New publications

This book is international in scope and spans preschool through to higher education. Each chapter addresses a specific controversy and offers practical strategies for helping students work through possible solutions. The key dilemmas and suggested approaches, relevant for teachers in all educational settings, cover educational policy and social justice, teaching young children about war and global conflict, using children's literature and drama to explore controversial issues, and teaching about climate change and sustainability. Adapted from publisher's description.

Dr Arber’s book is a compilation of 20 years of research on how race and ethnic relationships are thought of and discussed within schools. The author, based at Deakin University, argues that Australian educators need to reconsider the way they talk about race and ethnic relationships to create more inclusive and enriching school communities. According to Dr Arber’s findings, public perceptions of some ethnic groups remain confined to stereotypes. Adapted from Deakin University media release. See also publisher's description.

Every sentence we hear is instantly analysed by an inner grammar; just as a prism refracts a beam of light, grammar divides a stream of sound, linking diverse strings of information to different domains of mind – memory, vision, emotions, intentions. In The Prism of Grammar, Tom Roeper explores the intricacies of child language. He examines how the child confronts recursion, possessives, mysterious plurals, contradictory adjectives, ellipsis and the deep obscurity of reference. Each chapter on acquisition begins with a commonsense look at how structures work – moving from the simple to the complex – and then turns to the literary and human dimensions of grammar. Adapted from publisher's description.

Today's school counsellors are often under pressure to document their effectiveness by using data and producing quantitative accountability reports. This guide from counsellor educators and trainers aims to give preservice and inservice school counsellors the tools to identify evidence-based practices in their field and to use data in designing, implementing and evaluating programs and interventions. The resource offers counsellors skill-building guidelines for selecting and analysing data, carrying out action research and building collaborative partnerships, measuring student learning and behaviour change, and communicating results to stakeholders. Adapted from publisher's description.

Indigenous people around the world are becoming more interested in information technology because they see it as a way to preserve their traditional cultures for future generations, as well as a way to provide their communities with economic and social renewal. However, the cost of the new technologies, geographic isolation and a lack of computer literacy have made it difficult for Indigenous people to adopt ICT. Information Technology and Indigenous People provides theoretical and empirical information related to the planning and execution of ICT projects aimed at serving Indigenous people. It explores many cultural concerns with ICT implementation, including language issues and questions of cultural appropriateness, and brings together research from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars. Adapted from publisher's description. See also review in The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, vol 36, pp 117–118.

Four major dimensions of promoting effective learning in classrooms are examined in depth: active learning, collaborative learning, learner-driven learning and 'learning about learning'. The book covers case studies from practising teachers, and evidence from international research. Adapted from publisher's description. Sections of the book are available on the publisher's Web page.