With the ever-increasing pace of computer processing, technology flies at the speed of light, and our devices are quickly underperforming and becoming clunky and outdated. Yet most books take more than a year from concept to publication, leaving titles on education and technology with a short shelf life. As an instructional designer who works with faculty to help them use technology in pedagogically sound ways at North Shore Community College, I am constantly looking for great books on working with technology in education.
Other librarians, too, must find relevant and long-lasting titles in a field that shows no signs of slowing down. Timeless books may be unicorns, but there are several considerations that can help develop a robust collection of technology and education volumes and resources.
Technologies, not technology
We walk around with numerous types of technology on us, from eyeglasses to credit cards to cell phones. It’s worth considering the types of technologies that are most fitting in the classroom. Yesterday, it was desktop computers, printers, and projectors; today, it is tablets, cell phones, and smartboards; tomorrow, it could be Google Glasses, 3-D printers, and computer-chip brain implants.
Software, particularly operating platforms, also comes in different forms, which are changeable, too. It’s worth seeking books that are platform agnostic; these works have the longest shelf life since they take a broader look at technology rather than offer detailed help with specific devices.
A balance between how-to and why-to is also important. Given how frequently software updates change programs and abilities, disregard books that are instruction only and rely instead on the abundance of how-to technology videos on the Internet, pursuing instead publications that explore why a technology can augment or improve learning or that mix instruction and theory.
Audiences, not audience
Some books address a general audience interested in technology and education, while others are written for distinct populations, for instance the K–12 market or some subset of this population. These titles discuss various curriculum challenges, often taking into account issues such as standardized tests, school policies, and even local politics. These volumes are important to bear in mind, especially if they cover some technologies (such as Web 2.0 or social media) and discuss legal issues for protecting students and instructors.
Other materials target the college classroom, and here legal matters are not as crucial. These books may also explore the long-term storage or usage of documents, digital artifacts, and research, as well as the establishment of personal learning networks and long-term professional development around technology.
However, there are other target populations for books on technology and education. Parents often need guidance around the intersection of these two spheres. Students, too, will benefit from books that help them understand and master technologies for learning. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t include instructional designers and technologists who work with educators to help figure out how and why to implement technologies across the educational landscape.
Foci, not focus
Beyond these continua, librarians should think about the book’s focus. Some titles concentrate strictly on a technology and what one can do with it. These can be how-to guides, but they may also provide historical and cultural context for a given application. Dovetailing with these are publications that discuss the users of a given technology. These explore how users have appropriated technology in education but also may reveal new ways in which technology is employed beyond the original design. Like pedagogical books, such titles examine one or more technologies and determine related best practices for teaching and learning. Finally, other publications explore the philosophical underpinnings of using certain technologies and what they can mean to the individual and to society at large. Some pedagogically focused books have a chapter on such matters, but philosophical material homes in on big picture implications and asks questions such as what it means to replace the handwritten word with the typed word.
With that advice in mind, the books that follow will form the foundation of a robust education and technology collection. Starred (
) titles are essential additions for all libraries.
Lance Eaton, Coordinator of Instructional Design, North Shore Community College, Danvers, MA, writes for LJ and other publications on instructional technology, social media, education, and audiobooks. Follow him on Twitter @leaton01 and at his website, www.LanceEaton.com
Current RELEASES
Academic Bildung in Net-Based Higher Education: Moving Beyond Learning. Routledge. 2015. 210p. ed. by Trine Fossland & others. index. ISBN 9781138809338. $145.
This discussion about reformatting the aging system of higher education with modern eyes offers prime examples from Europe, particularly Scandinavia.
Arney, Liz. Go Blended! A Handbook for Blending Technology in Schools. Jossey-Bass. 2015. 316p. illus. index. ISBN 9781118974209. $26.95.
Arney’s robust guide for implementing a blended learning environment for an entire K–12 school offers ample ideas that any educator will appreciate.
Barnes, Mark. Teaching the iStudent: A Quick Guide to Using Mobile Devices and Social Media in the K–12 Classroom. Corwin. 2014. 60p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9781483371795. $11.95.
Part of Corwin’s “Connected Educators” series, this book provides some clear examples, walkthroughs, and ideas related to social media and mobile devices that K-12 educators can quickly adapt.
boyd, danah. It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. Yale Univ. 2014. 296p. bibliog. Index. ISBN 9780300166316. $25; pap. ISBN 9780300199000. $15.
Boyd dives into the trenches of teenage life with hundreds of formal and informal interviews that conceptualize what it means to grow up in the digital age, making this book essential for any educator trying to get into the mind of the networked teen. ( LJ 2/15/14)
Caldwell, Helen & James Bird. Teaching with Tablets. SAGE. 2015. 142p. index. ISBN 9781473906792. $100; pap. ISBN 9781473906785. $43.
Caldwell and Bird illustrate some broad ideas on engaging students in learning through tablets in the K–12 system.
Carey, Kevin. The End of College: Creating the Future of Learning and the University of Everywhere. Riverhead. 2015. 280p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781594632051. $27.95.
Carey’s book gained much attention and notoriety in academia this spring as he offers glimpses into the ways in which technology could dramatically change higher education in the next two decades. ( LJ 2/15/15)
Critical Perspectives on Technology and Education. Palgrave Macmillan. 2015. 265p. ed. by Scott Bulfin & others. i llus. index. ISBN 9781137385444. $100.
This academic text provides solid discussions that instructional designers and policymakers will find useful on how technology can aid learning in many K–12 environments.
Educational Innovations and Contemporary Technologies: Enhancing Teaching and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan. 2015. 174p. ed. by Petrea Redmond & others. ISBN 9781137468604. $90.
This concise but comprehensive book takes a global look at the different ways educational technology can improve the school experience on numerous levels.
Ferster, Bill. Teaching Machines: Learning from the Intersection of Education and Technology. John Hopkins. 2014. 202p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781421415406. $34.95.
Ferster contextualizes the past and present of learning via machines, raising interesting questions about the future of learning through technologies.
Junco, Reynol. Engaging Students Through Social Media: Evidence-Based Practices for Use in Student Affairs. Jossey-Bass. 2014. 332p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781118647455. $40.
Exploring social media in the college environment, Junco identifies great methods of engaging students with social media for enhanced learning on and off college campuses.
McFarlane, Angela. Authentic Learning for the Digital Generation: Realising the Potential of Technology in the Classroom. Routledge. 2014. 150p. index. ISBN 9781138014107. $160; pap. ISBN 9781138014114. $48.95.
McFarlane delivers a strong overview of how best to use technology in education, along with solid considerations of the limitations and challenges for employing it in the K–12 setting.
McQuiggan, Scott & others. Mobile Learning: A Handbook for Developers, Educators, and Learners. Wiley. 2015. 388p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781118894309. $45.
This comprehensive text will do well in the hands of educators, instructional designers, and others in education who want to overhaul learning with mobile technology.
Massive Open Online Courses: The MOOC Revolution. Routledge. 2015. 158p. ed by Paul Kim. index. ISBN 9780415733083. $155; pap. ISBN 9780415733090. $34.95.
This collection of essays highlights the challenges and potential still present in the MOOC (massive open online course) movement and how institutions should consider incorporating or dealing with them as another learning outlet.
Postsecondary Play: The Role of Games and Social Media in Higher Education. John Hopkins. 2015. 336p. ed. by William G. Tierney & others. illus. index. ISBN 9781421413068. $44.95.
How games (particularly digital) and social media can improve learning and other outcomes for students.
Pridham, Simon. Freaked Out: The Bewildered Teacher’s Guide to Digital Learning. Independent Thinking. 2014. 124p. illus. ISBN 9781781351055. $32.95.
Pridham offers a short and clean look at some introductory ways that instructors at the K–12 level can implement instructional technology in the classroom. The material here is also applicable to higher education faculty.
Reusing Open Resources: Learning in Open Networks for Work, Life, and Education. Routledge. 2015. 182p. ed by Allison Littlejohn & Chris Pegle. index. ISBN 9780415838689. $165; pap. ISBN 9780415838696. $48.95.
Though the editors focus on higher education and employment, this collection of essays can broaden any educator’s or instructional designer’s horizons as it makes a sound case for using open educational resources for learning at any level.
PAST IS PROLOG
Bingham, Tony & Marcia Conner. The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media. American Society for Training & Development. 2010. 194p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781605097022. $19.95.
Though Bingham and Conner’s book highlights and strategizes ways in which social media can enhance learning in organizations generally, their work is also clearly applicable to K–12 and college learning landscapes.
Clark, Lynn Schofield. The Parent App: Understanding Families in the Digital Age. Oxford Univ. 2012. 300p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199899616. $29.95; pap. ISBN 9780199377107. $21.95.
Clark’s research on children and technology can help parents and their offspring understand the challenges and opportunities of using technology and how that can be leveraged for education. ( LJ 2/1/13)
Hoffman, Jennifer. The Synchronous Trainer’s Survival Guide: Facilitating Successful Live and Online Courses, Meetings, and Events. Wiley. 2004. 148p. illus. index. ISBN 9780787969431. $42.
A strong nuts-and-bolts approach for educators and even administrators pondering the launch of synchronous online teaching programs.
Horton, William. E-Learning by Design. 2d ed. Wiley. 2011. 618p. illus. index. ISBN 9780470900024. $74.
Mixing pedagogy and technology, this book can easily serve as a one-stop shop for educators looking to develop or revise their online courses. Horton specifically references related technical skills and tools.
Joosten, Tanya. Social Media for Educators: Strategies and Best Practices. Jossey-Bass. 2012. 122p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781118118283. $40.
Joosten shows how teachers, educators, and students can weave the world beyond into their classroom experiences to create a constant and dynamic learning environment.
Ko, Susan & Steve Rossen. Teaching Online: A Practical Guide. 3d ed. Routledge. 2010. 450p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780415997331. $185; pap. ISBN 9780415997263. $49.95.
An excellent guide to help educators design and teach a robust online course with great exploration of pedagogical challenges and solutions.
Poore, Megan. Using Social Media in the Classroom: A Best Practice Guide. SAGE. 2012. 288p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781446202807. $112; pap. ISBN 9781446202814. $47.
This field guide for social media provides educators with the basics on using social media in education as well as sound pedagogical reasons for embracing such ways of enhancing student learning.
Swenson, Pat & Nancy A. Taylor. Online Teaching in the Digital Age. SAGE. 2012. 92p. illus. index. ISBN 9781412996198. $38.
Swenson and Taylor illustrate the hows and whys of online learning for those new to teaching online, though seasoned online educators are likely to gain some wisdom from the material as well.
Tapscott, Dan. Growing up Digital: How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World. McGraw-Hill. 2008. 370p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780071508636. $27.95.
Tapscott explores how youth are maturing in the digital age. He highlights similarities and differences between learning today and in the past, while providing a solid understanding of the diverse related challenges in terms of education and technology. ( LJ 11/1/97)
Thomas, Douglas & John Seely Brown. A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change. CreateSpace. 2011. 144p. bibliog. ISBN 9781456458881. $12.95.
A vivid picture of the possibilities of learning through technology that the digital age enables.
Wagner, Tony. Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. Scribner. 2012. 272p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781451611496. $27.95; pap. ISBN 9781451611519. $17.
Wagner contrasts the present educational landscape with a potential future in which instruction leverages the full abilities of technology to improve and personalize learning for students.
Websites
Common Craft series
www.youtube.com/user/leelefever
Easy-to-follow video tutorials about various technologies—especially Internet-related tools—that make using them much more likely.
Edutopia; www.edutopia.org
Focused primarily on the K–12 population, Edutopia strives to encourage conversations between content creators and readership to share the wide range of approaches to education and technology.
MindShift; ww2.kqed.org/mindshift
From NPR’s KQED station, this website provides a stream of information, research, and ideas for using technology in education for all levels. The site offers videos, blogs, radio interviews, and more.
TED; www.ted.com
The video collection of presentations at the annual TED conference is an never-ending cornucopia of material for understanding and exploring the intersection of education and technology.
The Developing Schedule
JAN 2016 MILITARY MEMOIRS
FEB 2016 BUSINESS OF WRITING
MAR 2016 BRAZIL
Apr 2016 POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
MAY 2016 Spanish-Language Fiction
To submit titles (new and/or backlist), contact Barbara Genco four to six months before issue dates listed above (email: bgenco@mediasourceinc.com)