http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ A search of MERLOT materials Copyright 1997-2013 MERLOT. All rights reserved. Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:59 PDT Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:59 PDT http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/images/merlot.gif http://www.merlot.org:80/merlot/ 44 34 http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=378662 Free eBookThe mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is to establish "high and rigorous standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, to certify teachers who meet those standards, and to advance other education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in American schools." In response to a request from the U.S. Congress, the National Research Council developed a framework for evaluating programs that award advanced-level teacher certification and applied that framework in an evaluation of the impacts of the NBPTS. Specifically, this book addresses the impacts on students, teachers, and the educational system in this country. Assessing Accomplished Teaching finds that teachers who earn board certification are more effective at improving their students' achievement than other teachers, but school systems vary greatly in the extent to which they recognize and make use of board-certified teachers. Many of the questions on the evaluation framework could not be answered because the data have not been collected, and the report makes recommendations for the kinds of research that are needed to fully evaluate the impacts of board certification by the NBPTS. http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=518611 ״Nationally recognized experts in the field of educational leadership and administration contribute to this book, with chapters focused on the past, present, and future of the preparation of our nation's school leaders. Every field of professional practice must periodically reflect on its past, assess current conditions, and chart a course for the future. This book is designed to stimulate thinking and action for the field of educational leadership. The authors portray historical achievements and short comings, describe what is transpiring now, and explore implications of current developments.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=442474 This is a free, open textbook that is part of the Connexions collection at Rice University. Although it is classified there as a course, it is clearly a textbook. According to the authors, "Leadership is both objective and subjective. Some of our critics have suggested that we overemphasize the objective aspect of leadership: facts, data, and test scores. Others state we spend too much time addressing leadership at the expense of the actual management of schools. At the same time leadership is subjective, in that it involves the feelings, beliefs, and values of others. I might suggest that management as we define it, is closer to the objective side of leadership – and leadership as we define it, is closely aligned with the subjective side. In many respects, I have wondered if we have not caused confusion and misunderstanding in our profession by insisting on a difference between management and leadership. This dichotomy may have not served us well. The eight nationally recognized authors represented in Educational Administration: The Roles of Leadership and Management clearly address both sides of this dichotomy – and do so in meaningful and understandable ways. And they present meaningful dialogue on the important aspect of management. Yes, the pendulum seems to swing back and forth, as lead author Dembowski states. But all eight authors make this point: Leadership and management are both important functions, but they have different purposes and they seek to obtain different outcomes. This is truly a great addition to the knowledge base in educational administration.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=519527 Although the book is available for sale, one can also read it here for free. ״As digital technologies are expanding the power and reach of research, they are also raising complex issues. These include complications in ensuring the validity of research data; standards that do not keep pace with the high rate of innovation; restrictions on data sharing that reduce the ability of researchers to verify results and build on previous research; and huge increases in the amount of data being generated, creating severe challenges in preserving that data for long-term use. Ensuring the Integrity, Accessibility, and Stewardship of Research Data in the Digital Age examines the consequences of the changes affecting research data with respect to three issues - integrity, accessibility, and stewardship-and finds a need for a new approach to the design and the management of research projects. The report recommends that all researchers receive appropriate training in the management of research data, and calls on researchers to make all research data, methods, and other information underlying results publicly accessible in a timely manner. The book also sees the stewardship of research data as a critical long-term task for the research enterprise and its stakeholders. Individual researchers, research institutions, research sponsors, professional societies, and journals involved in scientific, engineering, and medical research will find this book an essential guide to the principles affecting research data in the digital age.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=440115 This is a free, online wikibook, so it is continually being updated and refined. According to the authors, "This is a handbook for doctoral students in the Ed.D. in Educational Studies Program at the University of Northern Colorado. We started to write it in the Fall of 2008, and will continue indefiniitely, as long as there is a doctoral program at the School of Teacher Education. Everyone can edit pages, and add new pages. Both students and faculty are welcome to share their findings and tips. SOme of the content is institution-specific, and some may be of interest to doc students in Education from other programs.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=442478 This is a free, open textbook that is part of the Connexions collection at Rice University. According to the author, "This book is a collection of inter-disciplinary essays regarding immigration in the United States and Spain...This book was germinated a result of a recent academic symposium in Spain. At that time, the editors reflected on how wonderful it would be to disseminate the most critical components affecting immigration in the world today via print form. The first great effort was a book printed in Spanish with Toma Calvo Buezas as the editor. The editors of this current book worked with several of the symposium presenters to develop a book in English that would be of interest to not only leaders, educators, and/or academicians, but also to a broader readership.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=442497 This is a free, open textbook that is part of the Connexions collection at Rice University. Although it is classified as an online course there, it is actually a textbook. According to the author, "Our goals and purpose of this book are aimed at advancing understanding in areas relating to educational leadership and administration, and to enhance the capability and efficacy of university programs. We are focused on developing better methods of pedagogy and instruction to help bring about more effective academic and professional development programs for all doctoral students and faculty in educational administration. Finally, we strive to create more effective pathways and networks for exchanging new understandings and viable strategies among persons working to advance educational administration. The contributors collectively address numerous areas of the field related to the theme of better preparing school leaders in doctoral programs. Some of the specific topics include program accreditation, design and delivery, innovations in educational leadership, curricular and instructional improvement, dissertation conventions and writing, self-reflection and professional growth, social justice in leadership and learning, and mentoring theory and practice.״ http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=347804 The emergence of the networked information economy is unleashing two powerful forces. On one hand, easy access to high-speed networks is empowering individuals. People can now discover and consume information resources and services globally from their homes. Further, new social computing approaches are inviting people to share in the creation and edification of information on the Internet. Empowerment of the individual -- or consumerization -- is reducing the individual's reliance on traditional brick-and-mortar institutions in favor of new and emerging virtual ones. Second, ubiquitous access to high-speed networks along with network standards, open standards and content, and techniques for virtualizing hardware, software, and services is making it possible to leverage scale economies in unprecedented ways. What appears to be emerging is industrial-scale computing -- a standardized infrastructure for delivering computing power, network bandwidth, data storage and protection, and services. Comsumerization and industrialization beg the question "Is this the end of the middle?״; that is, what will be the role of "enterprise" IT in the future? Indeed, the bigger question is what will become of all of our intermediating institutions? This volume examines the impact of IT on higher education and on the IT organization in higher education.