In a recent thought-provoking piece, Peter Roberts argues against the central role of happiness as a guiding concept in education, and argues for more attention to be paid to despair. This does not mean cultivating despair in young people, but allowing them to make sense of their own natural occasional despair, as well as the despair of others. I…

This essay focuses on the need to educate the new "persona educada", a dignified, honorable person with a good measure of social and personal responsibility who also possesses the habits of the mind and heart. To cultivate "una persona educada" requires a newly formed vision of education and pedagogy. Examples of three entrenched agreements that…

This interview conducted with Henry Giroux begins by probing Henry's childhood, upbringing and undergraduate years to discover where his sense of social justice took hold. It also questions Henry about his working-class background and the major influences on his thought, including his relationships with Paulo Freire and Howard Zinn. The interview…

Gifted adults are recognized by society solely by their achievements, though the unusual developmental trajectory of the gifted creates an extraordinary experience of life at any age. The achievement orientation is now taking over gifted education and makes it difficult for the gifted to understand and honor the qualities of mind that make them…

The three papers included in this symposium discuss the relevance of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development to the early childhood practitioner. First, an overview of Piaget's theory is presented. This focusses on the particular aspects of the theory most relevant to practitioners in early childhood education. Second, curriculum…

This paper is a description and discussion of the author, a critical Social Foundations scholar-teacher, and the craft/intellectual/emotional/moral/identity sources that sustain his work. Opening paragraphs describe his family background in the Piedmont province of northern Italy, the Turin (Italy) working class and their attitudes toward work.…

This paper describes the journey of a former female electrician turned technical and further education teacher turned professional development officer who is now completing her PhD. It also describes the challenges she overcame to make the transition from tradesperson to researcher. It is a personal account of discovery. It describes the most…