Between 1902 and 1913 two acclaimed educational reformers wrote several series of children's primers in the Netherlands. Jan Ligthart and Hindericus Scheepstra collaborated closely with the painter Cornelis Jetses who provided the illustrations. The series would become classics in both text and image. In this article the symbolic educational…

"Humanitarian giftedness" is the deployment of one's gifts and talents in a way that, at some level, benefits humanity. Humanitarian giftedness involves sharing one's gifts with others in a way that makes the world a better place. It is not something people are born with--they develop it in the same way other forms of expertise are…

A prerequisite for learning is that instructions and other learning activities take place in a language that you understand. This may seem self-evident, but fact remains that most learners in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are taught in a European second language (L2) that they are unfamiliar with. Frequently, the role of the home languages in the…

Disruptive events such as economic recessions, natural disasters, job loss, and divorce are highly prevalent among American families. These events can have a long-lasting impact when experienced during childhood, potentially altering academic achievement, socioemotional well-being, health and development, and later life socioeconomic status. Much…

The article discusses (the restoration of a sense of) continuity as a necessary part of transformative learning. Using the lenses of rhythm theory, biographical learning, and memory studies, it highlights both the individual and social dimensions for making sense of the past after a period of change. Discussing the example of an individual…

As we re-imagine the role and value of the university, we need to pose new questions about knowledge and institutionality at a moment of intersecting crises. This essay presents a case study of a university in Western Canada, one shaped by the impacts of intensive extraction from human and more-than-human beings and now facing the challenge of…

The University of British Columbia (UBC) opened Canada's first International House (I-House) in 1959 after a decade of activism from students and faculty. Students had demanded an I-House to help them find housing, and to ensure that "brotherhood may prevail," as the I-House motto promised. The I-House campaign received support from…

At present, the concept of wellbeing in schools appears more muddled than ever, encompassing an even wider range of meanings, connotations and dimensions than when it first gained currency two decades ago. Drawing upon a systematic literature review on wellbeing in schools, this article conceptualises the normative tensions underpinning the…

Is it possible to reduce the time students spend in classrooms and schools? Would such a reduction be better for learning and retaining teachers? How should learning be more flexibly enacted in the post-pandemic era? This article discusses the possibilities of rethinking school participation and calls for schools to reconsider the necessity and…

Making the most of online or hybrid teaching platforms is essential to making sure that, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), higher education settings in developing universities and places are not left behind. While a number of the technological platforms adopted during the COVID-19 lockdown have the potential to reach more kids, they have…

In Restorative Resistance in Higher Education, diversity researcher and educator Richard J. Reddick shares the wisdom gained from three decades of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work in educational settings. Reddick centers DEI efforts as challenging yet essential components of college life, recognizing campus environments not just as…

Traditional approaches to the practice of teaching are unsustainable. Too many educators are disengaging, burning out, and leaving the profession in response to stressors both inside and outside of schools. And high teacher turnover has a negative effect on our students. In "Make Teaching Sustainable," Paul Emerich France explores six…

In this article, I advocate for an enriched view of children's linguistic input, with the aim of building sustainable and tangible links between theoretical models of language development and families' everyday experiences. Children's language experiences constrain theoretical models in ways that may illuminate universal learning biases. However,…

Competency-based assessment is undergoing an evolution with the popularisation of programmatic assessment. Fundamental to programmatic assessment are the attributes and buy-in of the people participating in the system. Our previous research revealed unspoken, yet influential, cultural and relationship dynamics that interact with programmatic…

The COVID-19 pandemic and recent racial justice movements have made it very apparent that our current approaches to keeping students safe and healthy in schools need major restructuring and reform. The country lacks mental health supports in many schools at a time when students need them most. Students of color are being punished and removed from…