Urban form, the patterns of cities, in New Zealand is explored 50 years into the future through a scenarios game, published on the Internet. Four diverse scenarios provide a means to explore the present situation and envision how it may change over time with different trend drivers. Wild card events introduce uncertainty in a way that resonates…

How prospective teachers can best be prepared to teach effectively in mathematics classrooms is a topic of current concern. In this paper, we describe our exploration of ways in which prospective teachers were supported to translate what they learnt in mathematics methods classes into pedagogical practice. We illustrate how the use of discourse…

In the summer of 2011, the Forum on Education Abroad conducted its fourth State of the Field Survey. This survey is an annual or biannual assessment of the very latest trends and issues in the field of education abroad. As in the past, questions on new topics have been combined with questions that have been asked on previous State of the Field…

Distance education's history is a tremendous resource for all involved in distance education. Some aspects of that history provide enduring touchstones for present distance educators, creating a heritage that should not be overlooked as distance education continues to develop and expand. In this article we draw on the concept of generational…

Our cluster receives a number of referrals from schools requesting support with the implementation of assistive technology tools (particularly word prediction software) to support struggling reluctant writers. It is widely acknowledged that writing is pivotal for academic success, and when a learner has difficulty expressing their ideas they often…

The phrase "Education 3.0" is used to signal a complex and still-evolving paradigm shift from the traditional schooling models of the 19th and 20th centuries (Education 1.0), via an intensified focus on teachers' and school leaders' accountabilities in relation to students' learning (Education 2.0), towards a more holistic model of…

Built on the foundation of four years of research and implementation of mobile learning projects (m-learning), this paper provides an overview of the potential of the integration of mobile Web 2.0 tools (based around smartphones) to facilitate social constructivist pedagogies and engage students in tertiary education. Pedagogical affordances of…

As a result of the Canterbury earthquake on 4 September 2010, and associated aftershocks on 22 February 2011 and 13 June 2011, final examinations in the two first-year Economics papers at Canterbury University were cancelled at short notice in Semester 1, 2011. The final examination weightings were spread over the remaining assessments to obtain a…

This article examines synergies and gaps in the construction of English, literacy, multimodality in policy and curriculum in Australian education with a focus on current assessment practices and educational accountability in order to make recommendations for future practice for teachers and for policy-makers. The article builds on analyses of the…

This article reports a recent case study providing evidence that toddlers explore mathematical concepts in their outdoor play. The play experiences the toddlers engaged in gave rise to seven mathematical categories. In each of these categories examples are given of some of the ways the toddlers displayed their mathematical knowledge and skill.

The range of affordances that a virtual environment offers can provide opportunities for more formal Professional Learning and Development (PLD) that has flexibility of choice, time and approach for educators. It was this potential that inspired the design of the Virtual Professional Learning and Development (VPLD) program that was instigated in…

Within the background where education is increasingly driven by the economies of scale and research funding, we propose an alternative online open and connected framework (OOC) for building global learning communities using mobile social media. We critique a three year action research case study involving building collaborative global learning…

This study evaluates the efficacy of the Lexia Reading (LR) programme with a cohort of 37 students in a Decile 1 primary school. The students were randomly assigned to experimental (who used LR) and control groups (who did not use LR). The WIAT-II was used to provide pre and post measures of literacy skills. Results indicated that students who…

In late February, 13 members of ISTE's Special Interest Group for Teacher Educators (SIGTE) participated in a global exchange, traveling to New Zealand on a SIG-sponsored study tour hosted by CORE Education (www.coreed.org), a nonprofit research and development organization that supports the use of educational technology across New Zealand through…

When the physical world of the University of Canterbury in Christchurch collapsed in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake at 12.51 pm on 22 February 2011, IT in general and the online learning platform, in particular, gave a second life from day one. It worked, but it was not an easy task. The university was able to salvage the semester and keep the…