In this paper, learning is conceptualized as a process of routinization of learners' actions. We begin by operationalizing the keyword "routine." Two categorizations of routines are then offered. First, we distinguish between "practical" and "discursive" routines, discuss the process of their historical…

In the studio, there are routines and rituals to be observed. One of those is making gesso. The quantities change each time and the ingredients vary, but the mechanical process remains the same: soak rabbit skin glue for 3 hours, double burner melt the glue, sieve in champagne chalk whiting, stir slowly, and tap the sides to remove air bubbles.…

Speaking is often considered one of the most difficult skills to develop in a second or foreign language. Many traditional approaches to language teaching focus on text-based skill development or emphasize aural receptive skills. However, as English continues to grow as a global language, learners want and need to be able to express their ideas…

"MythBusters," the long-running though recently discontinued Discovery Channel science entertainment television program, has proven itself to be far more than just a highly rated show. While its focus is on entertainment, the show employs an array of pedagogical techniques to communicate scientific concepts to its audience. These…

This article explores bodily movement practices as a foundational component of rhetorical awareness. Through ethnographic study of dance pedagogy, the author demonstrates how genre uptake is enabled by bodily experience; learned ways of moving produce inclinations toward certain rhetorical pathways over others. Enabling students to uptake new…

Reading fluency research and practice have recently undergone some changes. While past studies and interventions focused on reading speed as their main goal, now more emphasis is being placed on exploring the role prosody plays in reading, and how listening to an audio model of a text while reading may act as a form of scaffolding, or aid, to…

Although numerous claims are made about the necessity for research to improve teaching and learning practices, links between research and teaching are still tenuous. Therefore we argue that the issue of linking research to practice should be tackled in a different way than in the past. Research knowledge in education should consider teachers and…

Using technology to deliver instruction in schools has become increasingly popular. Students are required to use online programs, textbooks and apps as part of their classwork and homework. BYOD (bring your own device) school policies have filled classrooms and hallways with students carrying smart phones, laptops and iPads. The increased reliance…

"Focus on form" (FonF) is a central construct in task-based language teaching. The term was first introduced by Michael Long to refer to an approach where learners' attention is attracted to linguistic forms as they engage in the performance of tasks. It contrasts with a structure-based approach--"focus on forms" (FonFs)--where…

The initial vignette outlines some of the complexities of the use of Paired Reading (PR) in a real situation. A description of PR is followed by a brief summary of evaluation evidence. A number of related techniques are briefly described and the evidence for them considered. The utility of PR in relation to fluency is then discussed. The…

One of the most efficient ways in helping the students improve their academic outcomes is by giving them the time and the instruments they need to develop their metacognitive skills when learning. Journals can help the students identify the strategies they used or the way they may use it and subsequently appraise their efficiency. Building-up a…

Humans are fragile beings easily influenced by the verbal behaviors of others. Spoken words can have a multitude of effects on an individual, and the phrases and statements teachers use in their classrooms on a daily basis have the potential to be either detrimental or inspirational. As increasing numbers of students arrive at schools from broken…

One of the reasons why commercial video games are popular is that they effectively teach players how to play the game--in many cases as the player plays the game itself. This paper focuses on how to effectively integrate teaching "how to play a game" with teaching an "instructional domain" within a game for learning. By analyzing more than 30…

Teachers have used the method of repeated readings to build oral reading fluency in students with and without special needs. A new fluency building intervention called interval sprinting uses shorter timing intervals (i.e., sprints) across a passage. This study used an alternating treatment design to compare repeated readings and interval…

Background: The Hebb effect is a form of repetition-driven long-term learning that is thought to provide an analogue for the processes involved in new word learning. Other evidence suggests that verbal short-term memory also constrains now vocabulary acquisition, but if the Hebb effect is independent of short-term memory, then it may be possible…