Human Flourishing

Some ideas from the Music Gym We found ourselves discussing the use of video in a sensory room or Music Gym setting this morning (for example Video Based Intervention). Soon we were lamenting how large and unwieldy modern media players are. And more importantly how that can impede their use with individuals with special needs. This led to us searching for something a little more manageable, ideally a media player which allows multiple instances of itself to be opened, with as few bells and...Read Full Story

Classroom Goal Structures Goal structure in the classroom refers to the degree to which students are placed in competitive or cooperative relationships in the earning of classroom rewards (Slavin, 2006). These rewards can include: special privileges (i.e., lining up first for recess); public recognition by the teacher; and grades. Goal structures are a common approach employed by teachers in order to manage classroom behaviour. As well, teachers use goal structures to encourage and facilitate...Read Full Story

The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook: A Complete K-12 Reference Guide The fourth edition of this best-selling handbook brings together theories, ideas, and resources for promoting cross-cultural awareness, language development, and academic progress for English learners. It ties together culture and language in a comprehensive format, providing teachers with a wealth of specific strategies and classroom examples to apply to educational practice. Rating: (out...Read Full Story

As a student, the bulk of my experience has been positive both with respect to the process of learning and the demonstration of that learning. That is, I’ve been successful as a student and performed well on assessments of my learning. However, my experience of those assessments has been mixed. Specifically, I am aware that my performance while being formally assessed has not always been reflective of my learning. There are three key aspects of assessment which determine the efficacy of the...Read Full Story

A learning community of reflective practitioners must focus on three core issues. First, practitioners must ensure students learn. That is, learning, not teaching, must be the focus. Second, a culture of collaboration, where practitioner feel safe to explore issues is key. Third, practitioners must focus on results both of the collaboration and the learning outcomes (DuFour, 2004). In addition to improving personal professional competency, teachers serve as role models for students in ways of...Read Full Story