As a business communication teacher walks into their classroom ready to introduce a wonderful new teaching object, they are riding on a wave of spiritual joy. They know that they are about to transport their students into new business communication skills. It's magical. "My Favorite Assignment" is Association for Business Communication's…

Perception is one of the most fundamental aspects of human communication. This activity utilizes art to help students experience and understand the psychological and communicative aspects of perception. Students are required to observe and discuss their observations about selected pieces of artwork. After completing the activity, students enhance…

Most education systems around the world today rely heavily on conventional methods of teaching. Yet the challenges and needs of contemporary life necessitate innovative ways to teach children life skills. To create a positive and accessible environment in which to build positive life narratives, every student must be able to see people around them…

What motivates human creativity? Sometimes creativity emerges because people need to solve a problem or communicate an idea. The desire for novel amusement or complex entertainment also inspires creative thought. Environmental factors are also influential in motivating a student's creativity. An instructor's personal enthusiasm for the…

Literature supports children's literacy growth in many ways. It helps children extend their understanding and clarify different situations in their lives, recognize and deal with feelings, and be more empathetic. Hands-on activities based on stories support children in giving shape to their thoughts. These creative activities not only empower the…

Many novel learning approaches in recent years have involved innovative technologies; however, other creative approaches can also be used to facilitate the learning of new or difficult concepts. In this article we explain how novelty and fun can be introduced into the learning experience without the need for advanced technologies. The novel…

Drawing on recent research which examined how selected artist educators perceive themselves as arts practitioners and analysed how these constructions inform their pedagogy, this article proposes a framework of meaning making in the art gallery. Art practice is defined as a process of conceptual and experiential enquiry which embraces inspiration,…

Effective social work education that promotes social justice requires expanded curricular models and creative pedagogical approaches. This article presents a curricular case study demonstrating the use of current events to enhance both implicit and explicit curricula. How the cultural crisis of Hurricane Katrina was used to engender transformative…

Many music teachers across the country have learned how beneficial it can be to tap into the communities around them. The author discusses how music teachers can help broaden their students' horizons by tapping into the resources just outside their school walls. One way is by employing local talents. Another is to put an ad in nearby music stores,…

A canoe trip guide for young people gets used to the never-ending flow of questions. Kids are constantly inquiring about how many kilometres have been traveled that day, how many kilometres to go that day, what is for dinner, and when the next set of moving water is coming up. With kids, the questions are endless. Questions often are used as a…

For farmers and gardeners, slugs and snails may be serious pests that will limit the amount of harvest, but for a child, they represent a world to be explored. To teachers, however, invertebrates are tools for broadening students' understanding about animals, the connections between animals and habitats or plants, and an engaging subject to write…

In this article, the author talks about Destination ImagiNation (DI), the world's largest creative problem solving (CPS) program, and describes how this program helps students. In many schools and communities, DI supplements or even serves as the talented and gifted program. CPS is also popular and appropriate for homeschool families because it…

This article describes a curriculum developed by the author and the children in her public school kindergarten class. Teaching practices that foster children's intellectual--and overall human--development are documented. The goals and purposes of schooling are discussed as well as issues pertaining to the role of the teacher, structures that…

It's no secret that many school programs don't give children enough opportunity to explore the natural world--i.e., to "mess about" and to have firsthand experience with nature and animals. Not so at the Muscota New School in New York City! This innovative public elementary school actively promotes inquiry-based learning and encourages…

Walking into Keil Hileman's classroom at Monticello Trails Middle School in Shawnee, KS, is a visual feast for the eyes. There is a suit of armor, a 1796 Flintock Musket, a wood burning stove from 1907, a circa 1920 porcelain barber's chair, steamer trunks carried from far off lands, a butter churn, a 1930s wringer washing machine, chamber pots,…