This issue in the "Connect" series is a field report that discusses how a student's personal competencies--cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and social/emotional--propel learning and other forms of goal attainment. These personal competencies are personal to the individual in their shape, size, and effect, but they are enhanced by…

In this white paper, Diane Reinhold, Tracy Patterson, and Peter Hegel assert that there is no magic bullet to ensure people apply what they learn. There are, however, steps that can be taken to create leadership programs, experiences, and supports that improve the likelihood that lessons will be learned and applied. Over time, new skills,…

Educators, government bodies and employers have acknowledged the need for modern learners to acquire 21st century skills using information and communication technologies, to personalise student learning. Students need broader skills than the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic) to operate in the 21st century. These broader skills known as the 4Cs…

The authors' aim was to arrive at a measurable model of the creative process by putting creativity in the context of a learning process. The authors aimed to provide a rather detailed description of how creative thinking fits in a general description of the learning process without trying to go into an analysis of a biological description of the…

The prevailing discourse of quality in early childhood education in Australia and internationally supports the idea that everyone, from families to educators, policymakers, researchers and politicians, wants high-quality early childhood education programs for all young children. This dominance is so pervasive that it becomes difficult to think…

In this paper we look into the conditions in which dialogue could be utilized to facilitate transformative learning and reflection. We explore the notion of a safe and accepting learning environment from the relational and phenomenological viewpoint, and analyze what it actually means and how it may be developed. We understand facilitating…

Exams, tight deadlines and interpersonal conflicts are just a few examples of the many events that may result in high levels of stress in both students and teachers. Research over the past two decades identified stress and the hormones and neurotransmitters released during and after a stressful event as major modulators of human learning and…

Building relationships between teachers, school administrators, parents, and students is an ongoing process, and the core component of such relationships is teaching and learning. There is much to learn about developing supportive relationships that encourage today's diverse students and their parents in the U.S. However, there is an ongoing…

This article describes a pedagogical initiative that identifies opportunities for increased efficiency and functionality in the teaching and learning of Spanish in the context of the United States. At the core of this initiative is the reformulation of curricular and programmatic approaches in terms of current social, cultural, and linguistic…

Students who are slow to respond to traditional instruction and intervention require intensified intervention. Visual Activity Schedules (VAS) are an evidence-based type of visual support that provide sequential organization of the steps for an activity or skill. VAS can be aligned with individual student needs, including behavioral support. VAS…

This essay explores what surfaces when we lead a reflection on the 2018 REA meeting with questions about teaching and learning. What pedagogical models appeared to be operative during the meeting? What voices were missing and which ones were privileged? Who benefitted from the pedagogies at work in the meeting? Who was marginalized? What…

This article discusses international simulation "models" as vehicles for active student learning and leadership development. Drawing on his role as the faculty sponsor of his school's delegation and managing director of the overall conference, the author details the structure, workings, and benefits of International Model NATO as well as…

Australian students' performance on national and international literacy assessments has declined since 2000, while teachers in contemporary classrooms contend with conditions of increased complexity and uncertainty. In July 2017, the Australian Government commissioned a panel of experts to provide advice on how to improve Australian students'…

The claim to strive for greater internationalisation in the fields of academic education not only corresponds to the pressures of an increasingly globalised world but is also a response to the ever-growing challenges of cultural diversity that exist within one's own country. For students, however, the geographical space relevant to their education…

Parts 1 and 2 in this four-part series of articles (Crossland, 2016, 2017a) discussed the recent research from neuroscience linked to concepts from cognitive development that brought Piaget's theories into the 21st century and showed the most effective provision towards more optimal learning strategies. Part 2 reviewed Demetriou's latest thinking…