If you're casting about for a tech text suitable to Catherine's writing prompt, please check out the recommendations provided in the October 22 issue of _The Wall Street Journal_.
Here's the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119247579234659595.html?mod=dist_smar...
Here's the list (copied verbatim from the article):
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Will Richardson
A public school teacher looks at how to take these Web 2.0 tools and begin to use them in the classroom. The book is more practitioner- focused but gives a nice overview of what Web 2.0 and social collaboration models are, how they facilitate types of interactions and how to use them in school.
Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative by Ken Robinson
Robinson identifies and explains what he feels is the creation of an unnatural separation between arts and sciences, and creativity and intelligence. He believes this separation is enforced in formal education. He addresses how we need to re-engage with kids in different ways to encourage them to tap into their creativity. Robinson spends a lot of time talking about finding your medium, and we are seeing that digital tools are the medium of choice for a lot of
students.
Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family/School Partnerships by Anne T. Henderson, Vivian Johnson, Karen L. Mapp and Don Davies
It can be difficult to create a strong relationship between parents and the school. The authors talk about engaging with your school from a parent perspective. Part of the thesis is using technology as a platform to transform how we deliver instructions and communication. We must have a mechanism that enables parents to stay involved, and technology provides a tremendous medium to communicate.
Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning! by Marc Prensky
Prensky has coined the terms digital natives and digital immigrants. Technology comes naturally to children since they grow up with it, whereas adults speak technology with an accent. This book looks at what kids can learn from video and electronic games and tries to overcome the natural predisposition against games that parents and educators have. It demonstrates how children use games and provides examples of how teachers can incorporate games in school to take technology to the next level.
What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee
Gee's point is to look at games not as a distraction, but consider what you learn from them like complex reasoning skills. He looks at games as a learning paradigm and considers the implications of that kind of a model for education at large. The book considers how to use these particular tools and models as a pedagogue as opposed to an entertainment platform.
The Flickering Mind, Saving Education from the False Promise of Technology by Todd Oppenheimer
This book presents the other end of the spectrum. Oppenheimer's critique sometimes opposes my way of thinking but is an important counterpoint to some of the overblown hype expounded by tech buffs. This book shows some of the traps you can encounter if technology is implemented poorly or there isn't a clear educational vision for what you are trying to accomplish. There could be a disconnect between technology and the curriculum or the teacher's ability to use the software. There's a difference in using technology for research and to connect rather than using it as a glorified typewriter.
Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation by Don Tapscott
Kids are interfacing with technology in different ways and as educators we need to understand where they're coming from to fully connect with students. Sometimes we need to retool what we do to connect. This book documents the trend in new media and how young people are interacting with that media. The old ways of standing in front of students and lecturing don't work. Educators need to appreciate that the expectations they had as students are different
from the new generation.
Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century by David Franklin Warlick
Literacy isn't just about reading and writing anymore, it's about analysis and research. This book look at higher level skills and how technology creates an opportunity to access those levels. It takes the idea that the technology changes the way we interact with one another and manage information and says that schools have to deal with this. If technology provides more complex experiences, we have to make sure students can navigate them and be able to take advantage of the types of opportunities technology provides for different levels of engagement.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, www.21stcenturyskills.org8
The partnership has about 25 or 30 companies and other nonprofit organizations that are developing a framework for defining a set of skills they think are important for students to possess to be successful in the 21st century. The site has case studies and examples. A large part of the focus is dedicated to information, media and technology skills.
