High school teachers and administrators are often shocked to learn that universities consider their graduates unprepared for college work. They're especially chagrined when their most successful students seem ill prepared for college work. Author Kevin St. Jarre proposes that secondary schools spend more effort on ensuring that students know how…

There is nothing worse than hearing moans and groans when writing time is announced to students. Motivation for writing begins when students' interests are mixed with opportunities for creativity. This article presents an idea shared by a writing coach who found a way to spark students' interest in writing by developing recipes for more…

This research set out to explore perceptions about the concept of an emergent learning space within private organisations, as the current literature on learning does not adequately differentiate between organised learning and emergent learning. The research objectives explored the existence of, and perceived level of organisational encouragement…

As part of an on-going project designed to impact teacher quality at the pre-service, induction, and professional development levels, this paper summarizes the parametric results of a series of four different workshops conducted in the summer of 2007. In an effort to glean a better understanding of their knowledge, attitudinal, perceptual, and…

The students at Newburgh Free Academy (NFA), a high school located in Newburgh, New York, organized their own "Dancing with the Teachers" contest in an effort to raise scholarship funds. Their creativity paid off. More than 850 tickets were sold at $5 each to attend this evening of entertainment, contributing more than $4,000 to…

The article presents ten theoretically substantiated "theses" on future education and learning, highlighting emerging trends that will shape educational systems. The focus is on the impact of innovation economy and knowledge society on learning. Specifically, the article elaborates the changing dynamics of production models since the first…

JS is a highly able person with Asperger syndrome whose language and intellectual abilities are, and always have been, superior. The first part of this short article consists of JS's analytical account of his atypical memory abilities, and the strategies he uses for memorizing and learning. JS has also described specific difficulties with creative…

Idea evaluation has, in recent years, received more attention as a critical component of creative thought. One key influence on how people evaluate new ideas may be found in the standards, or attributes, people look for in appraising ideas. The intent of the present study was to examine the influence of different attributes on people's willingness…

Students' and lecturers' perceptions of own effectiveness and creativity as teachers are compared, using a survey questionnaire with a sample of 854 students and 254 lecturers of a higher education institution, together with interviews and class observations of lecturers who were selected as examples of creative teaching. Results indicate that…

Ecological approaches (e.g. [Gibson, J.J., 1979. "The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception." Houghton-Mifflin, Boston]) to psychology and language are selectively reviewed, focusing on social learning. Is social learning (e.g., acquiring language) a matter of conformity [Tomasello, M., 2006. "Acquiring linguistic…

Re-Education classrooms are self-contained and tightly organized, to meet the unpredictable challenges of daily school life. It is typical to observe children hitting, kicking, spitting, crying or shutting down completely while lessons are being taught. Teachers, in turn, are required to physically restrain a child if he might cause injury to…

Research has demonstrated that the use of animals in counseling provides beneficial effects to clients. This article presents literature on Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), and details an exploratory study that applied AAT in an adolescent anger management group. Consistent with other research, beneficial effects noted in this study included a…

This article explores the beneficial and sometimes unpredictable implications of a daily reflective writing exercise for introductory literature courses: the learning log. Pseudonymous samples of student writing, coupled with instructor commentary, gesture toward ways in which the learning log's continual implementation and modification foster a…

This paper reports a study on children's classroom-based collaborative creative writing. Based on socio-cultural theory, the central aim of the research was to contribute to current understanding of young children's creativity, and describe ways in which peer collaboration can resource, stimulate and enhance classroom-based creative writing. The…

Use of creative processes as a tool for social inclusion has gathered momentum in recent years. This article reports the views of education professionals based in Scotland on the use and effects of targeting. While this strategy aims to improve access to those communities considered marginal, it is apparent that some of the effects are detrimental…