The Education We Need for a Future We Can′t Predict


Book Description

Improve Schools and Transform Education In order for educational systems to change, we must reevaluate deep-seated beliefs about learning, teaching, schooling, and race that perpetuate inequitable opportunities and outcomes. Hatch, Corson, and Gerth van den Berg challenge the narrative when it comes to the "grammar of schooling"--or the conventional structures, practices, and beliefs that define educational experiences for so many children—to cast a new vision of what school could be. The book addresses current systemic problems and solutions as it: Highlights global examples of successful school change Describes strategies that improve educational opportunities and performance Explores promising approaches in developing new learning opportunities Outlines conditions for supporting wide-scale educational improvement This provocative book approaches education reform by highlighting what works, while also demonstrating what can be accomplished if we redefine conventional schools. We can make the schools we have more efficient, more effective, and more equitable, all while creating powerful opportunities to support all aspects of students’ development. "You won’t find a better book on system change in education than this one. We learn why schools don’t change; how they can improve; what it takes to change a system; and, in the final analysis, the possibilities of system change. Above all, The Education We Need renders complexity into clarity as the writing is so clear and compelling. A powerful read on a topic of utmost importance." ~Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, OISE/Universtiy of Toronto "I cannot recommend this book highly enough – Tom tackles long-standing and emerging educational issues in new ways with an impressive understanding of the challenging complexities, but also feasible possibilities, for ensuring excellence and equity for all students." ~Carol Campbell, Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto




The Relevant Educator


Book Description

Professional growth and social media savvy at your fingertips! This information-packed resource from digital experts Anderson and Whitby makes it easy to build a thriving professional network using social media. Easy-to-implement ideas, essential tools, and real-life vignettes help teachers learn to: Find and choose the best social media tools, products, and communities Start and grow a collaborative, high-quality PLN using Twitter, blogging, LinkedIn, and more Use social media to enhance 21st Century education Engage in authentic personal and professional learning Includes invaluable resources and an in-depth analysis of the social media landscape. Collaboration has never been easier with this must-have guide!




The 1:1 Roadmap


Book Description

Technology is more than just "Computer Class;" it is a literacy that must be threaded throughout the fabric of a school. In a 1:1 environment, you’re preparing students to be responsible citizens of the physical and digital worlds. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed with devices; you have to have a plan for technology that keeps learning at center stage. Here you’ll find a solid plan for designing a technology initiative that fuels student learning. Real-life examples, lessons, and interviews with stakeholders show you Why a 1:1 program is not only achievable but also beneficial and necessary How to choose the right devices The best ways to prepare teachers through professional development Best practices for instruction and personalization in a 1:1 environment It’s more essential than ever to integrate digital and information literacy into the fabric of our schools. This practical resource will get you started on the journey. " Marcinek provides a desperately needed resource based on practical experience that will help districts effectively and properly implement 1:1 initiatives." —Eric Sheninger, Educational Consultant and Corwin Author, Digital Leadership "Ultimately, going 1:1 is about fostering a culture of trust and innovation, and this doesn’t happen overnight—you need a strong plan. Marcinek helps leaders get started with a 1:1 implementation, and teaches us how to prepare the entire school community for digital citizenship." —Salome Thomas-EL, Award-winning Principal and Author of "The Immortality of Influence"




With the Best of Intentions


Book Description

Bringing together a mix of researchers and practitioners, With the Best of Intentions examines the major goals of recent philanthropic efforts and looks at some of the key lessons--for educators, philanthropists, policymakers, and community leaders--of philanthropic contributions to schools and school systems. From the Gates small school initiative to the Annenberg challenge to the Broad prize for urban education, philanthropic giving has played an increasingly prominent role in recent years in education reform efforts across the United States. Yet while we recognize that philanthropic organizations influence education in countless ways, we know strikingly little about the extent, dynamics, and results of their efforts. This lack of knowledge calls out for urgent attention of total K-12 spending, it has a disproportionate impact in shaping reform agendas and promoting cutting-edge efforts to improve schools and classrooms. With the Best of Intentions aims to fill this gap, offering lively perspectives on the role of philanthropy in K-12 education. It opens by surveying the current landscape in philanthropic giving to education, then examines the major goals of recent philanthropic efforts: building new schools, supporting troubled districts, promoting school choice, and advancing educational research and policy. The book concludes by looking at some of the major lessons--for educators, philanthropists, policymakers, and community leaders--of philanthropic contributions to schools and school systems. An informative and multifaceted volume, With the Best of Intentions is also full of debates and controversies. It will be of interest to scholars, policymakers, and education and community leaders--as well as to the philanthropic community itself.




Provoking the Field


Book Description

Provoking the Field invites debate on, and provides an essential resource for, transnational arts-based scholars engaged in critical analyses of international visual arts education and its enquiry in doctoral research. Divided into three parts--doctoral processes, doctoral practices, and doctoral programs--the volume interrogates education in both formal and informal learning environments, ranging from schools to post-secondary institutions to community and adult education. This book brings together a global range of authors to examine visual arts PhDs using diverse theoretical perspectives; innovative arts and hybrid methodologies; institutional relationships and scholarly practices; and voices from the field in the form of site-specific cases. A compendium of leading voices in arts education, Provoking the Field provides a diverse range of perspectives on arts enquiry, and a comprehensive study of the state of visual arts PhDs in education.







Reshaping the Paradigms of Teaching and Learning


Book Description

Historically, we have been engaged with a model of education reform since the latter part of the last century. We now have a cycle that’s become a system with “pockets of promise” and isolated experiments. It appears that everyone is an education reformer and every district, charter and region has their own particular experiment, giving the appearance of widespread innovation. We’ve grown comfortable with this “interruption” that tolerates, or celebrates, the experiments as long as they don't seriously disrupt our entrenched classroom approach to teaching and learning. Reshaping the Paradigms of Teaching and Learning is a call to move beyond experimentation and transform the understanding of our entire system of education. The author defines the distinctions between the teaching system of the last century and the need for learning systems and how this is possible for today's learner. Understanding the difference, and understanding the need, is our first step toward a broad transformation. That understanding begins with the thought but demands the action. Disruption, and each learner, awaits that transformation.







Constructing Number


Book Description

The book synergizes research on number across two disciplines—mathematics education and psychology. The underlying problem the book addresses is how the brain constructs number. The opening chapter frames the problem in terms of children’s activity, including mental and physical actions. Subsequent chapters are organized into sections that address specific domains of number: natural numbers, fractions, and integers. Chapters within each section address ways that children build upon biological primitives (e.g., subitizing) and prior constructs (e.g., counting sequences) to construct number. The book relies on co-authored chapters and commentaries at the end of each section to create dialogue between junior faculty and senior researchers, as well as between psychologists and mathematics educators. The final chapter brings this work together around the framework of children’s activity and additional themes that arise in the collective work. The book is aimed to appeal to mathematics educators, mathematics teacher educators, mathematics education researchers, educational psychologists, cognitive psychologists, and developmental psychologists.