Teach Boldly (ebook)

Using Edtech for Social Good

By Jennifer Williams

ISBN: 9781564847928

Published: October 2019

Length: 232 pages

Table of Contents

Read excerpt

Interview with the author on BAM Radio

“This inclusive, inspiring title invites readers to reflect on the intersections of pedagogy, educational technology, and global citizenship, as well as to take action, both in and out of the classroom....Williams suggests a variety of tech tools and offers practical ideas for using them in instructional spaces, with a consistent focus on centering and empowering students, connecting with others, building empathy and creating change for the global good. She also emphasizes inquiry-based learning, activism and digital citizenship, and incorporates vignettes, student work and project samples, and interviews with educators from around the world to illustrate the possibilities.

“VERDICT An engaging and accessible guide for educators.” -- Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elem. Sch., Elkins Park, PA, School Library Journal

Transformational education leader Jennifer Williams offers design- and empathy-driven practices to help teachers activate positive change in student learning.

Today’s students are ready to design, dream and MAKE the future. Teach Boldly: Using Edtech for Social Good is a guide for educators ready to apply innovative practices, meaningful technology use and global collaboration to drive the change they want to see in the world. Readers will learn how to create a customized plan for education innovation, with strategies for constructing agile classroom environments, digital storytelling and communicating across lines of difference, and prioritizing feedback and active listening.

This book:

• Showcases the power of narrative and bringing focus to the need for storytelling in education.
• Offers direction for seeking out authentic feedback and steps for iterating on ideas, emphasizing preservation of voice and creative expression.
• Discusses learning space design through the lens of empathy and amplification of student voice.
• Provides easy-to-implement ideas for transforming learning and classroom culture through space.

With inspiration from real-world peaceMAKERS in education, Teach Boldly invites readers to create ready-to-go action plans for themselves as educators, for classroom communities and for the global community.

Audience: K-12 educators

About the Author

Jennifer Williams, Ed.D., has dedicated herself to the education field for over 20 years through her roles as a professor, school administrator, literacy specialist and classroom teacher. In her current work as the co-founder and executive director for the nonprofit Take Action Global, Williams helps build schools in refugee camps and remote areas of Africa, Asia and South America, and supports global school programs to empower students and teachers to take action on social good. She’s the co-founder of TeachSDGs, the United Nations-appointed organization that’s connected more than 30,000 international educators to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals. She’s a professor at Saint Leo University in the College of Education and the College of Graduate Education, and she champions teachers, preservice teachers and students to prepare for their futures in a world that will prioritize ingenuity, innovation and exploration. Williams writes for Edutopia, Education Week and the International Literacy Association, and is the co-founder of Edcamp Tampa Bay and Edcamp Literacy. She’s a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, a Kahoot! Founding Ambassador, a Nearpod PioNear and a Squirrels Alpha Squirrel. In 2016, Williams was named No. 33 on the list of 200 Top Education Influencers by Onalytica; in 2017 she was named No. 13 of the Top Women Edtech Influencers based on her work in education and educational technology. 

More Reviews

“Apart from the very relevant (and needed) focus on educating for social good, one of the greatest strengths of Teach Boldly is its abundance of tools, projects, and design ideas, with real-world examples...From the human-centered design of Google’s Next Lab to leveraging Adobe Spark and Weebly for digital storytelling, the book is imbued with inspirational profiles and examples of educators and students who are deeply involved in doing good while teaching and learning well.” -- Henno Kotzé, English Australia Journal

“A superb resource for educators who are looking to incorporate lessons for social good into their classroom and design learning experiences that help students see the impact they can have not only in their classroom or school, but on a global scale. The enormous collection of resources, real-world examples, tips, and strategies provide a wealth of ideas that teachers can draw on. Plus, Williams has done a wonderful job writing about social good in an approachable and accessible way, with plenty of entry points and onramps for teachers who have never done this type of work before.” -- Mike Karlin, Edtech Roundup