Better Teaching and Learning in the Digital Classroom

School spending on new computer technologies has mushroomed in recent years, as educators try to find every strategic advantage to improve teaching and learning in a high-stakes climate. But does the payout justify the payoff? Can such powerful new tools really make a difference in classroom practice? If so, what must teachers do to truly transform instruction with technology rather than simply dress up old practices in high-tech packaging?

In this follow-up to the bestseller The Digital Classroom: How Technology Is Changing the Way We Teach and Learn, educators and researchers from the frontlines of technological and educational innovation explore fresh ways of harnessing the power of new technologies to improve teaching and learning. Rich examples from real classrooms give readers specific ideas of what works in today's classrooms, offered in a context of tougher standards and increased accountability pressures.

Topics include:

• Home-School Engagement: Using Technology to Build Learning Connections among Teachers, Parents, and Students
• Multiple Literacies: Building New Skills for a New Millennium
• PDAs, Laptops, Wireless, and What's Coming Next: Making Sure the Payout Justifies the Payoff
• What Works Best in Distance Learning?
• Digital Portfolios and Assessments: Ways Technology Improves
• How We View and Judge Student Work
• Professional Development: How Virtual Environments Support the Unique Needs of Teachers and Administrators.
• How Can I Tell Which Websites and Software Work Best?
• Teaching after 9/11: Using Technology to Create Global Understanding and Connections
• Case Studies: "How Technology Changed My Practice"