From Fear to Facebook: One School's Journey [Paperback]

Matt Levinson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2010 | ISBN-10: 1564842703 | ISBN-13: 978-1564842701

This title is a finalist in the ForeWord Reviews 2010 Book of the Year Award in the Education category.

In 2007 Matt Levinson moved from New Jersey to California to start a 1-to-1 laptop program at the Nueva School, confident that his knowledge of technology would help him accomplish this goal. He never imagined the challenges he and Nueva would face. So that other schools and educators can learn from Nueva's lessons, Levinson shares his experience integrating a laptop program and how teachers, students, and parents discovered, dealt with, and overcame challenges. Honesty and insightful anecdotes make this an indispensable guide for everyone looking for a path away from fear and into the future of education.

Topics include:

-1-to-1 laptop programs
-technology integration
-technology implementation
-school laptops

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy and leadership for innovation. ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and ISTE's annual conference (formerly known as the National Educational Computing Conference, or NECC), ISTE represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education.

Some of the areas in which we publish are:
-Web. 2.0 in the classroom-RSS, podcasts, and more
-National Educational Technology Standards (NETS)
-Professional development for educators and administrators
-Integrating technology into the classroom and curriculum
-Safe practices for the Internet and technology
-Educational technology for parents

Editorial Reviews

Review

From Fear to Facebook is an insider's view of the journey from peril to possibility with digital media in school communities. Matt Levinson gives a clear picture of how communities need to work together to create safe, innovative opportunities for kids to learn with digital media. From Fear to Facebook tells the story of the cultural shift happening in schools with technology and provides a road map for how to navigate this sea change with buy-in from all key stakeholders. The stories [Levinson] shares are grounded in the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that accompany digital media. From Fear to Facebook should be required reading for schools looking to figure out how to optimize technology to enhance teaching and learning. -----Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media

Matt Levinson has written a stimulating, provocative book about the educational opportunities and challenges posed by the new digital media. --Howard Gardner

Matt Levinson has written a stimulating, provocative book about the educational opportunities and challenges posed by the new digital media. --Howard Gardner

About the Author

Matt Levinson is the assistant head at the Nueva School in Hillsborough, California. Levinson writes and speaks about education and technology and has been published in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Education Week, and Teacher Magazine. Prior to moving into school administration, he taught middle and upper school history for 14 years at Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: International Society for Technology in Education (August 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1564842703
• ISBN-13: 978-1564842701
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.3 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #885,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Matt Levinson is the author of From Fear to Facebook: One School's Journey. He has been an educator for over 17 years, and he writes and blogs about technology, schools, and parenting. Matt has been published in Education Week, Teacher Magazine, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit his blog at fromfeartofacebook.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for educators considering the impact of technology September 26, 2010

By gbs

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

From Fear to Facebook tells us that schools must embrace technology, and in doing so come to terms with the digital divide that separates children from adults. Levinson's book delivers this message by telling the story of his school's journey, and the story is fascinating. His witty anecdotes should help to calm any educator who is jittery about the challenge of introducing technology (in this case, a 1:1 laptop program) at school. It's a terrific read, as well as an informative guide.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great guide for parents and schools September 19, 2010

By M. Espinosa

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Buy this book if you want to expand your appreciation of the real challenges and opportunities facing schools, teachers, students and parents as technology continues to surround us. Buy another and consider giving it to your child's teacher. This book is full of stories about how a school in Northern California found itself looking for solutions to the very problems about technology and education most schools and parents will soon encounter (if they haven't already). Read it once through to absorb the stories, but keep it close by to reference the practical takeaways (nicely summarized in the final chapter).

This book doesn't want to scare schools or parents; it focuses heavily on how we can make the most of the fabulous opportunities that laptops, social networks, email, skype, iphones etc., provide our kids. By showing how the author's school struggled with technology outpacing their agreed upon plans and norms, the book successfully proposes a way to a safer, richer learning environment where limits, continuous training, and parental involvement are well understood to go hand in hand with the newest gadget, gizmos, and applications that continually charm their way into our kids' lives. As the title says, it is one school's journey -- but it's a path many parents, teachers, and administrators will find immediately familiar.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book! September 9, 2010

By Lisa H.

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A great book for all parents and educators interested in education and technology. Well written and extremely accessible, this book lays out the challenges and opportunities for students and schools in the digital age. Levinson uses real life experiences as a teacher, administrator, and parent to illustrate his points.