Putting Learning Before Technology

For many, digitalization is the key to revolutionizing education. But what do we know about its impact on the learning process? What benefits are on offer and what are the risks? What are the consequences for educational interventions? Putting Learning Before Technology! discusses these questions and more in a thorough exploration of the use of technology in educational settings. Central to the author's argument is that digitalization as a sole and structural measure will bring little benefit and that the teachers who bring lessons to life are much more important. Features of the book include: evidence from Visible Learning research to scientifically frame the effectiveness and pitfalls of technology in the classroom; real-life classroom examples; graphics to clearly illustrate key concepts and studies. This book is a fascinating analysis of the impact, possibilities, and limits of the use of technology within education, and will appeal to teachers and teacher-trainers in any setting or country.

This book promotes student-centered approaches to the learning process, allowing students to develop skills and competences that traditional, passive learning methods cannot foster. In turn, supporting active learning with digital technology tools creates new possibilities in terms of pedagogical design and implementation. This book addresses the latest research and practice in the use of technology to promote active learning. As such, on the one hand, it focuses on active pedagogical methodologies like problem-based learning, design thinking and agile approaches; on the other, it presents best practice cases on the use of digital environments to support these methodologies. Readers will come to understand and learn to apply active learning methodologies, either by replicating the best practices presented here, or by creating their own methods.

In this revolutionary book, a renowned computer scientist explains the importance of teaching children the basics of computing and how it can prepare them to succeed in the ever-evolving tech world. Computers have completely changed the way we teach children. We have Mindstorms to thank for that. In this book, pioneering computer scientist Seymour Papert uses the invention of LOGO, the first child-friendly programming language, to make the case for the value of teaching children with computers. Papert argues that children are more than capable of mastering computers, and that teaching computational processes like de-bugging in the classroom can change the way we learn everything else. He also shows that schools saturated with technology can actually improve socialization and interaction among students and between students and teachers. Technology changes every day, but the basic ways that computers can help us learn remain. For thousands of teachers and parents who have sought creative ways to help children learn with computers, Mindstorms is their bible.

Examines the role of the Internet in the process and purpose of education and instructs teachers how to get on the Internet and take advantage of many tools, online projects and resource sites.

"By deconstructing learning science and making the connection to technology, Hess and Saxberg have outlined key strategies for school leaders as they work to transform traditional practices in schools. Whether it is whole-school reform or targeted interventions, principals will be motivated to rethink or‘re-engineer’ the use of technology to optimize teaching and learning." —Gail Connelly, Executive Director National Association of Elementary School Principals "Everyone touching education—from educators to school leaders and from investors and philanthropists to entrepreneurs—needs to understand how to think like a learning engineer and read this book. Technology holds unbelievable promise to be a part of the solution to transform education, but it won’t happen unless all parties attack its implementation smartly. Breakthrough Leadership in a Digital Age points the way forward." —Michael B. Horn, Co-Founder & Education Executive Director Clayton Christensen Institute "Too often, our current structures fail to promote and support learning engineering. Rick Hess and Bror Saxberg have designed a compelling guide for the road ahead." —William Hite, Superintendent School District of Philadelphia, PA Reboot student learning the right way! Today’s most successful school leaders are truly "learning engineers": creative thinkers who redefine their problems and design new ways to better serve kids’ success. Technology has a critical role, but it’s the creative reinvention of schools, systems, and classrooms that has to come first. In this powerful book, best-selling author and education policy expert Rick Hess and chief learning officer Bror Saxberg show you how to become your school′s learning engineer. Using cutting-edge research about learning science as a framework, you’ll: Identify specific learning problems that need solving Devise smarter ways to address them Implement technology-enabled, not technology-driven, solutions

Technology has impacted how many teachers develop methods of instruction in their classroom settings. The Continuous Practice Improvement (CPI) professional development program introduces teachers to infusing computers into the curriculum and classroom activities seamlessly. Infusing Technology into the Classroom: Continuous Practice Improvement retells compelling stories of a successful computer-related professional development program that was implemented into Kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms of a Philadelphia school. Through an analysis of the study, a theoretical model to guide technology infused professional development for teachers is discovered.

There are many reasons to be curious about the way people learn, and the past several decades have seen an explosion of research that has important implications for individual learning, schooling, workforce training, and policy. In 2000, How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School: Expanded Edition was published and its influence has been wide and deep. The report summarized insights on the nature of learning in school-aged children; described principles for the design of effective learning environments; and provided examples of how that could be implemented in the classroom. Since then, researchers have continued to investigate the nature of learning and have generated new findings related to the neurological processes involved in learning, individual and cultural variability related to learning, and educational technologies. In addition to expanding scientific understanding of the mechanisms of learning and how the brain adapts throughout the lifespan, there have been important discoveries about influences on learning, particularly sociocultural factors and the structure of learning environments. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and Cultures provides a much-needed update incorporating insights gained from this research over the past decade. The book expands on the foundation laid out in the 2000 report and takes an in-depth look at the constellation of influences that affect individual learning. How People Learn II will become an indispensable resource to understand learning throughout the lifespan for educators of students and adults.