That there is a divide between research and practice is a common lament across policy-oriented disciplines, and education is no exception. Rhetoric abounds about the role research plays (or does not play) in the improvement of schools and classrooms, and policy makers push solutions that are rooted in assumptions about the way that research should influence practice. Yet few people have studied the relationship between research and practice empirically. This book presents findings...

A one-stop knowledge resource, Emerging Technologies in Distance Education showcases the international work of research scholars and innovative distance education practitioners who use emerging interactive technologies for teaching and learning at a distance. This widely anticipated book harnesses the dispersed knowledge of international experts who highlight pedagogical, organizational, cultural, social, and economic factors that influence the adoption and integration of emerging technolo...

Systems Concepts in Action: A Practitioner's Toolkit explores the application of systems ideas to investigate, evaluate, and intervene in complex and messy situations. The text serves as a field guide, with each chapter representing a method for describing and analyzing; learning about; or changing and managing a challenge or set of problems.The book is the first to cover in detail such a wide range of methods from so many different parts of the systems field. The book's I...

"Sharratt and Fullan are an educational dream team! The combination of Sharratt′s keen observations from her battle-tested district leadership experience and Fullan′s astute perspectives on the essential challenges of systemic reform produce fresh insights into the most difficult, yet most central challenges facing local education reformers today. Together the authors generate important new knowledge of how to sustain and deepen districtwide instructional reform beyond the first genera...

At a time when more and more of what people learn both in formal courses and in everyday life is mediated by technology, Learning Online provides a much-needed guide to different forms and applications of online learning. This book describes how online learning is being used in both K-12 and higher education settings as well as in learning outside of school. Particular online learning technologies, such as MOOCs (massive open online courses), multi-player games, learning analytics...

Translate the new standards into meaningful curriculum!The Common Core State Standards offer a shared language that ensures consistency and accountability, while also giving you the flexibility to design a curriculum that′s right for your students. Of course, knowing what you need to teach doesn′t tell you how to teach it—and that′s where curriculum integration expert Susan M. Drake comes in.In this new edition of her classic text, Drake applies th...

Like the bestselling first edition, this introductory textbook succinctly presents concepts and theories of educational leadership and organizational behavior and immediately applies them to problems of practice. The second edition includes a new chapter on organizational culture, expanded overage of organizational structure, systems, and leadership, and additional case studies and scenarios representing real problems of practice.

A laser-beam focus on improving instruction to improve learningSaying "teaching matters most" is easy, and seems obvious. Making it the top priority for school leaders and staff is not so easy—in fact, it′s messy. If we want to change how students write, compute, and think, then teachers must change how they teach. They must transform the old "assign-and-assess" model into engaging, compassionate, coherent, and rigorous instruction. The authors show school...

This is a book for anyone who has ever considered engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning – known familiarly as SoTL – and needs a better understanding of what it is, and how to engage in it. The authors describe how to create a SoTL project, its implications for promotion and tenure, and how it fosters:* Increased satisfaction and fulfillment in teaching* Improved student learning* Increased productivity of scholarly publication* Collaboration with...

Why, despite years of trying, have efforts to achieve lasting, effective school reform fallen short? What curricular and policy elements must be in place to move forward? How should the roles of teachers and education leaders be defined to best support the point of school?Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and other questions in Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement. Building on the premise of Understanding by Design, their acclaimed framework for c...

Data literacy has become an essential skill set for teachers as education becomes more of an evidence-based profession. Teachers in all stages of professional growth need to learn how to use data effectively and responsibly to inform their teaching practices. This groundbreaking resource describes data literacy for teaching, emphasizing the important relationship between data knowledge and skills and disciplinary and pedagogical content knowledge. Case studies of emerging programs in schoo...

"I found several strategies mentioned to be helpful to my own practice and tried them right away with immediate success."—Deanna Brunlinger, National Board Certified Science Teacher, Elkhorn Area School District, WI"The research is strong and well presented. The book addresses all aspects of science education and focuses on developing scientific thinkers."—Loukea Kovanis-Wilson, Chemistry Instructor, Clarkston High School, MISuper...