Book and Software Review

By Ludlow, Barbara L; Foshay, John D

Critical Technology Issues for School Leaders (2006), by Susan Brooks-Young. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. $67.95 (hardcover), $30.95 (paperback).

The Universally Designed Classroom: Accessible Curriculum and Digital Technologies (2006), edited by David H. Rose, Anne Meyer, and Chuck Hitchcock. Cambridge: Harvard Education Press, $59.95 (cloth), $29.95 (paperback).

Critical Technology Issues for School Leaders

Guest Reviewer: Tara Jeffs, East Carolina University

For more than 20 years, researchers have investigated the integration of technology into American schools. Educators are constantly examining and reexamining the impact of technology and its role in providing essential teaching tools to improve learning outcomes. Technology infusion is complex and exhibits multiple layers that require careful probing by school leaders of components such as learning outcomes, assessment, pedagogy, professional development, and school design, just to name a few. Susan Brooks- Young slices through this complexity in her book Critical Technology Issues for School Leaders.

Technology leaders as well as aspiring and practicing administrators will find this a wonderful resource to share in departmental meetings, professional venues, and/or university classes. The book consists of short, easy-to-read, stand-alone chapters ranging from 5-10 pages in length. Even the busiest person could find time to read a chapter or two during the day. The 24 chapters (184 pages) are designed to provide up-to-date information and resources for professional growth and reflection related to new technologies.

The book is organized into four parts: (a) New Literacies, (b) Engaging Teachers and Students, (c) Providing a Reliable Infrastructure, and (d) Legal and Social Concerns. Each chapter consists of a brief introduction to the importance of the topic; annotated lists of additional resources for future research; and discussion questions appropriate for individual professional development or communities of practice. These practical topics are designed to increase leadership skills implementing technology applications. A brief overview of each part follows.

Part I, New Literacies, presents the differences between digital immigrants and digital natives and explains how each group approaches learning new literacies for the 21st century. Information literacy and visual literacy are discussed along with the potential impact of school libraries and media centers on learning. Further, ideas and resources are provided to assist teachers with incorporating these new literacy skills in the classroom.

Part II, Engaging Teachers and Students, describes how teachers learn, use, and integrate technology into instruction. Ideas for how school leaders can provide meaningful professional development opportunities for teachers to design activities that promote students’ use of technology to encourage critical thinking are discussed. Additionally, technology tools and instructional strategies such as WebQuests, blogs, video streaming, project-based learning, and distance learning in the K-12 environment are covered.

Part III, Providing a Reliable Infrastructure, spotlights a number of issues administrators must address to ensure an infrastructure that supports the use of technology. Managing total cost of ownership, providing tech-ready facilities, addressing the new challenges of software and networks, and examining the evolving role of the technology coordinator are explored. This part closes with practical and basic troubleshooting tips everyone should know related what to do when things go wrong. For example, steps are provided for what to do if the computer will not power up or the printer is not printing properly.

Part IV, Legal and Social Concerns, closely examines security, online safety, equal access for students with disabilities, and similar issues that administrators must anticipate and be prepared resolve. Topics such as cautions involving student use of technology, monitoring student and adult Internet use, and the need for clear guidelines are discussed. Additional topics within this part include copyright law, technology-based homeschool communication, assistive technologies, and computer ergonomics.

This practical compilation of critical technology leadership issues offers technology leaders and aspiring and practicing administrators valuable Web-based information sites and a wealth of practical ideas that can be implemented on a daily basis. In sum, anyone with an interest in technology will find this book interesting and will enjoy exploring further the wonderful strategies and resources that each chapter shares.

The Universally Designed Classroom: Accessible Curriculum and Digital Technologies

Guest Reviewer: Eric Landers, West Virginia University

Creating inclusive environments for all students that are supportive of various learning styles and individual differences can be difficult. One barrier that students with disabilities face in the context of inclusive education centers on the single-faceted presentation of the general education curriculum typical of many classrooms. The Universally Designed Classroom: Accessible Curriculum and Digital Technologies edited by Rose, Meyer, and Hitchcock, uses the framework of “universal design for learning” (UDL) as a blueprint for designing a flexible general education curriculum that supports the needs of all students. In particular, they argue for the importance of incorporating digital media into the general education curriculum to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities, thus creating a multi-faceted approach to teaching and learning.

The first three chapters discuss broad conceptual topics related to curriculum and policy. Chapter 1, written by editors Meyer and Rose, details the difficulties of incorporating technology in the classroom and how UDL can be used for creating more supportive classrooms. They argue that the full integration of technology has been inhibited by the unrealized potential of computers in schools and the overwhelming reliance of educators on the printed text. The creation of truly inclusive environments relies on recognizing: (a) that the printed text poses challenges for “students in the margins” and (b) how the power of computers and other technologies can be harnessed to address the unique needs of these students in the general education curriculum. UDL recognizes “that barriers to learning occur in the interaction with the curriculum – they are not inherent solely in the capacities of the learner” (p. 20). Thus, the curriculum must also take responsibility for the student’s failure. Based on the research on learning differences, UDL provides a means of changing the curriculum to give students multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement with the curriculum.

Chapter 2, written by editors Hitchcock, Meyer, and Rose, along with Richard Jackson, first outlines the historical context of special education law and curriculum, relying heavily on the terms goals, materials, methods, and assessment, then explains how these terms relate to students with disabilities, the special education curriculum, the general education curriculum, and UDL. The authors argue that the inherent flaws in special education and general education’s reliance on printed text creates a need for a universally designed curriculum that addresses the needs of diverse learners. UDL uses digital media and computers to develop a new approach to designing a curriculum that supports “access, participation, and progress for all learners, not just those with disabilities” (p. 65).

Chapter 3, written by Joanne Karger, examines the legal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act as they relate to access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities and the obligations for states and school districts to provide this access. Karger discusses IDEAs individualized education plan (IEP) requirements for students with disabilities and compares changes that occurred between the 1997 amendments and the 2004 reauthorization. She also examines NCLB requirements as related to achievement standards, involvement in the general education curriculum, and adequate academic progress for students with disabilities.

Chapter 4, by Richard Jackson and Kelly Harper, marks the books shift in focus from discussing conceptual underpinnings to describing specific designs of UDL. They discuss how general and special education teachers can work together to effectively teach all students, which they argue can be done through the principles of UDL. In the latter part of the chapter, the authors offer a sample model of how teachers might go about developing unit plans consistent with the UDL framework.

In Chapter 5, Richard Jackson, Kelly Harper, and Janna Jackson review research conducted between 1996 and 2001 related to barriers that limit access of students with disabilities to the general education curriculum, including lack of clear definition for inclusion, increasing curricular standards, and issues regarding teacher responsibilities and perceptions. Some of the solutions to these barriers include addressing systemic issues, creating universally designed instructional goals, and providing support for teachers. The a\uthors also discuss the need for different levels of collaboration among stakeholders (i.e., teachers, parents, and students) as a means of increasing access to the general education curriculum.

In the final chapter, Tracey Hall, editor Anne Meyer, and Nicole Strangman address implementation of UDL. They provide specific examples of how to implement different strategies in the classroom including differentiated instruction, background knowledge instruction, graphic organizers, and computer simulations.

Overall, this compilation of previously printed articles and chapters is well written and the focus of the book is clear: the importance of creating a multi-faceted approach to instruction, primarily through incorporating digital media, to promote greater access to the general education curriculum by students with disabilities. However, it is unfortunate that the authors spent so much of the text defining the problem and justifying their position, and so little time on posing solutions. Such a complex and controversial topic seems to demand more specific examples of how districts and/or states might incorporate digital media in the classroom to promote a more flexible curriculum and so facilitate more immediate application of promising technology solutions.

Barbara L. Ludlow, Ed.D., West Virginia University

John D. Foshay, Ed.D., Central Connecticut State University

Tara Jeffs is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at East Carolina University. Correspondence regarding her review can be sent to: Tara Jeffs, Director of Assistive Technology Lab, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, East Carolina University, 244 Speight Building, Greenville, NC 27858. Email to jeffst@mail.ecu.edu.

Eric Landers is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at West Virginia University. Correspondence regarding his review can be sent to: Eric Landers, College of Human Resources and Education, PO Box 6122, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6122. Email to eric.landers@mail. wvu.edu.

If you have a book or software review that you would like to see covered, or if you are interested in being a guest reviewer, please send your comments to:

Barbara L. Ludlow

College of Human Resources and Education

PO Box 6122

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 26506-6122

email: bludlow@mail.wvu.edu

Copyright Journal of Special Education Technology 2007

(c) 2007 Journal of Special Education Technology. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.