In early childhood, the most important period of learning and human development, young children often achieve developmental milestones in a short time. Learning from Young Children: Research in Early Childhood Music presents research on the importance of fostering musical growth during this period. These studies discuss:·applying brain research to young children's musical growth· music in the home and child-care contexts· musical characteristics of the young c...

In praise of the greatest job in the world...The right book at the right time: an impassioned defense of teachers and why we need them now more than ever.Teacher turned teacher’s advocate Taylor Mali inspired millions with his original poem “What Teachers Make,” a passionate and unforgettable response to a rich man at a dinner party who sneeringly asked him what teachers make. Mali’s sharp, funny, perceptive look at life in the cla...

Within the rapidly expanding field of educational technology, learners and educators must confront a seemingly overwhelming selection of tools designed to deliver and facilitate both online and blended learning. Many of these tools assume that learning is configured and delivered in closed contexts, through learning management systems (LMS). However, while traditional "classroom" learning is by no means obsolete, networked learning is in the ascendant. A foundational method in online and b...

Tinkering with the current educational system from within has not provided a just and equitable education for all children. In this book, acclaimed education theorist Joanne Larson poses basic questions about the nature and purpose of schooling. Proposing that what is needed is a new purpose that is more consistent with contemporary knowledge production processes—one that moves beyond the either/or binary of preparing workers/citizens in a competitive global economy or a democracy, Larson ...

Portfolios have often been used as a way for teachers to monitor and assess their students' progress, but this book picks up on the current trend of using portfolios to assess teachers themselves as part of their degree requirements. As a professional development tool, portfolios are also useful for classroom teachers in evaluating their practice, and in showcasing their skills and accomplishments for use in interviews.Veteran teacher educators Marianne Jones and Marilyn Shelton pr...

First published in 1988, this work was the product of extensive fieldwork in two evangelical communities. This in-depth ethnographic study focuses on the meaning systems, organizational structures and the daily lives of the people Susan D. Rose encountered.The study is centred around Christian schooling as a method of socialisation. Tracing the rise of evangelicalism and the development of the Christian School Movement in the latter half of the twentieth century, it examines the ki...

Why the university should focus on community: "An enlightening interpretation of Wendell Berry's philosophy for the pursuit of a holistic higher education." — Publishers WeeklyProminent author and cultural critic Wendell Berry is well known for his contributions to agrarianism and environmentalism, but his commentary on education has received comparatively little attention. Yet Berry has been eloquently unmasking America's cultural obsession with restless m...

Declaring War Against Schooling documents 100 years of educational wars between Visionary learning leaders and Traditional school people. Ironically, to win the existing war, both opposing groups must unify to overthrow the control of education by politicians.The script cites the eras when education was in the hands of flexible educators with support, not opposition, from many politicians. President Lyndon Johnson called for “Tomorrow’s Schools”—a vision not yet achieved. The Reaga...

Gender equality has been a major educational theme for the past two decades and has become interwoven with other policy themes, including those of marketisation and managerialism. Contributors to this strong collection are key researchers in their fields and seek to address the following questions: * What patterns are discernible in the educational attainment of girls and boys over the past two decades? * To what extent are changes attributable to gender equality policies? * What form have...

Reshaping education from the ground up.International author and grassroots education expert, Ian Davies, exposes the essential issues causing so much grief in our schools today. His candid thoughts and empowering strategies will inspire educators who have all but given up hope. In a time when we can all be distracted by the glitter of modern technology, this book brings the focus back to the very essence of education - the relationship between the teacher, the child and the parent....

Although Religious Education (RE) is a legal requirement in UK schools, it is an oft-neglected and misunderstood subject. It is important to seriously re-think this key subject at this time of low religious literacy and rising extremism, to protect communities from the consequences of hatred and misunderstanding. This book promotes a public discussion of what exactly is needed from a new model of RE within our education system to benefit wider society.In this edited collection, the...

First published in 1973, this book is based on research carried about by Ronald King on integral parts of school organisation, including the assembly, uniform, rewards and punishments, games and out-of-school activities, curriculum, prefectorial system and school councils, in a sample of seventy-two schools. It measures and explores the level of pupils’ involvement in the school, in terms in their evaluations and effective dispositions, in relation to pupil age, sex and social background.