We all know that kids like video games, so why not help them learn course content in these virtual worlds? This guidebook helps teachers (grades 6-12) do that. It provides a diverse collection of virtual spaces where students engage in role-based learning. It features a nontechnical presentation; and a collection of multi-user games.

An encyclopedia designed especially to meet the needs of elementary, junior high, and senior high school students.

A new and expanded edition of one of the decade's most influential education books. In this practical guide, Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager provide K-12 educators with the how, why, and cool stuff that supports making in the classroom, library, makerspace, or anywhere learners learn.

A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is a collection of articles, role plays, simulations, stories, poems, and graphics to help breathe life into teaching about the environmental crisis. The book features some of the best articles from Rethinking Schools magazine alongside classroom-friendly readings on climate change, energy, water, food, and pollution—as well as on people who are working to make things better. A People’s Curriculum for the Earth has the breadth and depth ofRethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World, one of the most popular books we’ve published. At a time when it’s becoming increasingly obvious that life on Earth is at risk, here is a resource that helps students see what’s wrong and imagine solutions. Praise for A People's Curriculum for the Earth "To really confront the climate crisis, we need to think differently, build differently, and teach differently. A People’s Curriculum for the Earth is an educator’s toolkit for our times." — Naomi Klein, author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate "This volume is a marvelous example of justice in ALL facets of our lives—civil, social, educational, economic, and yes, environmental. Bravo to the Rethinking Schools team for pulling this collection together and making us think more holistically about what we mean when we talk about justice." — Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Bigelow and Swinehart have created a critical resource for today’s young people about humanity’s responsibility for the Earth. This book can engender the shift in perspective so needed at this point on the clock of the universe." — Gregory Smith, Professor of Education, Lewis & Clark College, co-author with David Sobel of Place- and Community-based Education in Schools

The building of communities outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar base of a school or university is at a significant point in time; virtual worlds bridge the gap between 2D web spaces online and 3D physical spaces of the classroom, providing teachers and students alike with opportunities to connect and collaborate in ways that were previously unimaginable. Providing insight into this new age of teaching, Using Virtual Worlds in Educational Settings presents a collection of practical, evidence-based ideas that illustrate the capacity for immersive virtual worlds to be integrated successfully in higher education and school settings. Examining research and stories from more than 1,000 students and six faculty members who introduced virtual worlds into their teaching and learning, this book contains practical examples of how virtual worlds can be introduced and supported, as well as reflections from faculty and students about their response to virtual worlds. This research will help teachers understand how to approach such a fundamental shift in pedagogy, how to liberate themselves from teacher-focused instruction and how to help students to develop their skills through collaboration. Outlining how and why virtual worlds could be the shift in pedagogy that teachers have been waiting for, Using Virtual Worlds in Educational Settings is an accessible, practical resource for educators to support their use of virtual worlds in teaching.

This book makes a contribution to a global conversation about the competencies, challenges, and changes being introduced as a result of digital technologies. This volume consists of four parts, with the first being elaborated from each of the featured panelists at CELDA (Cognition and Exploratory Learning in the Digital Age) 2014. Part One is an introduction to the global conversation about competencies and challenges for 21st-century teachers and learners. Part Two discusses the changes in learning and instructional paradigms. Part Three is a discussion of assessments and analytics for teachers and decision makers. Lastly, Part Four analyzes the changing tools and learning environments teachers and learners must face. Each of the four parts has six chapters. In addition, the book opens with a paper by the keynote speaker aimed at the broad considerations to take into account with regard to instructional design and learning in the digital age. The volume closes with a reflective piece on the progress towards systemic and sustainable improvements in educational systems in the early part of the 21st century.