This book is a behind-the-scenes look at the world beyond the classroom door. It is an honest, often humorous peek at those things not typically covered during parent-teacher conferences. It's what teachers desperately want to sit down and discuss with parents over coffee; the things we tell our own sisters and friends as they send their little ones off to kindergarten. You'll find insight into everything from the true nature of bullying, to the value of encouraging independence, and it will become your trusted companion as you watch your children learn and grow throughout their education. Candid Classroom is a real conversation about the things teachers wish parents knew, and answers the questions so many parents have.

The field; Learning networks: an introduction; Networks for schools: exemplars and experiences; Networks for higher education, training, and informal learning: exemplares and experiences; The guide; Designs for learning networks; Getting started: the implementation process; Teaching online; Learning online; Problems in paradise: expect the best, prepare for the worst; The future; New directions; Network learning: a paradign for the twenty-first century; Epilogue: email from the future; Appendixes; Indice.

Barrett's opening essay further explores his original and thought-provoking application of social construction theories of knowledge to the development and analysis of multimedia systems. Some of the chapters that follow look at the effectiveness of particular multimedia systems across the curriculum, from medicine, sociology, and management to language learning, writing, literature, and intergenerational studies. Other chapters examine the implied pedagogy within these systems, or the effects of using multimedia and hypermedia in the classroom.