Toggle open

Learning First, Technology Second, New from ISTE Books, Shows Teachers How to Design Authentic, Measurable Lessons

Press release blue
March 23, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C.— March 23, 2017—
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®), the premier source for books on education technology, today announced its latest publication, Learning First, Technology Second: The Educator’s Guide to Designing Authentic Lessons.

Learning with technology doesn’t happen because a specific tool “revolutionizes” education. It happens when proven teaching strategies intersect with technology tools, and yet it’s not uncommon for teachers to use a tool because it’s “fun” or because the developer promises it will help students learn.

In Learning First, Technology Second, author and educator Liz Kolb presents her “Triple E Framework,” designed to help teachers move from arbitrary uses of technology in their classrooms to thoughtful ways of adding value to student learning.

While there are existing technology integration frameworks available to educators, many of them lack an explicit practical focus on learning goals. The Triple E Framework was designed with student outcomes in mind. Its three components are: engagement in learning goals, enhancement of learning goals and extension of learning goals. Using this framework, educators can focus first on the learning and then find the tools that help meet their goals.

Readers will become acquainted with the framework as Kolb shares how it was created, how it compares to other frameworks and how it can be implemented.

The book offers strategies for using technology to create authentic learning experiences and a template for planning lessons that incorporate technology use. A chapter of case studies shows how teachers have created lessons, incorporating tools from wikis to virtual reality, that satisfy all three components of the Triple E Framework.

Kolb is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan. She is the author of several books and has been a featured and keynote speaker at conferences throughout the U.S. and Canada. She blogs at cellphonesinlearning.com.

In the introduction, she writes, “In my 20 years of teaching, I have found that technology almost always engages students. However, over the last six years, I have come to understand that there are different types of engagement when it comes to technology tools. Authentic engagement is not about using a specific technology tool; rather it puts the learning outcomes first and the technology choices second. This book shares what authentic engagement looks like, sounds like and feels like in learning.”

The book will be released on March 30, 2017, and is available for preorder at www.iste.org/resources.


About ISTE
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the premier membership organization serving educators and education leaders committed to empowering connected learners in a connected world. ISTE serves more than 100,000 education stakeholders throughout the world.

Innovative offerings include the widely adopted ISTE Standards for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age - as well as the ISTE Conference & Expo -the world's most comprehensive edtech event. The organization's robust suite of professional learning resources feature online courses, consulting services for schools and districts, books, and peer-reviewed journals and publications. For more information, visit iste.org. Subscribe to ISTE's YouTube channel and connect with ISTE on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.