Current Perspectives on Applied Information Technologies – serie

How can professional development for teachers be more efficient and effective? This essential question lies at the heart of this timely and useful book. In an era marked by a heightened emphasis on school reform, the education and professional development of teachers is widely regarded as the keystone to educational improvement. Recently a bewildering array of online professional development programs has arisen. But how effective are these programs and how do they compare with one another? Inspired by a recent conference on usable knowledge at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this book offers clear and practical answers to these and other questions about online professional development. The authors look closely at exemplary online programs, compare them carefully with one another, and draw helpful conclusions about themâboth for those who develop online programs, and for teachers and administrators in search of professional development programs that make a difference.

Teacher preparation programs in the United States and around the world have finally begun to address this deficiency in their programs. The realization that technology is a powerful driving force in education coupled with a renewed emphasis on teacher preparation by governments have resulted in some dramatic changes in teacher preparation programs. I believe that we have just begun to see changes in teacher preparation and that the pace of change will continue to accelerate. This volume covers some of the more exciting developments in the field, including the emergence of wireless computing in the classroom and the preparation of teachers in an online environment. In short, I am optimistic. For those of you who are also in the field, I think you will agree. For those who are just entering the field, this book is a great place to start as you change education. Finally, while this book is the last book of the three part series that we at CAIT conceptualized with Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene Glass, it is also the beginning of a new relationship. We are excited to join with a new partner, CARDET, to present this book. Over many years in the education and R&D field, I have come to realize the value of partnerships and relationships. I want to thank both Charalambos and Gene for making this series a reality and such a success. We are looking forward to working with them and CARDET in the near future.

Teacher preparation programs in the United States and around the world have finally begun to address this deficiency in their programs. The realization that technology is a powerful driving force in education coupled with a renewed emphasis on teacher preparation by governments have resulted in some dramatic changes in teacher preparation programs. I believe that we have just begun to see changes in teacher preparation and that the pace of change will continue to accelerate. This volume covers some of the more exciting developments in the field, including the emergence of wireless computing in the classroom and the preparation of teachers in an online environment. In short, I am optimistic. For those of you who are also in the field, I think you will agree. For those who are just entering the field, this book is a great place to start as you change education. Finally, while this book is the last book of the three part series that we at CAIT conceptualized with Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene Glass, it is also the beginning of a new relationship. We are excited to join with a new partner, CARDET, to present this book. Over many years in the education and R&D field, I have come to realize the value of partnerships and relationships. I want to thank both Charalambos and Gene for making this series a reality and such a success. We are looking forward to working with them and CARDET in the near future.

How can professional development for teachers be more efficient and effective? This essential question lies at the heart of this timely and useful book. In an era marked by a heightened emphasis on school reform, the education and professional development of teachers is widely regarded as the keystone to educational improvement. Recently a bewildering array of online professional development programs has arisen. But how effective are these programs and how do they compare with one another? Inspired by a recent conference on usable knowledge at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, this book offers clear and practical answers to these and other questions about online professional development. The authors look closely at exemplary online programs, compare them carefully with one another, and draw helpful conclusions about themâboth for those who develop online programs, and for teachers and administrators in search of professional development programs that make a difference.

This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change.The objectives of this book are:- To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensionsin the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world;- To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoingefforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs;- To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

This volume provides examples of current developments on the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice within an international context. Chapters draw on advanced contemporary thinking from scholars and practitioners in the field to present case studies of how ICT can be used to promote sustainable development and social justice. Social justice is understood in a wide sense as the pursuit of democracy, justice and development in the struggle against any form of oppression; it is within this context that ICT is explored as a tool for social change.The objectives of this book are:- To analyze the philosophical, historical, political, and cultural backgrounds and contexts that are constitutive of contemporary challenges and tensionsin the role of ICT for education, development, and social justice around the world;- To appreciate the contextual and international dimensions of the tensions and challenges faced by educators around the world and contribute to ongoingefforts to sketch a vision for addressing their needs;- To explore ways in which ICT in education can promote social justice and contribute toward sustaining communities around the world

The book provides new conceptual frameworks to understand good practice in the field of mobile learning. The book fills a gap in the current literature by drawing on examples of best practice from leading schools in the United States, Canada and Australia.The author visited thirty educational sites and interviewed over 100 eminent teachers, principals, district superintendents and academics in the three aforementioned countries to study the implementation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets in teaching and learning.During that period evidence and exemplars on issues that currently challenge educators worldwide such as modern pedagogies, digital citizenship, institutional change, equity and professional development were collected. The book presents a large number of case studies illustrating an effective integration of mobile learning and other technologies into the curriculum.The contents include topics that are at the core of current attempts by educators to meet the demands of 21st century learning.The book- Addresses issues related to the delivery of mobile learning (e.g., smartphones, tablets)- Presents real life scenarios from leading practitioners in the United States, Canada and Australia- Introduces a four‐conversion model for whole‐school school transformation- Provides principals with practical strategies to create effective communities of practice- Provides teachers with best practice examples and recommendations for using mobile devices in teaching and learning- Suggests practical activities and insights as to how to implement digital citizenship in schools

The book provides new conceptual frameworks to understand good practice in the field of mobile learning. The book fills a gap in the current literature by drawing on examples of best practice from leading schools in the United States, Canada and Australia.The author visited thirty educational sites and interviewed over 100 eminent teachers, principals, district superintendents and academics in the three aforementioned countries to study the implementation of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets in teaching and learning.During that period evidence and exemplars on issues that currently challenge educators worldwide such as modern pedagogies, digital citizenship, institutional change, equity and professional development were collected. The book presents a large number of case studies illustrating an effective integration of mobile learning and other technologies into the curriculum.The contents include topics that are at the core of current attempts by educators to meet the demands of 21st century learning.The book- Addresses issues related to the delivery of mobile learning (e.g., smartphones, tablets)- Presents real life scenarios from leading practitioners in the United States, Canada and Australia- Introduces a four‐conversion model for whole‐school school transformation- Provides principals with practical strategies to create effective communities of practice- Provides teachers with best practice examples and recommendations for using mobile devices in teaching and learning- Suggests practical activities and insights as to how to implement digital citizenship in schools

This work discusses issues relating to distance education and distributed learning. There are essays covering: rethinking assessment for the online environment; the role of collaborative learning in social and intellectual development; and the embodiment of knowledge in virtual environments.