Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom makes it easy to master and implement cutting edge technology in practice

New York, NY (November 17, 2008)—From blogs to podcasts and Google to wikis, Web 2.0 (the “two-way” Web) and its many tools holds the potential to transform classrooms across the country. Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom, to be published by Neal-Schuman on January 6, 2009, provides tips, strategies and useful lesson plans to help teachers, library media specialists, and technology coordinators in elementary and secondary schools integrate and succeed with Web 2.0.

According to a 2008 longitudinal study from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), Web 2.0 tools are steadily gaining popularity in schools across the United States. In Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom, noted K-12 educator, researcher and author Beverly Crane demonstrates the favorable impact that Web 2.0 tools have on today’s teaching and learning. The book encourages educators to learn more about these tools, many of which their students are already using, and helps them master and implement new and compelling teaching methods in their own classrooms.

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is divided into eight chapters that cover crucial topics and tools, including blogging, podcasts, wikis, digital storytelling, Google, and social bookmarking. Each chapter is further divided into three easy-to-understand sections (visit www.neal-schuman.com/uw2t for a complete Table of Contents and a list of all topics and tools). Ideas and Insights includes a comprehensive glossary of relevant key terms, chapter objectives, and a helpful overview of the chapter topic. Getting Started offers a preparatory outline to help educators link teaching strategies to new Web tools, practice using the tools, and set up an effective classroom plan. Practical Applications is a step-by-step guide to using each tool in a real-life classroom setting, and offers guidance for building a lesson’s framework, deciding on materials, creating activities, and evaluating success. Each chapter also includes a list of useful Web sites and exercises for practicing the skills illustrated in that chapter.

The book’s companion Web site, located at www.neal-schuman.com/webclassroom, is an interactive source for educators to further hone their understanding of Web 2.0 in the classroom. The “What’s New” section provides up-to-date information about the latest tools being used by pioneers in K-12 education and offers guidance for applying them to curricula across a variety of subjects. The site’s “Now You Try It” section includes bonus sample exercises that give educators hands-on practice for using these tools in conjunction with their lesson plans.

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is a timely and important confirmation of the Web’s emerging role in contemporary education. With clear explanations and a practical focus on adapting the latest technologies for the classroom, Crane’s comprehensive guide to Web 2.0 will help educators successfully use 21st century tools in their classrooms.

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom
Plus companion website
ISBN: 978-1-55570-653-1.
2009. 6 x 9. 200pp. $59.95.

About the Author
Beverly E. Crane received her B.S. in Spanish and English and her M.Ed. in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language from Penn State University. She obtained her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, and has taught English-language arts and ESL at the middle-, high-school, and college levels. She has presented across curriculum areas at multiple national conferences.
Her book Teaching with the Internet: Strategies and Models for K-12 Curricula was published by Neal-Schuman in 2000 and Internet Workshops: 10 Ready-to-Go Workshops for K-12 Educators in 2003.

About Neal-Schuman Publishers
Founded in 1976, Neal-Schuman Publishers is based in New York City with offices in London, UK. Neal-Schuman is a leading publisher of textbooks in all areas of library and information studies, from library science to archival and records management, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

For More Information and/or Cover Art
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sarah.eisenberg@neal-schuman.com
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New York, NY 10038
212-925-8650
www.neal-schuman.com