OKAY, the tale that follows is not exactly up there with the yarns spun by those Florentines fleeing the plague in The Decameron, but bear with me. It is hard to be a Ustinov-standard raconteur when that big wide world you took for granted has shrunk to the size of an egg.

WHILE watching the daily Downing Street press conferences it is possible to feel a range of emotions. Frustration, for instance, as one inquiry after another goes unanswered, or disappointment at the quality of the questioning.

STRANGE things you never thought would come to pass. Queueing to enter a supermarket. Being thrilled by the sight of the bin lorry arriving. Making your own surgical mask. These days. But the oddest thing of all? Being glad to see politicians.

ONE trusts the stork’s passage across London was peaceful, its job of delivering Baby Johnson to his delighted parents made easier by the emptiness of the skies. Congratulations and welcome, young man.

HELLO and welcome to Step on a Rake, the game show where clever people do dumb things. Previous winners of the show have included Catherine “Second Home” Calderwood, Scotland’s former chief medical officer, and Robert Jenrick, England’s well-travelled Communities Minister.

Crave pragmatic, honest, clear-eyed conversation about the realities of ed tech? Here's a reading list from Education Week, as presented at ISTE 2019.

Fewer than one-third of America's teachers say ed-tech innovations have changed their beliefs about what school should look like, according to a new Education Week survey.

A new nonprofit that will convene technology experts from across business, nonprofit, government, and education sectors will begin its big-picture problem solving in the educational arena.

Less than 20 percent of respondents to a new CoSN survey marked any items on a list of cybersecurity threats as "high-risk" from their perspective.

Keira Knightley plays a feminist activist who disrupts the Miss World contest in 1970 in the new film Misbehaviour.

IT’S all too easy to lose track of many of the quirky, moving, interesting films that have been shot in Scotland over the years. Some of the sparkling gems on these pages attracted decent reviews upon release before fading from view; others slipped under most people’s radar. The 10 films here are funny, or dark, or insightful. All have something to say; all are worth tracking down, and watching, whether it’s for the first time, or the first time since they were released.

“THE little island of Todday is a completely isolated community,” declares the voiceover at the start of the 1949 Ealing Studios classic Whisky Galore. “100 miles from the mainland, 100 miles from the nearest cinema or dancehall. Oh, but the islanders know how to enjoy themselves. They have all that they need. But in 1943, disaster overwhelmed this little island. Not famine, nor pestilence, nor Hitler’s bombs, or the hordes of an invading army, but something far, far worse: ‘There is n

What's the story?

LIKE many of your readers, I would imagine, I am a fairly enthusiastic armchair football supporter with no real club affiliation.

YOU report (HeraldScotland, May 5) that Professor Neil Ferguson, one of the UK government’s key advisers on the current lockdown restrictions, has resigned after breaching the government (and his own) strong advice on the need for social distancing.

THE Herald has reported (May 6) on another economically and socially “lost generation” of children and young people due to Covid-19.

New findings on a state initiative in Wisconsin suggest that to make the most out of smaller class sizes in the early grades, teachers should focus on basic skills when they have one-on-one contact with students, ask children to discuss and demonstrate what they know, and have a firm, but nurturing,

Framed prints of Steven Camley's cartoons are available by calling 0141 302 6210.”

Monday 13 January: Royals’ family meeting

WHAT’S a little distancing between us? Go on, stick your nose closer to the page or screen. Let’s snuggle in a little closer.

Force or farce?

An EL Education school in Rochester, NY, shows that giving young children real problems to solve can instill the qualities students will need as adults.

In a recent high-profile case, Harvard College rescinded its offer to a school-shooting survivor after racist comments he’d written online surfaced. But how common is it for colleges to take back offers? And do students have any recourse?

Every year about this time, I write a series of articles about suicide and bullying prevention, and this year will be no different. I can always count on advocates and education companies from all over the world to send me information about what's new in the field. Out of all the companies and produ

President Donald Trump has invited a 6th-grade student from Wilmington, Del., to sit in first lady Melania Trump's box during Tuesday's annual address to Congress.

A growing number of students—especially girls—are experiencing bullying online, according to the latest federal data on bullying and crime in schools.

Disney's CEO said most of the subscribers to Disney+ came from the US. But going forward, the company expects new subscribers to come from foreign markets as the streaming service expands to more European countries and India this March.

Until now desktop users had the option to opt-out of the 2017 interface redesign, but next month you'll be forced to use it (and may also need to upgrade to a new browser).

Fans of Star Wars, Star Trek, and superhero fans have plenty to stream this weekend.

Wondering if your taste in binging matches the rest of the country? Here's a look at the most-watched shows on Netflix and beyond, according to Reelgood.com.

There are times when I wish my family’s life revolved a little less around Andy Murray. Two words, "Andy’s playing", are sufficient reason for outings to be delayed or abandoned; invitations turned down; even holiday dates tweaked.

If you have never given your gender much thought, count yourself lucky. If that tick in the box on almost every form requires no more effort than a flick of the wrist, be aware that for many people gender is not so straightforward.

The court was furnished in blond wood. There were no wigs and the accused man wore a jersey. But the informality was in contrast to the gravity of the charges. An army officer was on trial for a war crime: the killing of 11 innocent women and children in Afghanistan.

How desperate would you have to be to put your child onto a rubber dinghy and wave them off to the mercy of the world? It beggars belief that people are doing it but they are. Some are parents who can afford only one fare so they buy a way out for their child.

The momentum to raise teacher salaries in several states has ground to a halt amid fears of coronavirus’ massive economic blow.

Most states take a very hands-off approach to regulating home schooling, and some advocates worry that makes it attractive to neglectful and abusive parents.

While schools are closed to coronavirus, districts are putting together a patchwork of lessons for students to do at home. But districts’ expectations for what students can accomplish at home vary widely, according to parents.

While ed-tech entrepreneurship may be less risky than other sectors, there are still many uncertainties to be aware of. Financial, technology, and market sectors are all areas for deep thought and caution.

Entrepreneurship is often considered a "risky" endeavor. But I think ed-tech startups are often less risky that startups in other industries.

THE surge in hobbies and home improvements during lockdown has led to a rise in injuries, with optometrists in particular issuing a warning to lockdown Brits to take extra care.

The Chester Upland district has faced financial hardship for decades, and for the second time in four years, teachers will be working without pay.

Nearly half of U.S. children experience adversity, but community-school partnerships can make a difference, write Olga Acosta Price and Wendy Ellis.

For the first time, the World Health Organization has officially designated "gaming disorder" among its list of mental-health addictive behaviors.

THE primary and ultimate responsibility for the parlous state of the high street lies with its customers, or former customers, since we are increasingly giving our custom to online retailers instead.

IN THE five days since Scotland and the rest of the UK effectively went into lockdown, it is heartening to see the ways in which the vast majority of the population has responded, not merely with compliance and resilience, but with a community spirit and a great many acts of personal service and sacrifice.

The more popular the stream, the worse it looks. There is a technology out there that would work, but its association with piracy has companies afraid of using it.

Issues with Microsoft's Windows 10 April 2018 Update are a warning of what's to come.

Serious study is needed to find out why people can't look away from their screens.