Linguists have found that certain dynamics of conversation are consistent across languages worldwide, and these dynamics can affect the classroom discussions that teachers use to assess student understanding and make instructional decisions. Carrie Holmberg and Jamaal Muwwakkil discuss how conversational pauses, for example, might lead questioners…

The timescales relevant for human culture cover a very wide range. A better appreciation of these timescales would facilitate an adequate response to humanity's ecological "slow reckoning". This article discusses the use and presentation of simple logarithmic timescales and advocates their widespread use in education. (Contains 5 notes.)