Remixing the Curriculum: The Teacher’s Guide to Technology in the Classroom

Remixing the Curriculum offers educators a way to rethink traditional curricular approaches through a “curricular remix,” a concept in which a curriculum becomes different from its original form, retaining its basic foundational elements, but experiencing a metamorphosis to create a new version. Remixing the Curriculum suggests that the way to develop curriculum to maximize student access and engagement is to employ essential elements of traditional pedagogy, but infuse it with technology to create new features through the X Framework (XFW). XFW capitalizes on four essential features of educators’ practice and learning: Technology Fitness, in which a teacher self-evaluates their comfort level using technology; Proactive Teaching, which front-loads the planning and preparation for instruction to prior to implementation; Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a set of principles which guide the conditions for learning, including flexible learning environments to accommodate individual learning differences; and Assistive Technology, technology to improve the capabilities of students with disabilities. At the intersection of these four quadrants is X, which serves as a fulcrum for access to the curriculum.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Dr. Richard Jackson Acknowledgements Part One: The Technology Mindset Chapter 1: The X Framework Chapter 2: Technology Fitness Chapter 3: Proactive Teaching & Universal Design for Learning Chapter 4: Assistive Technology Chapter 5: Remixing School Culture with Technology Part Two: Remixing the Classroom Chapter 6: Technology as a Classroom Pillar Chapter 7: Lecture 2.0 Chapter 8: Innovations (Maker Education & Gaming Education) Chapter 9: Show What You Know Chapter 10: Repurposing Practice About the Authors

About the Author :
Elizabeth Stringer Keefeis a teacher educator and researcher at the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University, where she serves as faculty coordinator of Graduate Studies in Autism and regularly teaches about technology for curriculum and communication. Her research focuses on the preparation of special education teachers and teacher education policy. Adam Steiner is a technology integration specialist for the Holliston Public Schools and recently completed his PhD at Boston College with a focus on curriculum, instruction, and technology. He is a lifelong resident of Framingham, Massachusetts where he lives with his wife and two children.

Review :
Stringer Keefe (education, Lesley University) and Steiner (technology/instruction, Boston College) bring current methodologies and theories to technology and instruction in K–12 through an innovative approach called the X Framework (XFW). It is composed of four pieces: technology fitness, proactive teaching, universal design for learning, and assistive technology. Seasoned teachers through education students will find the X Framework approachable and well supported by research. The book is organized into two parts: “The Technology Mindset” and “Remixing the Classroom.” The authors contend that XFW can shift educators out of traditional practices that do not address all students’ needs. Different learning needs, styles, and backgrounds demand a practice that provides an “increased opportunity to access the curriculum.” Stringer Keefe and Steiner also provide straightforward and accessible information about classroom technology approaches, devices, hardware, software, and programs that can inspire all educators to try something new and remold their classrooms. Included at the end of the book is a helpful reference list that encourages further research, reading, and exploration. The content focuses on current K–12 teachers, but preservice education students will also gain valuable insights into the realities, challenges, and opportunities of K–12 teaching. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals and practitioners. This impressive book on technology for all students will do for you what the authors did for me in persuading me why technology matters in education. The book is inspiring, smart and sassy. It shows you that you must get fit and not just competent in your use of technology. If you ever doubted the value of technology in education, the authors show you why it’s imperative for some students in enabling them to access and express their learning, and good for all students to push their learning further. This inspiring, thoughtful and incredibly practical book is full of big ideas and detailed strategies that will enable you to make learning work for everyone and show you how to do it with the best digital tools available. It is often difficult for teachers to juggle the demands of the curriculum while also trying to integrate technology with purpose and improve outcomes, all while bringing more context to student learning. With the X Framework, the authors present an innovative pathway that incorporates sound research and pedagogical strategies to help teachers successfully implement digital tools across the curriculum. Remixing the Curriculum is a must-have resource for all educators who are ready to innovate traditional curricular approaches to improve their teaching and learning outcomes. Building on 4 essential elements of traditional pedagogy, Stringer Keefe and Steiner recommend practical high-impact strategies for infusing technology through their X Framework (XFW) as a means to make teacher practice more active, engaging and inclusive.