IAE Newsletter





The free IAE Newsletter and its derivative publications are specifically oriented toward educators, parents, and others who are seriously interested in improving the world’s education systems. All back issues are available free. See http://i-a-e.org/iae-newsletter.html.

Free IAE Books by David Moursund and Robert Sylwester
Here are seven books based on IAE Newsletter materials.


 * Sylwester, R. & Moursund, D., eds. (1/2/2017). The Joy of Learning. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Download the PDF file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/292-the-joy-of-learning-1.html. Download the Microsoft Word file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/291-the-joy-of-learning.html.

The Joy of Learning is a free IAE book based on a series of recently published IAE Newsletters (IAE, 2016). Robert Sylwester served as co-editor of the IAE Newsletter for many years and was co-editor of six previous IAE Newsletter books. This book is dedicated to Bob, who died August 5, 2016, which was somewhat before writing and editing of this book was completed. A number of tributes to Bob from his many colleagues and friends are included in the book.

Some students really enjoy school, some say they hate it, and most fall between these extremes. The Joy of Learning explores how to improve education by making it more enjoyable to students—as well as to teachers, parents, and others interested in improving education.


 * Moursund, D. & Sylwester, R., eds. (10/9/2015). Validity and credibility of information. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Download a free Microsoft Word file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/275-validity-and-credibility-of-information/file.html. Download a free PDF file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/277-validity-and-credibility-of-information-2/file.html.

This 87-page book is for teachers, parents, and others interested in improving K-12 education. It is based on 17 recent IAE Newsletters. The overarching message is that students need to learn to identify, access, understand, and use valid, credible information.

Validity describes concepts, conclusions, and/or measurements that are logically and factually sound. They are based on good reasoning, careful research, accurate information, and informed judgment. A research instrument or test is considered to be valid if it adequately measures what it purports to measure.

Credible is an adjective meaning believable, plausible, tenable, likely, probable, reasonable, and so on. We talk about the credibility of a person in terms of the credibility of the person’s allegations and claims. A person who routinely makes invalid allegations and claims is considered to not be credible. A number of websites do fact checking (often focusing on what politicians are saying and/or on common myths) and we can make use of these sites as an aid to determining the credibility of a person.


 * Moursund, D. & Sylwester, R., eds. (April, 2015). Education for Students' Futures. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Download the PDF File from  http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/269-education-for-students-futures-1.html. Download the Microsoft Word File from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/free-ebooks-by-dave-moursund/268-education-for-students-futures.html.

This is 116-page book edited by David Moursund and Robert Sylwester, and published by Information Age Education. The intended audience is preservice and inservice K-12 teachers, teachers of teachers, parents of school-age children, and others interested in our educational system. The book has multiple authors, although Moursund and Sylwester together have written well over half of the chapters.

The book's 22 chapters are arranged into four sections that describe major societal changes from the Industrial Revolution to the expected Technological Singularity (some time in the future in when computers will be smarter than humans).


 * Sylwester, R., & Moursund, D., eds. (March, 2014). Understanding and Mastering Complexity. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Download the PDF file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/256-understanding-and-mastering-complexity.html. Download the Microsoft Word file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/255-understanding-and-mastering-complexity.html.

This book is designed for people interested in exploring ways that informal and formal education can help all of us to deal more easily with the complexity of many of our problems and tasks.

Progress in research and development helps to simplify some complex problems, and also can add to the complexity of others. For example, our authors consider the rapidly growing understanding of the human brain. They explore some of the ways in which the education profession has had to shift its perspective from a lack of understanding of functional brain organization to one in which such understanding can help to provide a foundation for improving our educational systems.

Or, consider Information and Communication Technology (ICT), a major change agent. Children who grow up making routine use of ICT do not view this “complexity” in the same manner as adults who find some aspects of this rapidly changing technology to be such a challenge. These are only two of the complexities we are working to understand and master.


 * Sylwester, R., & Moursund, D., eds. (June, 2013). Consciousness and morality: Recent research developments. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Free 48-page book. Microsoft Word file. PDF file.

Morality is a human issue because we're a social species. Researchers thus wondered if morality emerged when social mammals discovered the values of cooperative behavior, or sometime after humans arrived. Two widely held historic beliefs are that moral behavior:


 * Is inspired by deities, and/or,
 * Requires the rational level of mind that only humans have.

Chapters 1-4 synthesize recent biological consciousness research and chapters 5-6 biological morality research. Chapter 7 presents the alternate historical, philosophical, and theological perspective of consciousness and morality. The scholars whose work is synthesized don't necessarily agree with each other, but that's all right. Collegial disagreements tend to move a field forward.


 * Moursund, D., & Sylwester, R., eds. (March, 2013). Common Core State Standards for K-12 education in America. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. The book is available free. See http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/249-common-core-state-standards-for-k-12-education-in-america.html for the Microsoft Word document and http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/248-common-core-state-standards-for-k-12-education-in-america.html for the PDF.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) initiative began in the United States in 2010. Its initial emphasis on Math and English Language Arts has grown to include Science and History/Social Studies. The CCSS will likely become a significant area of national curricular and testing concern in the years ahead.

Recently, Information Age Education has published a series of ten IAE Newsletters on CCSS. These ten newsletters have been integrated into a 69-page book, Common Core State Standards for K-12 Education in America. The set of newsletters has been augmented by an appendix, Goals of Education in the United States.

This book is an experiment in a new way to assemble an edited collection of writings. Chapter 10 of the book contains a brief introduction to a number of topics that are suitable for making into additional chapters. Potential authors interested in adding to the book are invited to contact David Moursund (moursund@uorgon.edu) or Robert Sylwester (bobsyl@uoregon.edu) about submitting a chapter based on Chapter 10 ideas or other ideas of their own choice. The book will “grow” as new chapters are integrated into it.


 * Sylwester, R., & Moursund, D., eds. (August, 2012). Creating an appropriate 21st century education. Eugene, OR: Information Age Education. Download the PDF file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/243-creating-an-appropriate-21st-century-education.html and the Microsoft Word file from http://i-a-e.org/downloads/doc_download/242-creating-an-appropriate-21st-century-education.html.

This free 103-page book contains a series of 20 Information Age Education Newsletters that explore various elements of the educational issues that will confront our society during the 21st century. The principal focus of the series is on the dramatic developments currently occurring in the cognitive neurosciences and in computer technology. These promise to play an especially significant role in reshaping educational policy and practice.

The authors of the articles are all widely known and respected for their work in the areas in which they write. They were asked to select a general issue that they consider important to 21st century education and to discuss the elements of it that they consider especially significant to educators. Some authors focus on simply exploring the issue itself and others also suggest educational applications.

Other Free IAE Books
For free IAE books by David Moursund, go to http://i-a-e.org/free-iae-books.html.

For free IAE books by Bob Albrecht, go to http://i-a-e.org/list-of-bob-albrechts-books.html.

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