“My name is Greta Gerwig, and I am the co-writer and director of ‘Barbie.’” “(SINGING) I’m just Ken. Anywhere else, I’d be a ten.” “The thing that I can say most about this sequence is that this was the thing that I most knew what I wanted it to be, and no one else knew what I wanted it to be. Every time I look at this, it’s just the ridiculousness of how we did it, which is they’re obviously arriving on these pedalos on a beach that has no water. It’s a solid mass with these waves that are sculptures. And I had everyone in this scene pretend to be moving in slow motion except for Ryan, who’s singing. And I think I got four takes into it, and I thought, this just — is this so ridiculous that I’m doing pretend slow motion? But then I thought, I think I just have to commit. Now I’ve done it. There’s nothing else I can do. My stunt coordinator, Roy Taylor, who’s a brilliant, brilliant person, and he worked with my choreographer, Jenny White, because I wanted all the fighting to be somewhere between dancing and a kind of vaudevillian ridiculousness of a Buster Keaton or a Charlie Chaplin. I love that kind of physical comedy. So you see men tangoing in the background in addition to fighting. Because they’re Kens, they’re children. It all sort of goes together.” “Ah!” “Ah! Ah!” “Then we have our Barbies, who are sort of watching with their pink boilersuits, which I think Jacqueline Durran, who is the costume designer, she did the pink boilersuits because I wore boilersuits every day. And she was like, I’ve decided what the Barbies will wear when they’re taking back Barbieland. And I cried when I saw it because I was like, oh, it’s a tribute to me. So much of this sequence is the song that Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt wrote, which was not in the script. But I did ask them because they were writing the song that became Dua Lipa’s ‘Dance the Night.’ I said we need a Ken song, and I think it goes in the battle. And then they wrote this song from the perspective of Ken. And then I said, Ryan, are you up for singing this? And he said yes, ultimately. But initially, I don’t know. I think he was like, you never said anything about this at the beginning. But I think they sent me 30 seconds of an idea for the song, that I just loved. And then I was like, Can you make it 11 minutes long? Because I want it to go through this whole sequence. And then this part, this dream ballet part, Sarah Greenwood, who is a production designer, and Katie Spencer built this stage to echo the dream ballet stage from ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ because I love that movie. And that has one of the best dream ballets of all time because they have a dream ballet that is inside of another dream ballet, which, I think, when people are like, will anyone understand this? I was like, yes. There is a context for this. They’ll grasp it. And every Ken, every Barbie, is a dancer the whole time. And then I chose all the actors, too, because they were good dancers. Jenny White, who was my choreographer, she and I looked at a lot of different musicals, different dream ballets. But Busby Berkeley was a huge reference.” “(SINGING) I’m just Ken. Anywhere else, I’d be a ten.” “I kind of love that ‘we’re putting on a show’ element of this movie, which is very connected to theater and also the pleasure of making something in a childlike way. And we started with dance rehearsals, and I think it was a good way to put everybody in that mindset of it’s not about perfection. It’s about this joy. And they obviously embodied that. In a way, you want the audience to walk out and say, I’d like to go make something. I want to go play. I want to go set something up. I want to do a performance. And that’s how I felt when I watched a lot of movies when I was a kid, or theater. I instantly was like, I’m going to organize my own version of ‘Starlight Express’ right now.” “(SINGING) Nobody else Nobody else I’m just Ken.”
Illustrating Ideas: The Winners of Our Second Annual One-Pager Challenge
Doras Tin, 17, Sevenoaks School, Sevenoaks, United Kingdom. “A Link Between Hearing Voices and Hearing Your Own Voice”
Devin Urbina, North Hollywood High School, North Hollywood, Calif. “What It Takes to Save the Axolotl”
Chloe Weng, 16, Clements High School, Sugar Land, Texas. “South Korea’s City of Books”
Felicity Wong, 18, Milton Academy, Milton, Mass. “Why Didn’t She Scream? And Other Questions Not to Ask a Rape Accuser”
Ying Ying Wu, Kent School, Kent, Conn. “A Year of ‘Unreal’ Fire and Warming in the Arctic”
_________
Honorable Mentions
Anonymous, 13, Pioneer Heritage Middle School, Frisco, Texas. “Palestinian and Israeli Teens Swam in the Same Pool. Then Came Oct. 7”
Anonymous, 15, Western Center Academy, Hemet, Calif. “Live Music Is a Time Machine”
Anonymous, 17, Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. “Botox Destroyed What I Like About My Face”
What’s Going On in This Graph? | March 13, 2024
On Wednesday, March 13, teachers from our collaborator, the American Statistical Association, will facilitate this discussion from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time.
5. By Friday morning, March 15, we will reveal more information about the graph, including a free link to the article that includes this graph, at the bottom of this post. We encourage you to post additional comments based on the article, possibly using statistical terms defined in the Stat Nuggets.
Reveal
We’ll post more information here on Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned!
More?
• See all graphs in this series or collections of 75 of our favorite graphs, 28 graphs that teach about inequality and 24 graphs about climate change.
• View our archives that link to all past releases, organized by topic, graph type and Stat Nugget.
• Learn more about the notice and wonder teaching strategy from this 5-minute video and how and why other teachers are using this strategy from our on-demand webinar.
• Sign up for our free weekly Learning Network newsletter so you never miss a graph. Graphs are always released by the Friday before the Wednesday live moderation to give teachers time to plan ahead.
• Go to the American Statistical Association K-12 website, which includes teacher statistics resources, Census in the Schools student-generated data, professional development opportunities, and more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
What Students Are Saying About Lowering the Voting Age
I would argue that no, the voting age shouldn’t be extended to sixteen, due to the necessary teenage development that takes place between the ages sixteen and eighteen. Being a teenager of age seventeen, a teenager who would gain the right to vote should the age threshold be lowered, I have witnessed firsthand the actions of my friends and classmates — actions which unfortunately, I don’t think leaves my class deserving of such a privilege. Just yet. The voting age of eighteen allows time for students to start thinking for themselves, to start becoming more independent and to start acting more like adults. Even just two years earlier, the immaturity of people around this age is astonishing. Biologically, teenagers need the time to develop into more mature adults. In other words, why mess with a system that already works? There are plenty of other ways to get young members of society used to political science; testing our already very delicate democracy with rowdy teenagers is not the way to go about doing so.
— Bennett, Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn, IL
They worried people under 18 were too impressionable to vote for political leaders whose decisions affect us all.
I personally do not agree with having the legal voting age lowered to 16. I say this because we are in a world where so much information and where young people such as myself have so much information, whether it’s true or false, is thrown at them from social media apps … Voting is a very powerful and important thing that I’m not sure most people younger than 18 are capable of.
As a 16 year old, I stand by the idea that my peers should not be allowed to vote, especially in presidential elections. While it is very important for youth to have a voice on issues that concern them, we are more likely to be pressured by our peers into having a specific view on any political or social aspect. This can be said especially for students voting in school board elections. Students are more likely to base their vote off the portrayed freedom they may receive rather than the true educational aspect, whereas adults who are either running for a position or voting are truly concerned with the child’s education, and have had more experiences than the youth that can shape their mind to help form a proper decision.
— Hannah, Cumberland Polytechnic High School, NC
No, the voting age should not be lowered because 16 year olds are influenced by the media very easily. Once the media has made up their mind and something starts trending, everyone will want to do the same. For example a rumor happened that Kanye West was going to run for president and many teens were willingly going to vote for him as a joke. I don’t think they are mature enough to realize how important those types of things really are. It’s all jokes and games until they vote somebody for totally not fit to be our president.
And then there were several students who had a very different take: Don’t lower the voting age, increase it.
Voting is something that is serious, because it can change the world you live in. In my opinion, I think the age of voting should be around 20-21. I think this because when you are older, this decision will apply to you more. When someone votes to choose a new president, it applies to older people, not so much to 16 year olds.
6 Industries Where Tech Salaries Are Growing
If you’re eyeing a technical career but aren’t sold on the idea of working directly in the industry, you’ve got lots of options to find fulfilling jobs that pay well. In fact, new research suggests that salaries are increasing for tech workers in industries outside the tech realm, like healthcare, finance, and even nonprofit organizations.
A recent survey from the career website Dice highlights the high-paying industries where tech salaries are on the up and up. The average salary for technical professionals outside of tech is $109,170, per the survey. Technologists inside the tech world — which the survey defines as digital electronics, software, internet-related, and ecommerce services — make approximately 3% more than folks in other industries.
So which industries are paying top dollar for tech talent? Ahead are the sectors where salaries for technical workers have grown since 2022, according to the 2024 Dice Tech Salary Report.
Learn something new for free
Government
Average salary: $113,436
Since 2021, tech salaries in government have grown 15%, making it the fastest-growing industry for tech workers, according to the Dice survey. You can find these types of jobs at any organizations adjacent to government, including public service, academia, and state or local agencies. Given the demand for tech pros in this industry, there are tons of useful job-search resources to help you navigate the move from tech to public interest technology. Check out the website Tech to Gov, which is run by the Tech Talent Project, to find job listings, tips for landing a government job, and handy explainers about what government agencies actually do.
Aerospace and defense
Average salary: $130,574
The aerospace and defense industry is all about crafting technologies tailored for aviation, defense systems, and spacecraft. Tech professionals in this exciting industry might develop and maintain embedded software systems for aerospace applications or use coding and computational tools to model and simulate aerospace systems’ behavior and performance.
Medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology
Average salary: $128,141
Taken together, the medical, pharmaceutical, and biotech fields are dedicated to researching, developing, producing, and distributing medical products and treatments. This includes pharmaceutical companies creating drugs, biotechnology firms innovating in biological sciences, and medical device manufacturers producing equipment for diagnosis and treatment. Curious how people combine biotech expertise and coding? Read these stories about Codecademy learners who went from research and biotechnology to hands-on developer roles.
Healthcare
Average salary: $117,578
The healthcare sector includes any companies that offer medical services, make medical equipment or drugs, provide medical insurance, or help patients receive healthcare in different ways. Tech workers in healthcare might manage electronic health records systems, analyze clinical data, or build telemedicine platforms.
Retail and ecommerce
Average salary: $109,336
It’s no wonder that ecommerce jobs are in-demand — we buy everything online nowadays. You can have all kinds of technical careers in retail, from web dev jobs like Front-End Engineer to business-centered roles like UX Researcher and Business Intelligence Data Analyst. The ecommerce space is competitive, because mom-and-pop shops have to go up against massive retailers like Amazon and eBay. But the good news is that these organizations are investing in technical talent, and ecommerce tech salaries are up 5%, per the Dice report.
Nonprofit
Average salary: $96,344
Salaries are just one factor to consider when you’re looking for a job — you might want to use your coding skills for good to further a cause that you believe in. Tech workers can contribute impactful skills that nonprofit organizations need to measure impact and improve efficiency, like web development and data analysis. If you’re interested in this area, check out the job board Tech Jobs for Good, which lists open tech positions at mission-driven organizations.
Start working towards a tech career
If you’re just starting out in tech or are considering taking your talents to a new sector, be sure to check out all the resources in our Career Center. You can find ideas for portfolio projects that focus on these industries, practice answering interview questions, gain professional certificates, and more.
Want to do more research on tech salaries? Explore the blog to learn about high-paying IT jobs, get practical advice for negotiating your salary, and understand where to find salary information to inform your job search.
t
Bridging Generational Divides: Delivering Training Programmes Relevant to Today’s Intergenerational Workforce
Welcome to the era of the multigenerational workforce, where Traditionalists exchange ideas with Gen Z, Baby Boomers collaborate with Millennials on projects that shape the future of businesses worldwide, and Gen Xers continue to be valued for their knowledge, tech skills, experience, and stability.
Imagine Warren Buffet, the investment whiz, swapping insights with Mark Zuckerberg on social networking and with Sundar Pichai on search engines and artificial intelligence. Or visualise Tim Cook, the seasoned executive, learning from Ben Pasternak, the young entrepreneur disrupting the food industry.
In today’s workplace, blending experience with new ideas is essential to keep companies competitive, forward-thinking, and flexible. Such a strategy also helps staff stay current with changing knowledge and skills. With people of different ages working together, the best training programmes are those that meet the varied needs and abilities of this diverse workforce while supporting the company’s goals.
The Traditionalists or Silent Generation
We know them well as Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman of News Corp. However, did you know they belong to the generation of Traditionalists, or the Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945? America’s Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) projects that 12% of people over 75 will be active workforce members by 2030, compared with just 5% in 2000.
The senior-most generation in the workplace may prefer structured programmes that deliver informational learning, preferably through classroom lectures. Your organisation would do well to focus on technology training for Traditionalists. You can encourage them to opt for a curated selection of free online courses covering digital literacy, IT fundamentals, and Excel, which will enable them to pack away their calculators and let modern analytics empower their work. Members of this generation may also be willing to take on mentorship roles in the organisation.
The Baby Boomers
Richard Branson, Co-Founder of the Virgin Group, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., are renowned representatives of Baby Boomers, the generation born between 1946 and 1964. The pandemic saw many Boomers retire, and the trend continues, creating a skills gap that younger generations must fill, which requires organisations to focus on staff training.
In general, Boomers are well-educated and seek transformational, personalised, and participative learning that furthers their skills and knowledge and allows them to engage in reflection and feedback. They may prefer learning in the classroom from experts and at highly regarded institutions. While organisations may only sometimes prioritise learning and development for the Boomers in their workforce, this generation tends to comply with guidance on what and when to learn, preferring in-person courses but also adapting to online education.
Alison offers a variety of courses created by reputable universities, such as Stanford, Columbia University, and Lund University, which Boomer professionals will appreciate. Expert workforce training comes from the likes of Microsoft, MEDCoe (the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence), and NHCPS (National Health Care Provider Solutions), which provides online medical certification and recertification. Alison’s Free LMS also provides in-person learning advisory support, which your Boomers and other employees will find useful.
Generation X
What do Elon Musk, Founder, Chairman, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla Inc., Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company), and Larry Page, Google’s Co-Founder and former CEO, have in common? They belong to Gen X, born between 1965 and 1980, a generation that typically grew up as “latchkey kids” during a period that saw more women enter the job market. Add to the list Jeff Bezos, the founder and former CEO of Amazon, who is on the cusp of Baby Boomers and Gen X, and you have the generation that bridged the analogue and digital eras in technology development.
Beyond compliance training, Gen Xers, known for their independence, tend to prefer development plans that are primarily self-directed and self-scheduled, have a clear and practical purpose, and allow for easy, engaging, and accessible content that makes them want to learn more. Given the growing popularity of microlearning, organisations must ensure that their Gen X professionals are prepped to receive training in “bite-sized chunks”. This concept may be new to them and, hence, may be blended with some familiar features of traditional learning.
Although experience is Gen Xers’ forte, offer them training to increase their competence at work and reinforce their management skills. Alison’s free online courses provide flexible learning opportunities, with Gen Xers able to study on the go and in any location, thanks to the app. Our vast range of courses, developed to help fulfil academic, professional, or personal development goals, will enable your employees to select topics that grab their interest and provide them with certified training in areas where they need strengthening.
The Millennials
Born between 1981 and 1996, just before the global spread of the internet and computers, the Millennials are the first generation of digital natives. It is hardly surprising that Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), and Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. (Snapchat), belong to this generation.
Millennials generally prefer self-directed, informal, and personalised learning supplemented with online courses and video lectures, although books are still a popular medium for many. A priority for this generation is typically to have information accessible on demand.
Dynamic course creators, such as Marginal Revolution University (economics), Felix Harder (fitness), and movie stuntman and self-defence expert Chuck Johnson, will keep your organisation’s Millennials engaged, entertained, and, most importantly, educated. Alison’s courses are all completely self-paced and allow for flexible learning.
Generation Z
Born between 1997 and 2012, the youngest age group in the workplace are Gen Z, also nicknamed the Zoomers or the “first global generation”. Notable Gen Z entrepreneurs include Ben Pasternak, Co-Founder and CEO of SIMULATE (formerly known as NUGGS), and Isabella Rose Taylor, Founder and CEO of her eponymous fashion label.
Gen Z is tech-savvy and typically at ease adapting to new software at work. Although they expect formal workplace training, they generally seek short-form content and microlearning, preferably online. Content must ideally be visually stimulating, interactive, and multimedia. While members of Gen Z enjoy autonomy and flexibility, they also value collaboration and human connection. A study found that 51% of Gen Z prefer to learn by doing, with 37% by reading and 12% by listening. With a choice of over 5,000 courses on Alison, Gen Z professionals have a vast array of opportunities for doing, reading, listening, watching, and assimilating knowledge and skills training, starting right here.
The world, as Gen Z has always known it, is digital and fast-paced. It is also interconnected, which makes this generation conscious of the social and environmental responsibilities of businesses worldwide. Encourage your Gen Z professionals to learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion, sustainability, business ethics, and work-life balance so that they can practise these principles within the workplace and outside.
Alison’s Free LMS Can Help You Train Your Workforce
Alison’s Free LMS (Learning Management System) enables organisations to train and improve the skills of their workforce, covering all age groups, at no cost. It supports unlimited users, making it easy for team leaders and training managers to set up, run, and track training programs. With Alison’s Free LMS, you can give employees custom learning paths that match their personal aims with the company’s goals. Setting up the system is quick and straightforward, allowing your organisation and its staff to enjoy long-term benefits. These include better productivity, smarter decision-making, keeping talented staff, attracting new talent, and maintaining a strong, competitive position in the market.
For more information or to book a free demo, visit our Free LMS page and begin your journey to empowering your workforce, whatever their demographic!
How Much Exercise Do You Get Each Week?
Is fitness an important part of your life? Are you the type of person who works out every day? Or do you find exercise intimidating, overwhelming or just plain boring?
Whether or not you’re a fitness fanatic, you probably know that physical activity is good for you. But do you know how much should you be doing? Or what the best ways to motivate yourself are? Or how moving your body benefits you?
In “Test Your Exercise I.Q.” Hilary Achauer and Erik Vance challenge readers to put their fitness knowledge to the test. Before you take the quiz, see if you can guess the answers to the first three questions below:
Students, make your guesses and then take the quiz to find out the answers. Afterward, tell us:
Is physical activity a part of your daily or weekly routine? If so, what do you do? Play sports? Go for runs? Walk your dog? Lift weights? Dance? Ride your bike? Do you enjoy the exercise that you do? Or do you do it grudgingly?
How did you do on the quiz? Were there any answers that surprised you? What do your results say about your exercise I.Q.?
Ms. Achauer and Mr. Vance write, “Few things are more important to your overall health and longevity than exercise.” They explain that improving your fitness level can have a significant effect on your mood, energy, immune function and more. How important is regular physical activity to you? What benefits do you get from it?
What do you struggle with when it comes to exercise? What could make it easier for you? What tips do you have for other teenagers who want to be more active but don’t know where to start?
What is your reaction to the quiz? Did it convince you to make fitness more of a priority in your life (if it isn’t one already)? Is there anything you learned from the quiz that you’d like to incorporate into your fitness routine? Are there other questions you still have about working out?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.
Tree Stump
What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Word of the Day: scrupulous
The word scrupulous has appeared in 36 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 21 in “An HGTV Star’s Party Inspires a Question: What Makes a Home?” by Melissa Kirsch:
One guest could be heard marveling at how good everyone looked in the apartment’s not-too-dim-to-be-dramatic light.
It was a scrupulous attention to lighting that led Brooke Cundiff, a retail entrepreneur, and her husband, the writer and editor Michael Hainey, to a West Village apartment that was subsequently featured in Mr. Brent’s book. But before settling there, they looked at a lot of places that didn’t feel like home. Mr. Hainey developed a test: With each apartment they’d enter, he’d ask, “OK, it’s a Wednesday. You had to call in sick to work. Can you imagine being home in this apartment all day? Like, how is the sunlight?” He added, “On your worst day, is this going to make you happy?”
Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word scrupulous in a sentence?
Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.
If you want a better idea of how scrupulous can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com. You can also visit this guide to learn how to use IPA symbols to show how different words are pronounced.
If you enjoy this daily challenge, try our vocabulary quizzes.
Students ages 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, can comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff.
The Word of the Day is provided by Vocabulary.com. Learn more and see usage examples across a range of subjects in the Vocabulary.com Dictionary. See every Word of the Day in this column.
7 Reasons to Explore Irish Culture and Heritage this St Patrick’s Day
Discover your Irish roots and tap into the magical sounds of Irish traditional music on March 17th, the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. Despite its small size, with just 7 million people living on this tiny island on the northwestern tip of Europe, the Irish diaspora is believed to number as many as 80 million! If you suspect you might be among those with a hint of Irish DNA, here are some reasons to celebrate your heritage.
Scenic Beauty
If your impression of Ireland is based on the epic movie ‘The Quiet Man’, you’ll be pleased to know that John Wayne’s character would no longer be cheered on by onlookers if he dragged Maureen O’Hara over the fields after their wedding. However, in many respects, the rural countryside of counties Mayo and Galway, where John Ford shot the film, remains as rugged, restful, and romantic as it was in the 1950s. The west coast of the island is a magnet for visitors eager to drive the 2600km Wild Atlantic Way and experience some of the world’s most stunning scenery, including the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare and the Ring of Kerry on the southern coast.
Modern Economy
While parts of Ireland retain their unspoilt charm, don’t be fooled into thinking that everyone lives in a thatched cottage and drives a donkey to work. Ireland boasts a thoroughly modern, dynamic economy and serves as a major hub for multinational companies in the tech, pharma, and finance sectors, with the capital city Dublin dubbed ‘Silicon Docks’. The workforce is young, well-educated, and eager to make its mark in the world. Its rugby team and boxing champions are testament to the ambition and talent that run in the DNA.
Famous Forebears
Irish people have historically been high achievers, with many American presidents, including Joe Biden, proud of their Irish heritage and celebrated by their ancestral homeland. However, there are also less happily remembered figures, such as the 7th president of the USA, Andrew Jackson, infamous for his role in the Trail of Tears which saw thousands of Native Americans driven from their lands in the 1830s. If you have Irish roots, take pride in the knowledge that your forebears include:
- Mathematician George Boole, whose Boolean algebra laid the foundations for modern computer science and digital electronics.
- Scientist Robert Boyle, one of the founders of modern chemistry and a proponent of Boyle’s law.
- Physicist Ernest Walton, who, along with John Cockcroft, became the first person to artificially split the atom.
- Francis Beaufort, the naval officer who devised the Beaufort scale, a widely-used measure of wind force.
- The workforce of the famous Belfast Shipyard Harland & Wolff, who built RMS Titanic. She was the largest ship ever built when she set sail in April 1912, and as the locals are quick to remind visitors: “She was all right when she left here!”
Saints and Scholars
Ireland is known as the Land of Saints and Scholars due to its monastic missionaries, who are said to have saved Europe from the Dark Ages. During this period, which lasted from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD, barbarian invaders such as the Vandals and the Visigoths destroyed books and manuscripts across the continent. Irish monks established monastic scriptoria, where they copied and saved precious texts from the scriptures to classical literature and important scientific treatises. They also taught the populations around them and helped turn the tide of illiteracy across Europe, preserving Western civilisation’s intellectual heritage.
Names of Note
Ireland’s cultural greats include literary legends like Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, WB Yeats, Lady Gregory, Samuel Beckett, and George Bernard Shaw. Did you know that Dracula creator Bram Stoker was from Ireland and got the idea for the story from a legend in County Derry? Away from literature, heroic Irishwomen that you may not have heard about include Mary Elmes, who saved hundreds of Jewish children during the Holocaust by sheltering them in various safe houses in France, and Mary Harris ‘Mother’ Jones, who was born in Cork, Ireland, but rose to prominence as a campaigner for workers’ rights across the United States.
Musical Maestros
Saints, scholars, and scientists aside, one of Ireland’s greatest cultural exports takes centre stage across the world on St Patrick’s Day, and that is its musical heritage. From heart-rending ballads to uplifting jigs and reels, Irish traditional music has sent ripples worldwide and can be heard in everything from country and bluegrass to punk. Dive into a sensational suite of courses in seven different instruments, as well as voice, this March, and you’ll be learning from some of the top musicians in Ireland today. Our free Irish music courses include guitar, fiddle, accordion, flute, tin whistle, concertina, bodhrán, and sean-nós unaccompanied singing with Nell Ní Chróinín, lead vocalist with Danú. You might even pick up a few words of Irish from the lessons!
If you suspect you might have a drop of Irish blood and are not sure how to trace your ancestry, enrol today in our free course, An Introduction to Irish Family History. You’ll learn how to research official documents, hacks for overcoming common obstacles to making progress, and lots of fascinating information about historic events, from the devastating famine of the late 19th century to the Easter Rising that launched the country on the path to independence from Britain in 1916. It’s as easy as ‘a haon, dó, trí’ to begin. Simply register for your free account, download the app if you prefer learning on your phone, and reconnect with your roots today!
