very personable presenter, Sue Brunning, the Curator of European Early Medieval Collections at the British Museum, has made a number of good videos: here’s another one, this time on the Sutton Hoo sword https://youtu.be/nb9vTu73xmE.

If you really can’t get enough of The Dig, Dr Brunning is discussing the novel on which the film of the same name was based with its author John Preston at 18:30 UK time on Monday 22^nd February: https://www.britishmuseum.org/events/members-exclusive/the-dig You can also join on the day via the British Museum’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/britishmuseum/videos

4. And, finally, just why is Mars such a popular destination this year? https://theconversation.com/mars-the-conversation-weekly-podcast-explores-why-three-missions-are-about-to-reach-the-red-planet-154326