Online Learning Communities And Teacher Professional Development Methods For Improved Education Delivery

"This book features innovative applications for the integration of technology into everyday teaching practices"--Provided by publisher.

Building Online Learning Communities further explores the development of virtual classroom environments that foster a sense of community and empower students to take charge of their learning to successfully achieve learning outcomes. This is the second edition of the groundbreaking book by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt and has been completely updated and expanded to include the most current information on effective online course development and delivery. A practical, hands-on guide, this resource is filled with illustrative case studies, vignettes, and examples from a wide variety of successful online courses. The authors offer proven strategies for handling challenges that include: Engaging students in the formation of an online learning community. Establishing a sense of presence online. Maximizing participation. Developing effective courses that include collaboration and reflection. Assessing student performance. Written for faculty in any distance learning environment, this revised edition is based on the authors many years of work in faculty development for online teaching as well as their extensive personal experience as faculty in online distance education. Rena M. Palloff and Keith Pratt share insights designed to guide readers through the steps of online course design and delivery.

Building on extensive evidence that school-based teacher learning communities improve student outcomes, this book lays out an agenda to develop and sustain collaborative professional cultures. McLaughlin and Talbert—foremost scholars of school change and teaching contexts—provide an inside look at the processes, resources, and system strategies that are necessary to build vibrant school-based teacher learning communities. Offering a compelling, straightforward blueprint for action, this book: Takes a comprehensive look at the problem of improving the quality of teaching across the United States, based on evidence and examples from the authors’ nearly two decades of research.Demonstrates how and why school-based teacher learning communities are bottom-line requirements for improved instruction. Outlines the resources and supports needed to build and sustain a long-term school-based teacher professional community. Discusses the nature of high-quality professional development to support learning and changes in teaching.Details the roles and responsibilities of policymakers at all levels of the school system. “This book offers vivid examples of how teacher learning communities are formed and sustained. A must-read for educators at all levels who are serious about enacting change.” —Amy M. Hightower, Assistant Director, American Federation of Teachers

Continuous advances in technologies, individuals, and the workplace have increased the importance of adult learning and professional development for keeping up with the current pace of technologies and information. Advanced Research in Adult Learning and Professional Development: Tools, Trends, and Methodologies explores the understanding, practice, and research within technical education and professional development. By providing a comprehensive view on educational technologies for adult learning, this book is essential for lecturers, practitioners, as well as academics interested in a variety of research in continuing education.

After centuries of rethinking education and learning, the current theory is based on technology’s approach to and affect on the planned interaction between knowledge trainers and trainees. Online Tutor 2.0: Methodologies and Case Studies for Successful Learning demonstrates, through the exposure of successful cases in online education and training, the necessity of the human factor, particularly in teaching/tutoring roles, for ensuring the development of quality and excellent learning activities. The didactic patterns derived from these experiences and methodologies will provide a basis for a more powerful and efficient new generation of technology-based learning solutions for high school teachers, university professors, researchers, and students at all levels of education.

A major investment in professional development is necessary to ensure the fundamental success of instructors in technology-integrated classrooms and in online courses. However, while traditional models of professional development rely on face-to-face instruction, online methods are also gaining traction-viable means for faculty development. Virtual Mentoring for Teachers: Online Professional Development Practices offers peer-reviewed essays and research reports contributed by an array of scholars and practitioners in the field of instructional technology and online education. It is organized around two primary themes: professional development models for faculty in online environments and understanding e-Learning and best practices in teaching and learning in online environments. The objective of this scholarship is to highlight research-based online professional development programs and best practices models that have been shown to enhance effective teaching and learning in a variety of environments.

In the past decade, traditional classroom teaching models have been transformed in order to better promote active learning and learner engagement. Implementation and Critical Assessment of the Flipped Classroom Experience seeks to capture the momentum of non-traditional teaching methods and provide a necessary resource for individuals who are interested in taking advantage of this pedagogical endeavor. Using narrative explanations and foundation materials provided by experienced instructors, this premier reference work presents the benefits and challenges of flipped methodology implementation in today’s classroom to educators and educational administrators across all disciplines and levels.

Educators play a significant role in the intellectual and social development of children and young adults. Next-generation teachers can only be as strong as their own educational foundation which serves to cultivate their knowledge of the learning process, uncover best practices in the field of education, and employ leadership abilities that will inspire students of all ages. Teacher Education: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores the current state of pre-service teacher programs as well as continuing education initiatives for in-service educators. Emphasizing the growing role of technology in teacher skill development and training as well as key teaching methods and pedagogical developments, this multi-volume work compiles research essential to higher education professionals and administrators, educational software developers, and researchers studying pre-service and in-service teacher training.