Computational thinking is accepted today as a collection of cognitive and social skills required for functioning in the 21st century. The paper presents a conceptual view at computational thinking that encompass concepts, problem-solving skills, application skills, and social skills. To impart those perceptions and skills the paper proposes the…

This practice report describes the application of scenario-based learning to improve awareness of interpersonal skills in sport and exercise students. Thirty second-year undergraduate students over two consecutive academic years engaged in three scenario-based learning activities that simulated client interviews and consultations. The consensus…

In some approaches to dialogic pedagogy research, authentic questions have long attracted attention, since the prevalence of authentic questions has been used as an indicator of the dialogic quality of classroom activities. However, this article offers an analysis of the concept of authentic questions in the research literature and shows that this…

Successful social inclusion of children with autism in mainstream preschool settings requires ongoing social interactions with neurotypical (NT) peers. To meet the social needs of children with autism in these settings, NT peer training is needed. We evaluated the effects of video modeling, self-management, and reinforcement on social responses of…

We introduce the surreal play experience (SPE) as an effective pedagogical method of experiential learning for teaching professional sales. Using a customer's needs assessment as a skill to develop, we describe the method, procedure, and materials needed to implement a surreal play session. We designed three experimental conditions to analyze…

In this conceptual practice-based article, we establish the need to examine inclusive-oriented pedagogical strategies to support individuals with autism. We believe that educators who use critical reflection can detect many of the common misconceptions about autism, learn how to re-frame these understandings, and consider alternative ways to…

Cooperative group activities in classrooms provide an opportunity for children to learn and demonstrate relationship skills, particularly when clear expectations and explicit instruction are provided. Relationship skills are one of the five competency areas of social and emotional learning. This article provides directions and illustrations for…

Individual differences in children's social communication have been shown to mediate the relationship between poor vocabulary or grammar and behavioural difficulties. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that social communication skills predict difficulties with peers over and above vocabulary and grammar scores. The essential social…

Educational leadership is facing a need for change; this change requires innovative approaches such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to transform teacher practice. Principled modelling by these leaders is integral to sustained change. In addition, to initiate this change, traditional practices such as group work can be used with a UDL focus…

How can teachers boost motivation and interest in writing when a student has disengaged from writing? This article looks at the case of a student with sensory and social challenges who lost interest in writing. Possible reasons for the loss of interest are explored through the elements that contribute to motivation for learning and for writing.…

During an age when many adults struggle to hold civil discussions about contentious issues, authors Kristina J. Doubet and Jessica A. Hockett argue that educators are in a prime position to teach civility. In this article, Doubet and Hockett outline three approaches for teaching students to take part in civil discourse, each approach with its own…

Schools are adopting social emotional learning (SEL) programs, intending to provide students with intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to better prepare them for life. Transformative SEL is designed to promote the building of relationships between diverse students and educators to build more just schools and society. Because SEL models are…

Student interventionists have been utilized as change agents in a variety of contexts to improve the academic, social, and communicative behaviors of target students. A strong literature base supports the use of peers in academic interventions such as peer tutoring, as well as in behavioral interventions such as peer-mediated Check-In/Check-Out,…

The purpose of this article is to examine the nature of appropriate social studies education in the Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten years. The importance of social competence development as a basic foundation of the social studies in the early years of schooling is examined, with particular attention to the commonalities shared between goals and…

This article examines the contemporary role of teaching artists, affirming the arts as methods of investigating complex academic/psychosocial material and engaging in rich cultural and ever evolving explorations.