Our Favorite Classroom Technology Books

Why do teachers need to read classroom technology books? Because, frankly speaking, never have the stakes been higher in education.

With the explosion of new technologies everyday, how do you possibly keep up with all the trends and changes happening in education? Curious how technology is fitting into the whole scheme of things or even just your individual classroom?

...That's where our Bookshelf comes in!

We've picked out some of our favorite classroom technology books to point you in the right direction toward uncovering some of the hottest educational trends in classroom technology. We've also included some classroom technology books specific to using clickers in the classroom.

So, take your time and browse our favorite classroom technology books at your leisure. Pick a book. Share it with colleagues. Underline in it, mark it up, star the parts you want to implement in your classroom, discuss it with your colleagues.

Take what you want and make it work for you and your students. Then come back and see us again!

Teaching with Classroom Response Systems: Creating Active Learning Environments
by Derek Bruff

Newly released in February 2009, this book by Derek Bruff, an assistant director at the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching, is the latest book to be published about teaching with classroom response systems.

Introduced to classroom response systems by Harvard University physics professor Eric Mazur, Derek Bruff first used clickers while teaching in the Harvard mathematics department. Now, after seven years of experience using clickers in his own classroom, Derek Bruff has put together a book that "explores key strategies, ideas, and suggestions for successfully incorporating a classroom response system in a class of any size."

This book features descriptions and examples of activities that make good use of response systems, and the focus of the book is more on teaching with clickers rather than on the specific technology, which is constantly changing. The book also contains illustrative examples of the range of questions that can be used response systems.

Read Derek Bruff's recent interview by Inside Higher Ed about the new book.

Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives
by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser

A brand new book that should be considered essential reading for parents and teachers who want to know more about the digital natives, i.e. their kids and students.

Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning!
by Marc Prensky

This book was suggested to us by Jody Oliver of California, who does teacher trainings for CTAP, a California Department of Education grant funded division that exists all over California. Jody says this is a "great book in support of technology and engagement."

With our own little 4th grade gamer who has graduated from JumpStart Preschool to Civilization IV, we have a special place in our heart for all things Marc Prensky, so we're making sure it's on the list!

Here's Jody's summary of the book...

"A must read for every parent and educator of any child pre-K through college! Marc Prensky shares his philosophy of the gaming industry as it relates to today's 'digital native' student. He 'talks' with you through this book not so much as to convince you but in stating the facts. After personally meeting Mr. Prensky, hearing him present, and seeing him interact with students in the process of 'collecting' his data, his book became a research-based strategy on today's student. His book explains how kids are not like we were back in school and shares a detailed look at the advantages for students in our 21st Century world. As a teacher for over twenty years, his dialogue with students, his perspective on 'edutainment', and how we can begin to reach a new engaging and interactive dimension with our kids creates a paradigm shift necessary for education today."

Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (ASCD)
by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock

Explains the nine identified instructional strategies most likely to improve student achievement across all content areas and across all grade levels. A MUST read!

Using Technology With Classroom Instruction That Works
by Howard Pitler

Make sure and find the actual screenshots from CPS software on pages 46-48!

Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition
by Grant P. Wiggins and Jay McTighe

With feedback from teachers worldwide, the expanded is even better! A great book for designing a "backward-designed" curriculum for today's high-stakes, standards-based environment.

Clickers in the Classroom: How to Enhance Science Teaching Using Classroom Response Systems
by Douglas Duncan

In this book, Dr. Duncan, a professor at CU, explains how clickers can transform the classroom. You can peruse the forward by Erik Mazur and Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 by clicking on the links.

Peer Instruction: A User's Manual
by Eric Mazur

Eric Mazur's Peer Instruction Model is one that many higher education instructors are incorporating with clickers in their lectures.

CLICK HERE to suggest your favorite classroom technology books to add to the list! Let us know the title and author, tell us what you liked about the book, and and we'll add it to our reading list. The great classroom technology books will appear on our ET Bookshelf!