We work as teachers in one-day-a-week classes for gifted elementary school students in the Netherlands. The classes are centred on themes that last about 8 weeks. Twice a year, the students work on a project using the TASC Wheel to systematically gain more knowledge on the subject as well as to practise their executive skills. As an example of…

This paper reports an investigation of assessing students' information literacy (IL) in a naturalistic classroom environment by using a set of rubrics. A total of 72 lessons from 15 classrooms in Hong Kong were examined. Results indicate that the rubric is generally valid and usable in assessing students' IL skills but three more attributes which…

The paper shows the importance of Storybird, an online platform, for developing writing and storytelling among young learners of a foreign language. Storybird is an extremely engaging collaborative storywriting website that embodies three ideas--creating, reading, and sharing. It is also a collaborative storytelling tool that allows students to…

This article elaborates on the Inquiry Cycle as an appropriate model of learning for the digitally enhanced classroom. Its goal is to provide a useful link between theory and pedagogic practice. This involves taking a new look at the concept of digital literacy. The authors propose a conceptual framework connecting classroom practices and elements…

Digital literacies have fast become indispensable for productive engagement, competency, and citizenship in a rapidly changing world. After-school programs represent an important venue where many young people can develop a mastery of digital literacies, encompassing both the creative and responsible use of a broad range of new media. This paper…

The author relates how his school has a very active English Language Learner (ELL) program. ELL students typically have varying levels of social and academic language, but almost always have some English proficiency. Recently, his school established a Newcomer Program that drastically changed the school system. They acquired students lacking any…