Few will argue that great schools are the by-products of great teachers. What is less obvious to most people is that the best teachers do not manage their students, they lead them. Far too often, teachers are characterized as managers, which explains our educational system's focus on classroom management, rather than leadership skills. Improving…

In this theoretical article, I argue that classroom teachers are in an ideal position to help students make sense of and take action regarding pressing social issues. Yet according to past research, writing instruction in the United States tends to focus on short, formulaic assignments that do not require criticality or connect to real-world…

There is a strong focus to connect theory with practice in initial teacher education (ITE). This discussion paper explores how we shifted teaching modes and assessment tasks in light of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) when digital technologies were unexpectedly catapulted to the main delivery mode for the preparation of future teachers. During…

This book highlights the importance of design in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) by proposing data-driven design and assessment. It addresses data-driven design, which focuses on the processing of data and on improving design quality based on analysis results, in three main sections. The first section explains how to design…

Twenty years have passed since Green's [2002. "How Popular Musicians Learn: A way Ahead for Music Education." Aldershot: Ashgate] publication which proposed a model of informal learning based upon five key principles. The discussion it ignited within the discipline was vast, the debate is still on-going, and the approach is still being…

Authentic learning in online education is feasible with intentional instructional strategies and appropriate educational technologies, yet as a learning approach, barriers to implementation still exist. We argue that authentic learning in online education can be successfully supported when the characteristics of authentic learning are (a)…

In an effort to motivate language students and to promote real engagement, a long-running project has taken root at Newcastle University. For over 12 years, the Real Translation Project (RTP), an extracurricular initiative in the School of Modern Languages, has been offering opportunities to language students to use their linguistic skills to…

The idea of student-centered learning is not new; teachers have long sought to design personalized, competency-based environments that are tailored to individuals and that empower students to drive their own learning. What is new is the emergence of an online learning ecosystem and, with it, the technical possibility of equipping all students with…

There is increasing pressure on higher education institutions to better prepare students for future work, augmented by widespread measurement of their performance using graduate employment metrics. Accounting is no exception with growing attention on whether, and in what ways, accounting curricula is aligning to labor market demands. This paper…

This article presents an analysis of contextual tasks to support the development of counting in Foundation Year classrooms. The tasks allowed the students to engage in authentic and realistic number experiences on which to build their understandings of early number.

In this article I reflect on the early formation of my professional identity and practice. I argue that much of my early practice was 'decorative' in that it masked dominant structures and discourses that often limited learning opportunities. I consider how a dialogic approach to school English is important for offering more authentic teaching and…

In this article, we argue that engagement with authentic science is a means to mediate trust and motivation in those who are learning about climate change. To illustrate the argument, we provide a curricular example that focuses on authentic climate science data. We conclude with an example of how researchers from multiple disciplines can use…

Literacy is a powerful tool to engage students in learning about the social, cultural, political, and natural worlds around them. This is especially true within the discipline of science where students use reading and writing to engage in scientific inquiry. In the era of accountability reform, however, students spend more time acquiring reading…

This chapter explores the various relationships that exist between contradictions and creativity. The focus is education, with implications for both teachers and students. Contradictions are defined and contrasted with problems, disequilibria, and dilemmae. Product, place, personality, and process perspectives on creativity as also compared. The…

This paper reflects on recent teaching and learning practices in two undergraduate human geography modules at the University of the Western Cape: GES111 "Introduction to Human Geography" and GES225 Space, Place and Mobility in Southern Africa. Content in both modules focuses on mobilities theory and its application toward understanding…