A free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere: this is the goal of the Khan Academy, a passion project that grew from an ex-engineer and hedge funder's online tutoring sessions with his niece, who was struggling with algebra, into a worldwide phenomenon. Today millions of students, parents, and teachers use the Khan Academy's free videos and software, which have expanded to encompass nearly every conceivable subject; and Academy techniques are being employed with exciting results in a growing number of classrooms around the globe.
Like many innovators, Khan rethinks existing assumptions and imagines what education could be if freed from them. And his core idea-liberating teachers from lecturing and state-mandated calendars and opening up class time for truly human interaction-has become his life's passion. Schools seek his advice about connecting to students in a digital age, and people of all ages and backgrounds flock to the site to utilize this fresh approach to learning.
In THE ONE WORLD SCHOOLHOUSE, Khan presents his radical vision for the future of education, as well as his own remarkable story, for the first time. In these pages, you will discover, among other things:
How both students and teachers are being bound by a broken top-down model invented in Prussia two centuries agoWhy technology will make classrooms more human and teachers more importantHow and why we can afford to pay educators the same as other professionalsHow we can bring creativity and true human interactivity back to learningWhy we should be very optimistic about the future of learning.Parents and politicians routinely bemoan the state of our education system. Statistics suggest we've fallen behind the rest of the world in literacy, math, and sciences. With a shrewd reading of history, Khan explains how this crisis presented itself, and why a return to "mastery learning," abandoned in the twentieth century and ingeniously revived by tools like the Khan Academy, could offer the best opportunity to level the playing field, and to give all of our children a world-class education now.
More than just a solution, THE ONE WORLD SCHOOLHOUSE serves as a call for free, universal, global education, and an explanation of how Khan's simple yet revolutionary thinking can help achieve this inspiring goal.

Online Education is a comprehensive exploration of blended and fully online teaching platforms, addressing history, theory, research, planning, and practice. As colleges, universities, and schools around the world adopt large-scale technologies and traditional class models shift into seamless, digitally interactive environments, critical insights are needed into the implications for administration and pedagogy. Written by a major contributor to the field, this book contextualizes online education in the past and present before analyzing its fundamental changes to instruction, program integration, social interaction, content construction, networked media, policy, and more. A provocative concluding chapter speculates on the future of education as the sector becomes increasingly dependent on learning technologies.

Join your favorite hippo, Fiona, the adorable internet sensation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, as she visits her zoo friends, finding out what makes each one special. Is it their speedy running? Their lovely singing? And what makes Fiona so special to all of her friends? Young readers will enjoy learning more about Fiona and her friends in this Level One I Can Read about the little hippo that has captured hearts around the world with her inspiring story and plucky personality. Fantastic Fiona is: An endearing animal book that's a perfect gift from parents and grandparents An inspiring story about what makes each of us unique and special A Level One I Can Read story geared for children just learning to read Created by New York Times bestselling artist Richard Cowdrey of Fiona the Hippo; A Very Fiona Christmas; Fiona, It's Bedtime; Legend of the Candy Cane; Bad Dog, Marley; and A Very Marley Christmas fame

This bundle gives parents everything they need to teach their children to read, from the simplest letter sounds up to a fourth grade level. The Instructor Book, featuring a new introduction by Dr. Susan Wise Bauer, guides parents step by step through each lesson, with easy-to-follow, scripted text. The Student Book gives students clear examples of each letter, word, and sentence in their own book, building their confidence from the very beginning. This classic phonics program has taught millions of children to read, and now it's even easier to use. The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading lets any parent give their children the gift of lifelong literacy. The program is easily expandable to include multiple students in a home or school setting.

Mobile Learning and Higher Education provides case studies of mobile learning in higher education settings to showcase how devices can transform learning at the undergraduate and graduate levels. With the rapid diffusion of networked technologies among the adult populations of many countries and the supersession of the once-ubiquitous lecture approach with active learner-centered teaching for deep understanding, mobile devices are increasingly used in higher education classrooms to offer unique and effective new approaches to teaching and learning. A cutting-edge research volume, this collection also provides a springboard for building better practices in higher education institutions.

Best Practices in Planning Strategically for Online Educational Programs is a step-by-step guide to developing strategic plans for creating and implementing online educational programs within higher education institutions. From conception to execution and assessment, the successful management of purposeful online educational programs in colleges and universities carries increasing importance and a unique set of requirements. This book enables administrators and faculty to: identify the opportunities and challenges presented by online education for institutions based on their histories, missions and market positions develop a roadmap for creating and implementing a strategic plan provide guidance for assessing the plan and insight into the iterative nature of planning. With computer networked-based technologies gaining ground in traditional private and public institutions, this critical volume is the first to apply the principles and practices associated with strategic planning specifically to online educational programs.

Streamlined ID presents a focused and generalizable approach to instructional design and development - one that addresses the needs of ID novices as well as practitioners in a variety of career environments. Highlighting essentials and big ideas, this guide advocates a streamlined approach to instructional design: producing instruction that is sustainable, optimized, appropriately redundant, and targeted at continuous improvement. The book's enhanced version of the classic ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) emphasizes the iterative nature of design and the role of evaluation throughout the design/development process. It clearly lays out a systematic approach that emphasizes the use of research-based theories, while acknowledging the need to customize the process to accommodate a variety of pedagogical approaches. This thoroughly revised second edition reflects recent advances and changes in the field, adds three new chapters, updates reference charts, job aids, and tips to support practitioners working in a variety of career environments, and speaks more clearly than ever to ID novices and graduate students.

Transactional Distance and Adaptive Learning takes a fresh look at one of the pioneering educational theories that accommodates the impact of information and communications technologies in learning. The theory of transactional distance (TTD) provides a distinct analytical and planning foundation for educators to conduct an overarching inquiry into transitioning from mass instructional and management systems in higher education to dynamic and transformational futures that focus on each individual learner. Based on the TTD, this pragmatic approach offers instructors, administrators, students, and other stakeholders a comprehensive planning method to assess the current state of their instructional, learning, and management practices and to develop alternative models to prescribe future improvements in their institution. This complex, self-organized, and adaptive method includes current and emergent properties of: hardware, software, and telecommunications systems that allow faculty, students, and administrators to communicate; instructional and curriculum systems that provide teaching and learning environments for faculty and students; and management, societal, and global systems that influence how institutions are supported, funded, and managed.

In Issues in Technology, Learning, and Instructional Design, some of the best-known scholars in those fields produce powerful, original dialogues that clarify current issues, provide context and theoretical grounding, and illuminate a framework for future thought. Position statements are introduced and then responded to, covering a remarkably broad series of topics across educational technology, learning, and instructional design, from tool use to design education to how people learn. Reminiscent of the well-known Clark/Kozma debates of the 1990s, this book is a must-have for professionals in the field and can also be used as a textbook for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses.

Digital Technologies and Change in Education provides professionals and other leaders with a road map of the processes of change for teachers, schools, universities, and educational systems, including extensive case studies and evidence that clarify the benefits and challenges of digital technologies in education. To this end, Niki Davis offers a theoretical framework-the Arena-as a tool for exploration and analysis of our own experiences of teaching, leadership, and research. With a blend of local, regional, and global examples from all sectors of education, this book allows readers to move past the potentially misleading glitter of new technologies and into the co-evolving ecologies that make up education and training locally and globally.

How to Be a Successful Student is a clear, concise, evidence-based guide to the habits that are scientifically proven to help people learn. Acclaimed educational psychologist Richard Mayer distils cutting edge research to focus on the 20 best study habits for college students, including habits for motivating yourself to learn, managing your learning environment, and effectively applying learning strategies. This accessible, practical book covers all three areas with evidence-based, approachable suggestions to help you become a successful student by developing effective study habits and rejecting ineffective ones.

Every year, more online or technology-enhanced learning experiences are added to the landscape of education, and the number of students taking online courses on residential campuses continues to grow. In addition, new instructional tools are creating environments that are mobile, interactive, and collaborative. These trends present challenges to the online classroom, and this book will help instructors meet those challenges. Jump-Start Your Online Classroom prepares a first-time online instructor to successfully manage the first few weeks of a course, including activities to help instructors plan, manage, and facilitate online instruction; and resources helpful during the beginning weeks of class. Each chapter is developed around the immediate challenges instructors face when teaching online. The authors address everyday problems and suggest solutions informed by their extensive research and experience. The five challenges, which are designed to be addressed in five days, are to: Make the transition to online teaching Build online spaces for learning Prepare students for online learning Manage and facilitating the online classroom Assess learner outcomes in an online classroom The book is based on the authorsaEURO (TM) design and facilitation model that identifies five elements comprising an online learning environment: digital tools, participants, social practices, learning community, and outcomes. The book shows how each of those aspects influences instructional practices and interacts to create an environment for a meaningful online educational experience.

Every year, more online or technology-enhanced learning experiences are added to the landscape of education, and the number of students taking online courses on residential campuses continues to grow. In addition, new instructional tools are creating environments that are mobile, interactive, and collaborative. These trends present challenges to the online classroom, and this book will help instructors meet those challenges. Jump-Start Your Online Classroom prepares a first-time online instructor to successfully manage the first few weeks of a course, including activities to help instructors plan, manage, and facilitate online instruction; and resources helpful during the beginning weeks of class. Each chapter is developed around the immediate challenges instructors face when teaching online. The authors address everyday problems and suggest solutions informed by their extensive research and experience. The five challenges, which are designed to be addressed in five days, are to: Make the transition to online teaching Build online spaces for learning Prepare students for online learning Manage and facilitating the online classroom Assess learner outcomes in an online classroom The book is based on the authorsaEURO (TM) design and facilitation model that identifies five elements comprising an online learning environment: digital tools, participants, social practices, learning community, and outcomes. The book shows how each of those aspects influences instructional practices and interacts to create an environment for a meaningful online educational experience.

Distance learning is now more prevalent in the developing world than ever before. This book reconsiders the suitability and success of established modes of distance learning for current contexts in the developing world. It examines what adaptations are necessary to suit shifting needs including:

• the move from elite to mass higher education
• increased emphasis on knowledge base economies
• greater demand for lifelong learning and professional development
• the effects of technical and societal changes
• demand for post-secondary education.

Drawing upon research into students' conceptions of, and approaches to learning, this critical analysis of the state of open and flexible learning examines the characteristics, needs and learning approaches of students, considering whether or not current provision is successful, what changes are necessary, and, crucially, how student retention can be improved.

A "Learning Network" is a community of people who help each other to better understand and handle certain events and concepts in work or life. As a result - and sometimes also as an aim - participating in learning networks stimulates personal development, a better understanding of concepts and events, career development, and employability. "Learning Network Services" are Web services that are designed to facilitate the creation of distributed Learning Networks and to support the participants with various functions for knowledge exchange, social interaction, assessment and competence development in an effective way. The book presents state-of-the-art insights into the field of Learning Networks and Web-based services which can facilitate all kinds of processes within these networks.

Now more than ever, our children need to learn about the people who live all around the world. This engaging guide to other lands weaves world history into a storybook format. Designed as a read-aloud project for parents and children to share (or for older readers to enjoy alone), this book covers the major historical events in the years 1600-1850 on each continent, with maps, illustrations, and tales from each culture. Over 1.3 million copies of The Story of the World have been sold. Newly revised and updated, THE STORY OF THE WORLD, VOLUME 3 includes a new timeline, 40 brand-new illustrations, and a pronunciation guide for unfamiliar names, places, and terms.

As colleges, universities and other learning institutions explore teaching and learning through online environments, online communities of practice may provide solutions to organizational and professional development needs. The purpose of this book is to develop a set of guidelines for creating a virtual community of practice for faculty teaching at a distance that can easily be implemented by faculty development professionals. Designing a virtual community of practice can be operationalized using the ADDIE model to guide the process. Based on an instructional systems design process, the ADDIE model emphasizes the five core elements of the instructional systems design process: analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate; often it serves as a project management tool or to provide a visual aid for organization of relevant tasks.

In spite of the proliferation of online learning, creating online courses can still evoke a good deal of frustration, negativity, and wariness in those who need to create them. The second edition of Essentials of Online Course Design takes a fresh, thoughtfully designed, step-by-step approach to online course development. At its core is a set of standards that are based on best practices in the field of online learning and teaching. Pedagogical, organizational, and visual design principles are presented and modeled throughout the book, and users will quickly learn from the guide's hands-on approach. The course design process begins with the elements of a classroom syllabus which, after a series of guided steps, easily evolve into an online course outline. The guide's key features include: a practical approach informed by theory clean interior design that offers straightforward guidance from page one clear and jargon-free language examples, screenshots, and illustrations to clarify and support the text a checklist of online course design standards that readers can use to self-evaluate. a Companion Website with examples, adaptable templates, interactive learning features, and online resources: http://essentialsofonlinecoursedesign.com Essentials of Online Course Design serves as a best practice model for designing online courses. After reading this book, readers will find that preparing for online teaching is a satisfying and engaging experience. The core issue is simply good design: pedagogical, organizational, and visual. For more of Marjorie Vai in her own words, listen to this 2011 interview from the On Teaching Online podcast: http://onteachingonline.com/oto-16-essentials-of-online-course-design-with-marjorie-vai/

Mobile Learning: The Next Generation documents the most innovative projects in context-aware mobile learning in order to develop a richer theoretical understanding of learning in modern mobile-connected societies. Context-aware mobile learning takes advantage of cell phone, mobile, and pervasive personal technologies to design learning experiences that exploit the richness of both indoor and outdoor environments. These technologies detect a learner's presence in a particular place, the learner's history in that place or in relation to other people and objects nearby, and adapt learning experiences accordingly, enabling and encouraging learners to use personal and social technologies to capture aspects of the environment as learning resources, and to share their reactions to them.

Conducting Research in Online and Blended Learning Environments examines various perspectives, issues, and methods for conducting research in online and blended learning environments. The book provides in-depth examinations of the perspectives and issues that anyone considering research in online or blended learning will find insightful as they plan their own inquiries. Grounded in educational research theory, this is invaluable to both the serious researcher as well as the occasional evaluator. Conducting Research in Online and Blended Learning Environments provides comprehensive, useful information on research paradigms, methodologies, and methods that should be considered in designing and conducting studies in this area. Examples of the most respected research in the field enhance each chapter's presentation.

This unique and unforgettable picture book uses rock art and simple text to tell the story of the miracle of Christmas-the birth of Jesus. Through the arrangement of a few rocks and powerful words directly from Scripture, the entire Christmas story is told in A Savior Is Born: Rocks Tell the Story of Christmas. Readers will be intrigued by the nature-filled artwork that shows the birth of Jesus and the celebration of the very first Christmas in a powerful and unique way. A Savior Is Born is perfect for: Children ages 4-8 Sharing the true story of Christmas in a new way Advent and Christmas gift-giving Inspiring creative art projects using natural items such as rocks, sticks, and leaves This unique holiday picture book: sparkles and shines with foil, embossing, and spot gloss on the cover features beautiful photographs of the rock art uses the Gospel of Luke from the NKJV translation to tell the Christmas story If you enjoy A Savior Is Born, check out He Is Risen: Rocks Tell the Story of Easter.

Scarcely a week goes by without coverage in the UK and international media about the latest MOOC revelation. Despite some significant initiatives in the dotcom era, online learning has somehow never delivered on its promise to revolutionize education. To MOOC or not to MOOC explores the history of MOOCs and analyses the current MOOC context by describing six institutions and the story of their engagement with MOOCs. Looking at each of the different type of institution in turn, it analyses the processes behind their decision to engage with online learning and MOOCs, how the MOOC project is managed and led, and discusses issues such as quality assurance, governance and partnerships. Chapters draw together and analyse the data and draw out advice for institutions, to help them make choices about how to respond to MOOCs and other high-impact changes in digital education. The book contains checklists and planning tools to support strategy and planning, and concludes with a future look at MOOCs exploring some of the possible trends that may impact upon higher education, such as business models, data and analytics, learning design and competitors in the MOOC marketplace.

"Online, Blended and Distance Education in Schools" provides students enrolled in Education Technology and Masters and PhD programs with expert opinions and insights on the practice and policy regarding K-12 distance, online and blended programs, including curriculum, instruction, technology and management aspects. It describes the status and trends of the field, provides illustrative program examples, explores the issues and challenges that programs face and highlights ongoing research in key areas related to program effectiveness. Topics discussed: * The current status of K-12 online, distance and blended learning in the U.S.* Policy, funding, and management issues in relation to program implementation* Research on effective programs within governmental jurisdiction and various program types* Global case studies that represent the variety of ways programs are being successfully implemented * A synthesis of key findings and lessons learned, and local and global visions for the future of K-12 distance and online learningThis text is highly appropriate for students enrolled in Educational Technology and Higher Education Administration Masters and PhD programs. The pedagogical features added throughout were created to enhance the text in a classroom setting.