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Knowledge Network for Innovations in Learning and Teaching (KNILT)
There is a growing demand for schools to produce a citizenry with 21st century capabilities. Among these 21st century capabilities, the ability of collaborative problem solving and knowledge creation is paramount. In response to this demand, dozens of innovative learning programs have emerged, with a shared focus on engaging students as active agents of knowledge construction instead of only consumers of knowledge. Some examples include: Teaching for Understanding (Perkins & Blythe, 1994), Project-Based Science (Krajcik & Blumenfeld, 2006), Knowledge Building/Knowledge Forum (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 1999), Knowledge Integration and WISE (Linn et al., 2003), etc. Technology provides strong support in the implementations of these programs.
The "Knowledge Network for Innovations in Learning and Teaching (KNILT)" project represents the collective work of the graduate classes taught by Dr. Jianwei Zhang at the University at Albany, including ETAP 623 Systematic Design of Instruction, ETAP 687 Knowledge Media for Creative Learning. Our goal is to use our knowledge of instructional design and learning technologies to produce a suite of professional development resources, represented as a Wiki site, that can help teachers of different levels to understand new learning approaches and environments. Drawing on the open nature of wiki, we have a long-term goal to open these resources to broad teachers and involve them as both users and contributors. They can learn from these research-based resources and further contribute their ideas, questions, classroom design cases, experimentations, and reflections on the barriers and advances, so that they can become an important part of the innovation processes. Deep, sustainable learning innovation relies on the bottom-up innovativeness of school teachers. We may name such a role as "grassroot innovators".
About Us
The Knowledge Network for Innovations in Learning and Teaching (KNILT) is collectively initiated and developed by members of the ETAP 623 (Systematic Design of Instruction) and ETAP 687 (Knowledge Media for Creative Learning) classes at School of Education, University at Albany - SUNY. As a community, we are deeply interested in transforming and improving schools through the design and application of innovative learning environments.
Current Classes
Class members, please use the following links to go to your class' space.
ETAP 623 Fall 2008: Systematic Design of Instruction
ETAP 687 Fall 2008: Knowledge Media for Creative Learning
Index of Existing Resources
This network is maintained by the Technology and Collaborative Creativity in Learning (TaCCL) Lab University at Albany, SUNY
