Online instruction is rapidly expanding the way administrators and educators think about and plan instruction. In addition, due to a pandemic, online instructional practices and learning in a virtual environment are being implemented with very little training or support. Educators are learning new tools and strategies at a quick pace, and often on their own, even through resistance. It is important to explore lessons learned through the pandemic but also of importance is sharing the virtual classroom options and instruction that align to best practices when transitioning to online instruction. Sharing these will allow educators to understand and learn that virtual instruction can benefit all, even when not used out of need, and can enhance face-to-face courses in many ways. The Handbook of Research on Lessons Learned From Transitioning to Virtual Classrooms During a Pandemic is a critical reference that presents lessons instructors have learned throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including what programs and tools were found to be the most impactful and useful and how to effectively embed virtual teaching into face-to-face teaching. With difficult choices to be made and implemented, this topic and collection of writings demonstrates the learning curve in a state of survival and also lessons and resources learned that will be useful when moving back to face-to-face instruction as a tool to continue to use. Highlighted topics include the frustrations faced during the transition, lessons learned from a variety of viewpoints, resources found and used to support instruction, online learner perspectives and thoughts, online course content, and best practices in transitioning to online instruction. This book is ideal for teachers, principals, school leaders, instructional designers, curriculum developers, higher education professors, pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, practitioners, researchers, and anyone interested in developing more effective virtual and in-classroom teaching methods.

The Covid pandemic is still very current and real, with many countries around the world still grappling with how to move forward. While the generation of "Covid children" will remain always as a unique cohort, there is no doubt that the results and repercussions of this most unusual experience will have implications that are far-reaching and of consequence to us all. In the United States, families and society appear to be gradually returning to some semblance of tradition, but the short and long term impact of what we have just collectively experienced, and specifically, what this experience has meant to our children, is yet to be explored or realized. This timely book explores the many facets for how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted children in the United States. The authors explore both learning and teaching, and the social and emotional impacts felt by the pandemic. Exploring topics such as online learning, mental health, physical health, family impacts, and with a focus on detailing lessons learned, this volume is vital reading for educators and researchers alike.

Framed in the context of a world in which academic freedom is often jeopardized, or criticized by outside social forces, Academic Freedom: Autonomy, Challenges and Conformation sets out to echo the voices of faculty who have encountered challenges to academic freedom within their personal and professional careers. Including chapters which range from showcasing specific experiences within particular disciplines, to providing broad historical or philosophical perspectives, this edited collection provides an authentic account of how academic freedom has helped and hindered the academic profession, scholarship, and teaching. Revealing one-on-one interactions which shed light on the views of individual educators, this book shifts focus onto the day-to-day ramifications of limited academic freedom. Faculty members recollect occasions where they have experienced a challenge to their ability to exchange ideas and concepts freely in the classroom, to explore and disseminate new knowledge, and to speak professionally and privately on topics in their field of expertise without being under duress. Offering up a finely curated collection of chapters, editors Ceglie and Thompson allow readers to understand the dynamic between academic freedom and professional responsibilities, and also open up an opportunity to discuss challenges to academic freedom and the potential loss of autonomy in higher education in the United States and beyond.

Online instruction is rapidly expanding the way professors think about and plan instruction. In addition, online instructional practices are expanding and changing as new tools and strategies are adopted. It is imperative that programs and institutions of higher education explore increased online options that align with best practices to develop effective and engaging online courses. The Handbook of Research on Developing Engaging Online Courses is an essential research publication that provides multiple perspectives on improving student engagement and success in online courses. This book includes topics focused on the online learner, online course content, and effective online instruction. The content contained within the title is ideal for curriculum developers, instructional designers, IT consultants, deans, chairs, teachers, administrators, academicians, researchers, and students.