Stephanie Smith Budhai, Ph.D. Assistant Professor		Laura Taddei, Ed.D. Assistant Professor

If teachers want to ensure that students are prepared for college and careers, they need to make certain that classroom instruction fosters 21st century skills, including the “4Cs” -- critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity -- identified as competencies crucial for success in education and the workplace.

That’s the premise of Teaching the 4 C’s with Technology: How Do I Use 21st Century Tools to Teach 21st Century Skills? a new book by Neumann professors Stephanie Budhai and Laura Taddei. The book, slated to be available on October 30, is published by ASCD Arias, the publishing wing of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

According to the ASCD website, “The authors emphasize rigorous uses of technology, focusing on its end-goal -- improving student outcomes -- rather than technology for its own sake. An in-depth discussion of how technology can promote the learning of the 4 Cs and numerous practical strategies to help support the development of each subskill are included.”

“The book came about from a mutual interest between colleagues in helping teachers use technology tools to do things they could not otherwise do,” said Dr. Taddei. “We wanted to provide practical tools and suggestions to teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches on ways to use technology to teach the 4 Cs. Thoughtful and intentional technology integration can help learners not only master these skills but share what they are learning with the world.”

Dr. Budhai has nine years of PK-16 teaching experience and is in her fourth year as an assistant professor at Neumann, serving also as the director of graduate education in the Division of Education and Human Services. She holds a Ph.D. in learning technologies from Drexel University, a M.Ed. in counseling and personnel services from the University of Maryland College Park, and a B.S.Ed. in elementary and special education from Temple University.

Dr. Taddei is assistant professor of education at Neumann, where she is in her third year teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising undergraduate students, and coordinating adult learners in an accelerated BA program for early childhood professionals. She completed her BA in business at Immaculata University, her master’s degree in education with certification in K-6 elementary education from Cabrini College, and her doctorate in higher education leadership from Widener University.

To order Teaching with Technology, please visit the ASCD Online Store by clicking HERE