To meet the challenges of the 21st century, education cannot be restricted to reading and writing. Innovations that support our students' development as leaders and responsible citizens and stewards of the environment are also needed.

In order to bring the benefits of new education approaches, strategies, and tools to classrooms around the world, we need champions of innovation to blaze the path and serve as role models of creativity and exploration. Teachers are uniquely positioned to serve in this critical role.

Personalized learning offers instruction that matches students' learning preferences and specific interests. Taking innovative approaches to engaging with students' individual contexts and interests through place-based education can be particularly meaningful. Place-based education (PBE) is anytime, anywhere learning that leverages the power of…

Others' success can be a powerful motivation to innovate, which sometimes means finding new ways to return to beneficial activities. Finland's academic success has prompted many to explore that country's policies and practices, particularly regarding providing opportunities for children to enjoy more unstructured play.

Education is undergoing tremendous change. Technology and communication are central to this change, as speed and accessibility have increased exponentially. Learners' content knowledge is no longer as valuable as their "content navigation skills," and teachers' expertise is no longer beholden to didactic instruction. Education must…

Although mobile applications and games often seem isolating and somewhat stationary, last year's augmented reality (AR) gaming craze Pokémon Go demonstrated how technology has the potential to promote socialization, collaboration, and physical activity while still engaging users. Pokémon Go's use of AR technology, which superimposes…

A yoga-based school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) may provide a foundation for teaching mindfulness and self-regulation in K-12 schools. Here, the use of yoga as a SWPBS was examined through a review of existing literature and interviews of yoga program facilitators. Yoga was reported to be effective as a pedagogical approach, and found…

With any intervention program, involving all stakeholders in a joint effort toward implementation is most likely to lead to success. Whole-school approaches that involve school personnel, students, families, and local communities have been associated with positive, sustained outcomes. For mindfulness training programs to generate the most…

Current thinking in education reform focuses on how we can prepare students to be successful in both the classroom and their professional careers. Preparing students for their lives beyond school is an important role of education, and this includes encouraging students to be independent and self-regulated learners. Cultivating an adaptive…

Healthy psychosocial development during childhood is a key determinant to the future well-being of all individuals. In many areas of Africa, demand for psychosocial support continues to grow in response to the increasing number of children left orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These orphans face various challenges and yet, in most…

Students' success in vocabulary learning is best gauged by authentic use of the targeted vocabulary in conversation and writing tasks. A vocabulary teaching approach that emphasizes meaningful repetition, relationship building, and concrete experiences encourages language development. This article explores a multi-age, multi-grade learning…

As nations, localities, and school districts strive to provide quality and effective education for their students, various reform movements wax and wane. As motivation for reform often arises from the need to reach marginalized students and improve outcomes for at-risk students, the needs of children who are high performers may be overlooked. Yet…

Research indicates the positive effects parental involvement can have in reinforcing learners' beliefs about their ability to succeed. In this article, the author explores the nature of parental involvement in children's education in the Republic of the Gambia. The Gambian example reemphasizes the value of parent-school partnerships as a constant…

There has been a growing interest in and research on the construction of teachers' professional identity and parameters of practice among researchers worldwide. This piece examines the nature of teachers' perceptions about their professionalism and practice. It also explores teacher isolation stemming from assumptions related to…

With the increasing linguistic diversity of students in many classrooms around the world, teachers need to be well-equipped with strategies to address the learning needs of students with limited proficiency in the dominant language of the classroom. This article outlines various strategies that might help teachers reach that goal by taking…