Using a critical approach, we studied the intercultural understandings of Canadian teachers who participated in a 3-week international teaching practicum in Kenya, 5-6 years before. Critical interculturality was used as the theoretical lens to explore the impact on teaching, constructions of identity, and power relations. We argue that while this…

By transforming education to focus on nurturing creativity, teachers can better ensure that their students are receiving the best preparation for a future of rapid change. This article describes how Alla Tkachuk founded MASK (Mobile Art School in Kenya, www.mobileartschoolinkenya.org) to champion art for creativity in Africa. Starting as a small…

"UNESCO believes that education is a human right for all throughout life and that access must be matched by quality." While this statement is a worthy ideal, it does not meet the needs of all populations, especially our most vulnerable. The refugee crisis has opened up new channels for education to find its place among the supports given…

Researchers have repeatedly identified special education teacher shortage as one of the factors that have stymied the development of special education in many African countries. Highly qualified special education teachers are an integral part of successful national educational systems. In order to ensure an optimum supply of qualified special…

In this UniCollaboration plenary session, Barbara Moser-Mercer speaks on setting up education classrooms in refugee camps with University of Geneva students. She starts off with a video which speaks to the virtual exchange idea and how students from the University of Geneva are working together with students in Macau and how that could be…

The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international framework through which countries of the Commonwealth offer university scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other member states, forging enduring bonds between nations and creating valuable opportunities for cultural and academic exchange. Established by…

This chapter examines practical issues regarding Virtual Exchanges (VEs) for educational purposes in the university context and covers language use, cultural differences, time management, teacher collaboration, technology-related issues, assessment, and context specific factors. It charts the establishment of three academic collaborations between…

Leadership coaching is a method of learning and development. This brief describes a leadership practice that was effective in navigating culture when it became a relevant factor in maintaining a reciprocal leadership learning and development partnership. Using a community-based inquiry method, we utilized and examined leadership coaching practice…

The teaching force in the United States of America is still predominantly white and monolingual. Yet, the U.S. population is rapidly becoming culturally and ethnically diverse. As a result, white teachers have expressed doubt in their efficacy in teaching students whose cultures are different than theirs (Helfrich & Bean, 2011). The purpose of…

The challenges to teacher educators in sub-Saharan Africa are acute. This paper describes how the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) consortium is working within institutional and national policy systems to support school-based teacher professional development. The TESSA consortium (13 African institutions and 5 international…

Both of these "Surveys of policy and practice" were conducted on behalf of COL by the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) as part of COL's partnership agreement with the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) Working Group on Distance Education and Open Learning. The first report identifies…