DigitalCommons@UNO

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  Digital Media in Teaching and its Added Value

  David F. Conway, Stephanie A. Hillen, Melodie Landis, Mary T. Schlegelmilch, Peter Wolcott, Deepak Khazanchi, Bjørn Erik Munkvold, Aleksandra Lazareva, Jeanne L. Surface, Mary T. Schlegelmilch, Phyllis K. Adcock, Victor L. Winter, Paul J.A. van Vliet, and Jeremy Harris Lipschultz

  Editors: David F. Conway (UNO faculty member), Stefanie Hillen, Melodee Landis, Mary T. Schlegelmilch, Peter Wolcott (UNO faculty member)

  Chapter, The Value of Investigating Information Technology Applications for Teaching and Learning Purposes, co-authored by David F. Conway and Peter Wolcott, UNO faculty members.

  Chapter, Towards a Contingency Theory of eLearning, co-authored by Deepak Khazanchi, UNO faculty member.

  Chapter, Collaborative Technologies and Digital Media in Teaching and Learning: Starting Small and Learning Along the Way, co-authored by Jeanne Surface and Phyllis Adcock, UNO faculty members.

  Chapter, Information Technology for Development: Service Learning from Classroom to Community and Back Again, co-authored by Peter Wolcott, UNO faculty member.

  Chapter, The World Needs More Computer Science! What to do?, authored by Victor Winter, UNO faculty member.

  Chapter, Building an Online Systems Development Course – Experiences with Content and Interaction Design, authored by Paul J. A. van Vliet UNO faculty member.

  Chapter, Social Media Communication in the Classroom: A Pedagogical Case Study of Social Network Analysis, authored by Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, UNO faculty member.

  This book project was initiated in fall 2013 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), Nebraska during a Global Engagement Research and Teaching Workshop between faculty from UNO and the University of Agder (UiA), Norway.
  
  The anthology presents articles that center on the application of digital technologies that add value to the teaching and learning process in a globalized context. The unique focus of the book is the intersection between pedagogy and technology, specifically the innovative use of technology to improve higher education teaching and learning. With the increased mobility of faculty and students, more diversity among our students and faculty, increased cross-disciplinary designs, alternative environments enabled by technology, and greater demand from the millennial generation for increased access and flexibility, it is important to share accounts where technology has made a positive impact on the instructional process.
  
  Topics that are discussed are local studies with implications for the global environment and the innovative use of technology to improve higher education teaching and learning.
  
  The target audiences for the book are researchers, teachers and stakeholders in learning organizations interested in using IT for teaching and learning.

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  Online Learning: Common Misconceptions, Benefits and Challenges

  Patrick R. Lowenthal, Cindy S. York, Jennifer C. Richardson, Angela M. Hodge, Betty Love, Neal Grandgenett, and Andrew Swift

  Editors: Patrick R. Lowenthal, Cindy S. York and Jennifer C. Richardson

  Chapter 4, A Flipped Classroom Approach: Benefits and Challenges of Flipping the Learning of Procedural Knowledge, co-authored by Angela Hodge, Betty Love, Neal F. Grandgenett, and Andrew Swift, UNO faculty members.

  The number of students taking online courses continues to grow each year.Despite the growth, a large percentage of faculties still don’t accept the value of online learning.

  Online educators find themselves in exciting times where they continue advancing the dialogue about online learning, beyond the discussions of “is it as good as face-to-face instruction?” to more nuanced issues such as some of the various benefits, challenges, and misconceptions that go along with learning online.

  The purpose of this book is to address the various benefits, challenges, and misconceptions that coincide with online teaching and learning. The audience includes anyone with an interest in online learning, whether they are researchers, designers, instructors, or trainers. This book is organized into several themes that are current and emerging in the field of online learning, including student and instructor supports, instructional approaches, current trends and emerging technologies, reaching new audiences, and planning for the online learning environment.

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  A Critical Pedagogy of Resistance: 34 Pedagogues We Need to Know

  James D. Kirylo and Deborah Basler Wisneski

  Editor: James D. Kirylo

  Chapter, bell hooks: Scholar, cultural critic, feminist, and teacher, authored by Deborah B. Wisneski, UNO faculty member.

  bell hooks has been given many titles throughout her career- social activist, feminist, intellectual, poet, author, cultural critic, academic and most importantly, particularly for those in the field of education, teacher. She was born on September 25, 1952 as Gloria Jean Watkins in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. As one of six children, the daughter of a custodian and housewife, she loved to read and recite poetry.

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  Spotlight on Young Children: Exploring Science

  Amy Shillady

  Editor: Amy Shillady

  Chapter, Supporting the Scientific Thinking and Inquiry of Toddlers and Preschoolers through Play, co-authored by Deborah B. Wisneski, UNO faculty member.

  Children’s early science experiences are the foundation for future science learning and comprehension—throughout their school years and life. This collection of articles from NAEYC’s journal Young Children showcases how to support children’s science explorations from infancy through age 8.

  The authors offer ideas for creating science-rich environments and promoting young learners’ investigations and discovery. The articles describe teaching approaches and child-guided experiences that introduce children to scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas in the physical, life, and earth and space sciences, and in engineering, technology, and applications of science.

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  Robots in K-12 Education: A New Technology for Learning

  Bradley S. Barker, Gwen Nugent, Neal Grandgenett, Viacheslav I. Adamchuk, Elliott Ostler, Neal Topp, and Robert Goeman

  Edittos: Bradley S. Barker, Gwen Nugent, Neal Grandgenett (UNO faculty member) and Viacheslav I. Adamchuk.

  Chapters co-authored by UNO faculty include:

  Chapter 5, Robotics and problem-based learning in STEM formal educational environments, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Neal Topp, Robert Goeman

  Chapter 9, The impact of educational robotics on student STEM learning, attitudes, and workplaces, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett

  Chapter 14, Learning geospatial concepts as part of a non-formal education robotics experience, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett

  Educational robotics provides students with a learning environment that has the potential to successfully integrate concepts within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into K12 learning environments in class, after school, or for robotics competitions.

  Robots in K-12 Education: A New Technology for Learning explores the theory and practice of educational robotics in the K-12 formal and informal educational settings, providing empirical research supporting the use of robotics for STEM learning. An essential resource for STEM educators, the book explores processes and strategies for developing and implementing robotics-based programs and documents the impact of educational robotics on youth learning by presenting research-based descriptions of robotics technologies and programs, as well as illustrative examples of learning activities, lessons, and assessments.

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  Curriculum in Early Childhood Education: Re-examined, Rediscovered, Renewed

  Nancy File, Jennifer J. Mueller, and Deborah Basler Wisneski

  Editors: Nancy File, Jennifer J. Mueller, and Deborah Basler Wisneski.

  Chapter 1, "Silent voices of knowing" in the history of early childhood education and curriculum, authored by Deborah Basler Wisneski, UNO faculty member.

  Chapter 14, The place of play in early childhood curriculum, co-authored by Deborah Basler Wisneski, UNO faculty member.

  Chapter 16, Strengthening curriculum in early childhood, co-authored by Deborah Basler Wisneski, UNO faculty member.

  Curriculum in Early Childhood Education: Reexamined, Rediscovered, Renewed provides a critical examination of the sources, aims, and features of early childhood curricula. Providing a theoretical and philosophical foundation for examining teaching and learning, this book will provoke discussion and analysis among all readers. How has theory been used to understand, develop, and critique curriculum? Whose perspectives are dominant and whose are ignored? How is diversity addressed? What values are explicit and implicit? The book first contextualizes the historical and research base of early childhood curriculum, and then turns to discussions of various schools of theory and philosophy that have served to support curriculum development in early childhood education. An examination of current curriculum frameworks is offered, both from the US and abroad, including discussion of the Project Approach, Creative Curriculum, Te Whāriki, and Reggio Emilia. Finally, the book closes with chapters that enlarge the topic to curriculum-being-enacted through play and that summarize key issues while pointing out future directions for the field. Offering a broad foundation for examining curriculum in early childhood, readers will emerge with a stronger understanding of how theories and philosophies intersect with curriculum development.

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  A Kindergarten for the 21st Century

  Nebraska Department of Education; Westside Community Schools; Umo n ho n Nation Public Schools; Lexington Public Schools; Omaha Public Schools; Head Start-State Collaboration Office; Marjorie Kostelnik; M. Susan McWilliams; Lincoln Public Schools; Gordon-Rushville Public Schools; Red Cloud; Northeast Professional Development Partnership; Nebraska State Board of Education, District 5; Beatrice Public Schools; and Platte Valley Professional Development Partnership

  Called to action by parents, teachers, administrators, and other early childhood professionals in Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE), Office of Early Childhood began the process of revising the Kindergarten Position Statement in 2007. NDE’s previous Kindergarten Position Statement was written in 1984 and was a landmark document in the world of kindergarten, not only in Nebraska, but nationwide. The revision of this statement reinforces the expectation of providing high quality experiences for all children to help them reach their full potential, regardless of individual circumstances. The intent of this document is to provide a summary of information about kindergarten that is deeply grounded in years of research, early childhood science, and best practices for young children. The full Position Statement, A Kindergarten for the 21st Century, can be downloaded from http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/pubs/KStatement.pdf.

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  Integrated Technologies, Innovative Learning (Vol. II)

  Steve Rhine, Mark Bailey, Neal Grandgenett, and Nebraska Department of Education

  Chapter 8: Midwestern Independence and Educational Technology Use: Evaluation Strategies of the Nebraska Catalyst Project, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett, UNO faculty member.

  This chapter discusses the efforts of the Nebraska Catalyst Project and its collaborative evaluation process for monitoring progress of the integration of educational technology use into pre-service teacher education in the state. Nebraska is a very independent operational environment for educational institutions, which includes 535 K12 school districts, and 17 institutions of higher education accrediting Nebraska teachers. Such institutional independence meant that the higher education institutions and K12 school districts, although individually quite excellent, had limited experience in working together on educational technology related goals. The Nebraska Catalyst Project was a bold step toward shared institutional strategic planning, decision-making, and faculty training related to educational technology. The evaluation mechanism used by the project was an important component of this successful project, and used four key strategies to help successfully monitor progress. These strategies included 1) developing a well-organized reporting system, 2) encouraging joint work on institutional assessments, 3) establishing an online format for evaluation information, and 4) systematically returning feedback to the individual institutions. This article describes the evaluation component of the Nebraska Catalyst Project and how it operated in the context of these four evaluation strategies, and within the very independent educational environment existing within the state.

  Hundreds of teacher education programs throughout the United States are currently working to determine how to best prepare teachers so they can effectively harness the potential of technology for learning. Hundreds of school districts and institutions of higher education throughout the nation are working to maximize the return on their investment in technology. The over 400 consortia of the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology (PT3) program have redesigned undergraduate and graduate curricula, addressed issues of digital equity, and established innovative ways of transforming teacher education through the power of technology.

  The two volumes of this book document significant insights of PT3 projects around the country. Volume I is available in paperback from ISTE and includes 20 chapters filled with a wealth of ideas and approaches for integrating technology in teacher preparation. The chapters in this second volume of the book further document implemented and tested strategies that represent geographically broad and economically diverse contexts.

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  The University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Space Data Use in Teaching and Learning

  Neal Grandgenett and UNO Aviation Institute

  UNOAI Report 2000-4

  Within the context of innovative coursework and other educational activities, we are proposing the establishment of a University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for the Use of Space Data in Teaching and Learning. This Center will provide an exciting and motivating process for educators at all levels to become involved in professional development and training which engages real life applications of mathematics, science, and technology. The Center will facilitate innovative courses (including online and distance education formats), systematic degree programs, classroom research initiatives, new instructional methods and tools, engaging curriculum materials, and various symposiums. It will involve the active participation of several Departments and Colleges on the UNO campus and be well integrated into the campus environment. It will have a direct impact on pre-service and in-service educators, the K12 students that they teach, and other college students of various science, mathematics, and technology related disciplines, in which they share coursework.

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  Educational Technology: Best Practices from America's Schools

  William C. Bozeman, Neal Grandgenett, Neal Topp, Elliott Ostler, and Carol Mitchell

  Chapter: The Space Shuttle Simulation Laboratory, co-authored by Neal Grandgenett, Neal Topp, Elliott Ostler, and Carol Mitchell, UNO faculty members.

  Stay up to date concerning the remarkable advances in technology, computers and computer-related hardware, as well as significant reductions in costs, in and across America’s schools and educational system. This book profiles innovative programs and practices that have been implemented within schools across-the-country. It provides an overview of each program’s accomplishments and obstacles, along with details about the resources required (including human, financial and physical). Also listed are the names and addresses of contact people at each site who are available to provide additional information.