Books,+Reading,+and+Media+Resources

For posing questions and sharing information and thoughts about books, reading, and media resources.

www.ck-12.org for Open Source text materials and flexbooks

E-book Resources via George Harris: bit.ly/edscapepub andy marcinek patricklarkin.com

creative book builder http://dotepub.com/ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/creative-book-builder-create/id451041428?mt=8 http://www.lightspeedsystems.com/products/Mobile-Filter.aspx http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/wallaby/ http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions/ http://classcardsapp.com/about.html https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3164677?start=0&tstart=0 http://beyondtextbooks.org/

Project Tomorrow / Speak Up surveys teachers, students, administrators on their perceptions of the future of technology in education. This year's survey is open until December 23 @ http://www.tomorrow.org/index.html. The 2010 Report "Unleashing the Future" is posted @ http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU09UnleashingTheFuture.pdf The 2011 update is online @http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/learning21Report_2011_Update.html

The Horizon Report 2011 and the Horizon Report 2011 K12 Edition:

The Horizon Report K12 Edition: The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Editionis a publication of the New Media Consortium. This annual report provides a rich set of topics, examples and resources for use in considering new technologies that hold strong promise for K-12 institutions in the US and globally.

The Horizon Report 2011:

Each year, the Horizon Report describes six areas of emerging technology that will have significant impact on higher education and creative expression over the next one to five years. It may behoove this group to consider Higher Education directions as we prepare our students to posses informational literacy in this environment.

Peer Reviewed journal articles and other resources:

(Due to copyright issues I cannot attach the entire article here. If you have an interest in reading one of these articles, please let me know).

Ketelhut, D., & Schifter, C. C. (2011). Teachers and game-based learning: Improving understanding of how to increase efficacy of adoption. //Computers & Education//, 56(2), 539-546. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.002

Interest in game-based learning for K-12 is growing. Thus, helping teachers understand how to use these new pedagogies is important. This paper presents a cross-case study of the development of teacher professional development for the River City project, a games-based multi-user virtual environment science curriculum project for middle school children, over three years of its development. Successful professional development required attention to multiple factors including teacher efficacy in using the software, pedagogical issues and school culture. A theoretical model for successful technological implementations is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Kopcha, T. J. (2010). A systems-based approach to technology integration using mentoring and communities of practice. //Educational Technology Research & Development//, 58(2), 175-190. doi:10.1007/s11423-008-9095-4

The purpose of this article is to present a systems-based mentoring model of technology integration that follows a research-based path. The model moves teachers through four specific stages of technology adoption toward using technology to support learning in more student-centered ways. The model describes how a mentor can negotiate the interplay of multiple barriers (time, beliefs, access, professional development, culture) on teachers who are learning to integrate technology and suggests a number of strategies for integrating technology, such as establishing a culture of technology integration, modeling technology use, and creating teacher leaders. Unlike previous mentoring approaches to integrating technology into the classroom, this model culminates with the establishment of a teacher-led community of practice that uses the resources currently available at a school to support and sustain the implementation of the system. Suggestions for implementing the model in a variety of K-12 and higher education settings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RUILING, L., & OVERBAUGH, R. C. (2009). School Environment and Technology Implementation in K-12 Classrooms. //Computers in the Schools//, 26(2), 89-106. doi:10.1080/07380560902906096

The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of their school environment in terms of factors that enhance or prohibit the use of instructional technology. The study also investigated whether the technology implementation environment varied for schools at different locations and different levels. Both quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the most serious problem in K-12 technology implementation was time constraints, followed by technical problems that could not be taken care of in a timely manner. Suburban schools had the most favorable conditions in all aspects of technology implementation support. No significant differences were found between school levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steckelberg, A. L., Lan, L., Xiongyi, L., & Kozak, M. (2008). A Rubric for Self-Assessment of Essential Technology Conditions in Schools. //Computers in the Schools//, 25(1/2), 81-89. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.

This article describes the development of a Web-based instrument that is part of a strategic planning initiative in technology in K-12 schools in Nebraska. The instrument provides rubrics for self-assessment of essential conditions necessary for integrating and adopting of technology. Essential conditions were defined by an extended panel of educators from across the state. The rubric examines the areas of (a) technology administration and support, (b) technology capacity. (c) educator competencies and professional development. (d) learners and learning, and (e) accountability. Each area is assessed by four to seven items that are rated using explicitly described criteria. The Web-based system allows schools to complete this rubric as part of the needs assessment process and make comparisons on their profile from year to year and relative to a statewide composite profile. Based on data from 2005 and 2006, reliability scores (Cronbach's alpha) for subscales ranged from .68 to .82. Reliability for the entire scale was .92. Examination of data over the first two years of implementation showed significant year-to-year positive mean differences in subscale scores, indicating that the instrument was sensitive to changing conditions. Effect sizes were small but acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Martin, W., Strother, Scott; B., M., Bates, Lauren, Reitzes, T., Culp, K. (2010). Connecting Instructional Technology Professional Development to Teacher and Student Outcomes. //Journal of Research on Technology in Education,// 43(1) 53-74.
 * [|PD and Instructional Tech.pdf]**

This article presents findings from an evaluation of an instructional-technology professional development (PD) program that uses many practices advocated by PD experts. In this multiphase evaluation, evaluators examined the program, determined whether variations in program implementation had an impact on teacher outcomes, and then looked at whether variations in program implementation and teacher outcomes had an impact on student achievement. We found that greater PD fidelity was associated with higherquality lesson plans and higher student achievement. This evaluation suggests that instructional-technology PD that is closely aligned to a program's core conceptual foundations can lead to positive teacher and student outcomes. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]