TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY

Creating Student-Centered Classrooms. Teachers are responsible for juggling knowledge of where students are and where they need to go; having insights into students' special needs and progress; choices of curricular activities and materials; rules that govern children's participation; expectations from parents and communities; and the norms and rules that govern them as teachers. The addition of technology further complicates the equation and presents many new questions. This book provides information based on 10 years of data gathered from the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) project. Started in 1985, ACOT is a research collaboration between universities, public schools, and Apple Computer, Inc. to investigate the results of teachers and children routinely using technology for learning. The book includes case studies and teachers' personal perspectives from experiences in ACOT classrooms. The chapters are: (1) "From Instruction to Construction"; (2) "The Challenge of Instructional Change: Two Teachers' Stories"; (3) "The Evolution of Instruction in Technology-Rich Classrooms"; (4) "Managing a Technology-Rich Classroom"; (5) "Redefining Student and Teacher Roles"; (6) "Maintaining Student Engagement"; (7) "Enhancing Innovation and Promoting Collegial Sharing: A Reciprocal Relationship"; (8) "Integrating Technology into the Curriculum: An Exemplary Unit of Practice"; (9) "Creating an Alternative Context for Teacher Learning"; (10) "Back to the Real World: Opportunities and Obstacles in Staff Development"; and (11) "Technology: One Tool Among Many." A methodological appendix and index are also included.