New publications

Voices from the profession reports the views of more than 400 educational leaders on ways to support learning through ICT in Australian schools. Participants represented a range of year levels, subjects, systems and sectors. The research found that ICT has helped schools shift from teacher to student-centred learning. Effective integration of ICT has required a clear, whole-school focus that considers philosophical, pedagogical, physical and practical needs. The report suggests that school processes and professional development should be regularly reviewed in line with a school's needs, and that principals should ensure that decisions reflect school values. Many participants found that visiting other schools and using case studies provided helpful strategies for integrating ICT. Three case studies, a workflow model for incorporating digital learning objects into a lesson plan and essential conditions for teacher preparation are also outlined. (Adapted from report.)

The report considers the experiences of Victorian schools as they have integrated multimedia to identify benefits for learning and common challenges. The first part of the report focuses on the multimedia landscape, and provides detail on students’ ownership and use of multimedia devices both in and outside of school. While Australian youth enjoy a generally high level of access to such technology, access and usage vary according to socioeconomic status, cultural background and geographic setting. The report suggests increased education on cybersafety. It recommends the establishment of a dedicated unit within the Victorian Department of Education and Training to monitor multimedia trends and advise schools on cybersafety issues. It also calls for a cybersafety campaign targeting parents and students, and the inclusion of cyber safety components across all levels of VELS. The second part of the report considers multimedia in education. It outlines how the rise of multimedia has changed the learning needs of today’s students, increasing the need for resources that are interactive, instantly accessible, have high visual and audio components, offer instant communication and support collaboration. New opportunities and benefits for classroom learning are noted, while the report also highlights the need to teach media literacy skills and educate students about copyright, plagiarism and intellectual property. It notes that Victorian schools have faced challenges in integrating multimedia, primarily due to cost, copyright and technical issues. The report calls for strategies to help schools access and use quality multimedia resources where and when needed in class, and keep pace with technical developments. (Adapted from report summary.)

The articles in this collection discuss ways in which maths lessons can address concepts and issues surrounding social justice, and ways in which these lessons can be linked to other areas of learning. The contributions are from specialist mathematics educators and practising classroom teachers from primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors in the US. The articles outline background theory, teaching ideas, lesson plans and reflections from practice. Sample lessons focus on issues such as income disparity, 'sweatshop accounting', using maths to understand how the unemployment rate is determined and using Pythagoras's theory to design a wheelchair ramp. The articles aim to interest students in maths, replacing the notion of maths as 'a collection of disconnected rules to be rotely memorized and regurgitated' with maths as a tool to understand the world and to build a more democratic society. It also aims to connect maths to students' own cultural and community histories and the contributions that various cultures and peoples have made to mathematics. (Adapted from publisher's description and Introduction.)

Curriculum mapping is a means for educators to document what is being taught, what students are learning, how well they are learning and how closely the curriculum reflects local and national standards. This resource is a guide to curriculum mapping and instructional planning for classrooms that support diverse learning styles and needs. Topics include reframing instructional practice for new challenges in education; factors that help create a student-centred classroom; using standards and rubrics; and assessing students' learning styles and needs. (Adapted from the publisher's description).

The authors describe a year in the life of five adolescents in Los Angeles during the transition from secondary school to tertiary studies. The students were living in poverty, attending overcrowded schools and had the pressure of being the first in their families to attend college. The book aims to help educators and policy makers to improve the transition of disadvantaged school students to tertiary education. (Adapted from the publisher's description.)