The ChallenGE Project: Using Design-Based Research to Determine the Effectiveness of a Design Thinking Approach to Professional Learning in Gifted Education

Using a Design Thinking (DT) approach, the ChallenGE Project in South Australia (SA) was an innovative professional learning (PL) program that was developed, implemented, and researched by three Senior Educational Consultants from the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia (AISSA) and one academic from Flinders University over three years. The aim was to support participating schools (n = 27) to improve outcomes for their highly able learners (HALs). The ChallenGE Design-Based Research (DBR) project developed principles and a framework for contextualised PL in gifted education through an inductive qualitative manual coding analysis of participants’ self-reported learning. This paper, applying the format for reporting DBR studies recommended by Jen et al. (2015) explains the goals and elements of the innovation, the setting within which it was implemented, a description of each phase, the outcomes, and the lessons learned. This research study contributes to an expanded view of effective PL in gifted education using insights gained from a DT approach.

L’ACCOMPAGNEMENT SOUS TENSIONS : LA MÉDIATION DES POLITIQUES CURRICULAIRES PAR LES CONSEILLERS PÉDAGOGIQUES

This article deals with the role of educational consultants in the implementation of curricular policies (secondary education) in Quebec. Based on fieldwork conducted in two school boards (11 semi-directed interviews), we show that these actors, neglected by research, are not neutral relays of official texts. They carry out mediation work that depends on their beliefs and values but also on strategic and pragmatic adjustments. This mediation aims in particular at mitigating the teaching-to-the-test effects induced by ministerial evaluations. However, their room for manoeuvre remains limited and the tensions inherent in their support work are exacerbated by the curricular changes of the last decade.

LE CONSEILLER PÉDAGOGIQUE EN TANT QU’AGENT DE CHANGEMENT : COMPÉTENCES ET LEADERSHIP TRANSFORMATIONNEL

Educational consultants participate in the implementation of Ministry of Education policies and those of their school board in matters of education in order to meet the needs of innovation, communication and collaboration of 21st century learners. Despite their pedagogical knowledge, their propensity for innovation and their interpersonal skills, however, they are unprepared to fulfill their position as an agent of change with their teaching colleagues. This article presents the results of research aimed at understanding the ways in which the transformational leadership of educational consultants is manifested in terms of their role as agents of change. Semi-structured interviews with seven educational consultants and four directors of pedagogical services from four French-language school boards in Ontario revealed links between the skills they mobilize to guide teachers towards a change in practice and the manifestations of transformational leadership as developed by Bass (1998).

Pedagogical Counseling as a Professional Activity of Specialists in the Field of Education

The article reveals the essence of pedagogical counselling as a sphere of professional activity of specialists in the field of education. Specific features of pedagogical counselling that distinguish it from other types of counselling are defined and characterized. The main directions of professional activity of educational consultants are considered. Requirements for professional counsellors in the field of education are outlined.

Security Advantages of Cloud ERP and its Databases in Higher Education

An EduCon is a Lead Management cum Customer Relationship Management Software for Educational Consultants. It is cloud-based software hosted on Linux environment. Developed on Php with database on MySQL and Mongo DB, it is heavy-duty software which can handle 500 instances at once with 1 lakh+ active records. EduCon has a strong communication system with bulk SMS and bulk Email server integration with Text Guru and Mail Chimp respectively. This communication system is used to contact leads and send notification and transactional messages. This communication system is also used to take after service feedback from leads.

Exploring the Differences Between Educational Consultant’s and Teachers’ Perceptions on Teachers’ Needs of Professional Development

The study aims to investigate whether there is a discrepancy between educational consultants and teachers’ perceptions on teachers’ needs of professional development. The study also intends to answer the following research question: Is there a discrepancy between the perceptions of educational consultants and teachers of teachers’ needs in professional development? Moreover, two sub research questions were addressed: How do teachers perceive their needs for PD? How do educational consultants prepare for PD sessions/programs? The participants of the study are twenty pre/lower elementary school teachers and one educational consultant in Beirut. The methodology used to conduct the study was mixed-methods: a qualitative analysis was conducted for the consultant’s interview questions and a quantitative analysis for the teachers’ questionnaire. Results showed slight differences between the perceptions of teachers on PD and that of the consultant.

Stellungnahme zu einem Schreiben der «Pyramid Educational Consultants of Germany UG» vom Mai 2010

In dieser Stellungnahme wird ein Schreiben der Firma «Pyramid Educational Consultants of Germany UG» zum Training und Einsatz des PECS-Ansatzes in der Therapie von Kindern mit Autismus kritisch gewürdigt.