Curriculum Development And Online Instruction For The 21st Century

The world of education has undergone major changes within the last year that have pushed online instruction to the forefront of learning. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has become paramount to the continued and uninterrupted teaching of students and has forced students and teachers alike to adjust to an online learning environment. Though some have already returned to the traditional classroom, or plan to very soon, others have begun to appreciate the value of online education – initiatives that had previously been discussed but never acted upon as they have been in the past year. With plenty of positive and negative aspects, online learning is a complex issue with numerous factors to consider. It is an issue that must be studied and examined in order to improve in the future. Curriculum Development and Online Instruction for the 21st Century examines the issues and difficulties of online teaching and learning, as well as potential solutions and best practices. This book includes an examination on the value of teaching fully via the internet as well as the challenges inherent in the training of teachers to teach in online environments. While addressing key elements of remote learning, such as keeping student data safe, as well as methods in which to engage students, this book covers topics that include assessment tools, teaching deaf students, web technology, and standardized curricula. Ideal for K-12 teachers, college faculty, curriculum developers, instructional designers, educational software developers, administrators, academicians, researchers, and students, this book provides a thorough overview of online education and the benefits and issues that accompany it.

“What year are you preparing your students for? 1973? 1995? Can you honestly say that your school’s curriculum and the program you use are preparing your students for 2015 or 2020? Are you even preparing them for today?” With those provocative questions, author and educator Heidi Hayes Jacobs launches a powerful case for overhauling, updating, and injecting life into the K–12 curriculum. Sharing her expertise as a world-renowned curriculum designer and calling upon the collective wisdom of 10 education thought leaders, Jacobs provides insight and inspiration in the following key areas: * Content and assessment--How to identify what to keep, what to cut, and what to create, and where portfolios and other new kinds of assessment fit into the picture. * Program structures--How to improve our use of time and space and groupings of students and staff. * Technology--How it’s transforming teaching, and how to take advantage of students’ natural facility with technology. * Media literacy--The essential issues to address, and the best resources for helping students become informed users of multiple forms of media. * Globalization--What steps to take to help students gain a global perspective. * Sustainability--How to instill enduring values and beliefs that will lead to healthier local, national, and global communities. * Habits of mind--The thinking habits that students, teachers, and administrators need to develop and practice to succeed in school, work, and life. The answers to these questions and many more make Curriculum 21 the ideal guide for transforming our schools into what they must become: learning organizations that match the times in which we live.

The current learning environment is substantially different than what existed for most of the 20th century. Learners and teachers today must navigate in perpetually changing contexts where education is influenced by technological advancement and obsolescence, economic barriers, a changing employment landscape, and even international politics. Studies indicate that employers seek to hire graduates with strong skills in areas coalescing around international awareness, creativity, communication, leadership, and teamwork. Skills and experiences in these areas are necessary preparation for the current economy and to pursue jobs that do not exist yet, while providing some insulation against the obsolescence of industries that lack these characteristics. These interpersonal skills are not often the subject of students’ degrees, yet there are opportunities in online education to cultivate them. With increased interest in new career options comes the need to reconsider how to teach subjects in the increasingly online environment. Advancing Online Course Design and Pedagogy for the 21st Century Learning Environment is a critical reference book that navigates today’s dynamic education requirements and provides examples of how online learning can foster growth in skill areas necessary for career advancement through effective course design. Moreover, it helps educators gain insight into online pedagogy and course design for the 21st century learner and prepares them to convert traditional courses and enhance existing online courses, thereby supporting students’ growth and development in the highly dynamic online learning environment. Focusing on specific learning activities, assessments, engagement, communication techniques, and more, this book provides a valuable resource for those seeking to upgrade teaching and learning into the online environment, those that seek better employment outcomes for their students, and those seeking to explore contemporary online course design strategies or examples. This includes teachers, instructional designers, curriculum developers, academicians, researchers, and students.

The creation of a successful learning environment involves the examination and improvement upon current teaching practices. As new strategies emerge, it becomes imperative to incorporate them into the classroom. Student-Driven Learning Strategies for the 21st Century Classroom provides a thorough examination of the benefits and challenges experienced in learner-driven educational settings and how to effectively engage students in these environments. Focusing on technological perspectives, emerging pedagogies, and curriculum development, this book is ideally designed for educators, learning designers, upper-level students, professionals, and researchers interested in innovative approaches to student-driven education.

"Education Curriculum Development: Perspectives, Challenges and Future Directions first reviews the process of music curriculum reform in different stages marked by the various versions of the National Standardized Music Syllabi. Particularly, the authors focus on the values of the new music curriculum and how they lead to quality education. A study is presented examining: students' perceptions of creativity and creativity education, their perceptions of learning creativity in school music lessons, and their attitudes toward creative music and arts activities carried out in the school music curriculum. Continuing, the authors explore the idea that the Japanese school curriculum system that was established after the war within the paradigm of internationalization is facing difficulties due to the progress of globalization. This compilation also examines international students' learning experiences in Finnish comprehensive school through a study based on the observation portfolios of 23 international student teachers during the first term of their undergraduate studies in Finland. The pedagogical aspects of health are addressed, specifically how to shape nutritional habits of elementary school students and how to systematically deepen the knowledge about healthy nutrition through the implementation of nutrition education programs"--

This volume in the ALLC series offers current and soon-to-be professionals in the ESL / EFL field a comprehensive guide to how to make the best use of technology to enhance the English language learning experience. The book has a predominant focus on practical insights that are based on successful real-life experiences at the classroom and study program level, including contributions from teachers in various countries. Nevertheless, there is also a strong foundation in existing research and literature as they relate to the needs of English language teachers. To promote reflective and exploratory practice, there is plenty of 'food-for-thought' for the reader. Although pre-service and in-service teachers represent the primary audience, the book is likely to be just as useful for language program administrators, researchers, curriculum and materials writers, and e-learning developers.

A highly regarded curriculum development text, now with a global approach and an increased focus on technology. In this re-imagined eighth edition of the respected and seminal curriculum development textbook, seasoned authors Jon Wiles and Joseph Bondi consider the new global realities of the 21st Century by adding a unique global perspective to the process of curriculum development. Ten nations are analyzed and compared in order to better understand common threads and time-tested methods for curriculum development and management. With the aid of numerous features and activities, the text investigates curriculum development by examining value decisions made by leaders in defining education, giving readers the opportunity to learn to develop programs for a wide array of purposes. In addition to its well-known and established focus on the historical and philosophical aspects of curriculum development, the revised eighth edition of Curriculum Development: A Guide To Practice also includes updated chapters on the impact of technology on curriculum work in schools as well as a new chapter on curriculum work in the classroom.

This book explores the technologies that can be used in curricula to make education “smarter” and more adaptive in order to better meet the needs of today’s learners. The main emphasis is based on the theory and best practices of incorporating emerging technologies into curricula so as to educate learners in the 21st century. The book provides valuable insights into the future of education and examines which pedagogies are most suitable for integrating emerging technologies. It will help educators and stakeholders design and implement curricula that effectively prepare learners for the challenges of tomorrow.