Учебная литература
Различные книги в жанре Учебная литератураThe Learning Leader
“We can’t do that in our school district.” “I don’t have time to add that to my curriculum.” “We’re fighting against impossible odds with these students.”
Effective school leadership does not have to be a losing battle. In The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better Results, Douglas B. Reeves helps leadership teams go beyond excuses to capitalize on their strengths and reduce their weaknesses. He introduces the Leadership for Learning Framework, which challenges readers to consider that student achievement is more than a set of test scores. Reeves asserts that when leaders focus exclusively on results, they fail to measure and understand the importance of their own actions. Instead, he encourages leaders to use the Leadership for Learning Framework to look deeper into their results. The framework helps leaders distinguish between “Lucky” educators, who achieve high results but don’t understand their actions, and “Leading” educators, who achieve high results and understand how their actions influence their success. From conducting strategic planning to evaluating projects to organizing leadership teams, The Learning Leader will help leaders reconceptualize their leadership role and motivate their colleagues. Reeves urges teachers and administrators to become more efficient and focused leaders, but most important, he charges them to be better educators for their students.
Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction
What makes mathematics so confusing to students? To succeed in the study of arithmetic, geometry, or algebra, students must learn what is effectively a second language of mathematical terms and symbols. In Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction , Joan M. Kenney and her coauthors describe common ways in which students misinterpret the language of mathematics, and show teachers what they can do to ensure that their students become fluent in that language. The authors synthesize the research on what it takes to decode mathematical text, explain how teachers can use guided discourse and graphic representations to help students develop mathematical literacy skills, offer guidance on using action research to enhance mathematics instruction, and discuss the importance of student-centered learning and concept-building skills in the classroom. Real-life vignettes of student struggles illuminate the profound effect of literacy problems on student achievement in mathematics. This book will help teachers better understand their students' difficulties with mathematics and take the steps necessary to alleviate them. Abundantly researched and filled with helpful strategies and resources, it is an invaluable resource for mathematics teachers at all levels. Note: This product listing is for the reflowable (ePub) version of the book.
The Technology Fix
During the technology boom of the 1980s and 1990s, computers seemed set to revolutionize education. Do any of these promises sound familiar? * Technology would help all students learn better, thanks to multimedia programs capable of adapting to individual needs, learning styles, and skill levels.* Technology would transform the teacher's role from a purveyor of a one-size-fits-all curriculum to a facilitator of student exploration.* Technology would replace static textbooks with dynamic, interactive learning resources that were always up-to-date.* Technology would boost test scores, as engaged and motivated students acquired advanced skills, problem-solving abilities, and a growing thirst for knowledge. By 2001, educational materials developer William D. Pflaum had begun to suspect that technology was not the all-purpose solution it had seemed. He decided to see how computers were really being used in U.S. classrooms and embarked on a yearlong road trip to a cross-section of elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the nation. In this book, he recounts his journey. Although he did find technology application to admire, too often he found broken promises: millions spent for little measurable gain, problems instead of solutions, a fix instead of a fix. This inside look at computer use in our schools shares the voices, experiences, triumphs, and frustrations of educators and students in urban, rural, and suburban settings. The author provides insight into the key roles that computers currently play in the classroom and clarifies what we must do ensure that the promise of technology is fulfilled . . . and that students truly benefit. Note: This product listing is for the reflowable (ePub) version of the book.
The First Amendment in Schools
What are the First Amendment rights? How do you resolve questions about the rights of students, educators, and parents in a school setting? The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the most basic and cherished rights of society–religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly. Anyone who wants to know more about those freedoms in the context of schools will find The First Amendment in Schools a rich resource for study and application. The book includes * An explanation of the origins of the First Amendment* A concise, chronological history of 50 legal cases, including many landmark decisions, involving the First Amendment in public schools* Answers to frequently asked questions about the practice of the First Amendment in schools, covering specific issues of religious liberty, free speech, and press as they affect school prayer, use of school facilities, dress and speech codes, student press, book selection, and curriculum* General information on First Amendment expression and practice in schools* Information on more than 60 educational and advocacy programs and organizations for First Amendment resources* A profile of First Amendment Schools This book provides a civic and legal framework for giving all members of the school community–students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members–a real voice in shaping the life of the school. Note: This product listing is for the reflowable (ePub) version of the book.
Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement
Following the publication of Building Leadership Capacity in Schools in 1998, Linda Lambert visited educators around the world to see how they had applied the ideas presented in her book to their schools and districts. Though everyone she spoke with agreed on the importance of high leadership capacity, they also had many questions about how best to achieve this goal. Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement is the author's attempt to answer those questions. The book begins by outlining the five major prerequisites for high leadership capacity: * Skillful participation in the work of leadership*Inquiry-based use of data to inform decisions and practice*Broad involvement and collective responsibility for student learning*Reflective practice that leads to innovation*High or steadily improving student achievement In addition to providing a comprehensive overview of steps schools should take to meet these criteria, Lambert quotes at length from her discussions with educators to provide a view of leadership enhancement techniques in practice. She also includes helpful rubrics and surveys that teachers and administrators alike can use to personally assess their leadership skills. Combining the author's own insights with real-life examples and practical exercises, Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement is an indispensable guide to enhancing and sustaining a culture of leadership in any school.
Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom
Carol Ann Tomlinson Ann Tomlinson
Today’s teachers are responsible for a greater variety of learners with a greater diversity of needs than ever before. When you add in the ever-changing dynamics of technology and current events, the complexity of both students’ and teachers’ lives grows exponentially. Far too few teachers, however, successfully teach the whole class with the individual student in mind. In Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom , Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau tackle the issue of how to address student differences thoughtfully and proactively. The first half of the book focuses on what it means for a teacher to effectively lead a differentiated classroom. Readers will learn how to be more confident and effective leaders for and in student-focused and responsive classrooms. The second half of the book focuses on the mechanics of managing a differentiated classroom. A teacher who has the best intentions, a dynamic curriculum, and plans for differentiation cannot—and will not—move forward unless he or she is at ease with translating those ideas into classroom practice. In other words, teachers who are uncomfortable with flexible classroom management will not differentiate instruction, even if they understand it, accept the need for it, and can plan for it. Tomlinson and Imbeau argue that the inherent interdependence of leading and managing a differentiated classroom is at the very heart of 21st-century education. This essential guide to differentiation also includes a helpful teacher’s toolkit of activities and teaching strategies that will help any teacher expand his or her capacity to make room for and work tirelessly on behalf of every student.
Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work
In Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work, Robert J. Marzano provides an in-depth exploration of what he calls “one of the most powerful weapons in a teacher’s arsenal.” An effective standards-based, formative assessment program can help to dramatically enhance student achievement throughout the K–12 system, Marzano says. Drawing from his own and others’ extensive research, the author provides comprehensive answers to questions such as these: • What are the characteristics of an effective assessment program? • How can educators use national and state standards documents as a basis for creating a comprehensive, topic-based assessment system? • What types of assessment items and tasks are best suited to measuring student progress in mastering information, mental procedures, and psychomotor procedures? • Why does the traditional point system used for scoring often lead to incorrect conclusions about a student’s actual knowledge? • What types of scoring and final grading systems provide the most accurate portrayal of a student’s progress along a continuum of learning?
In addition to providing teachers with all the tools they need to create a better assessment system, Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work makes a compelling case for the potential of such a system to transform the culture of schools and districts, and to propel K–12 education to new levels of effectiveness and efficiency.
The Art and Science of Teaching
Though classroom instructional strategies should clearly be based on sound science and research, knowing when to use them and with whom is more of an art. In The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction, author Robert J. Marzano presents a model for ensuring quality teaching that balances the necessity of research-based data with the equally vital need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. He articulates his framework in the form of 10 questions that represent a logical planning sequence for successful instructional design:
1. What will I do to establish and communicate learning goals, track student progress, and celebrate success? 2. What will I do to help students effectively interact with new knowledge? 3. What will I do to help students practice and deepen their understanding of new knowledge? 4. What will I do to help students generate and test hypotheses about new knowledge? 5. What will I do to engage students? 6. What will I do to establish or maintain classroom rules and procedures? 7. What will I do to recognize and acknowledge adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures? 8. What will I do to establish and maintain effective relationships with students? 9. What will I do to communicate high expectations for all students? 10. What will I do to develop effective lessons organized into a cohesive unit?
For classroom lessons to be truly effective, educators must examine every component of the teaching process with equal resolve. Filled with charts, rubrics, and organizers, this methodical, user-friendly guide will help teachers examine and develop their knowledge and skills, so they can achieve that dynamic fusion of art and science that results in exceptional teaching and outstanding student achievement.
Managing Diverse Classrooms
How does the home culture of Latino immigrant students differ from the “mainstream” culture of U.S. schools? Why is it important for teachers to understand the differences? How can educators take advantage of students’ cultural traits to improve classroom management, student performance, and school-parent relations? Carrie Rothstein-Fisch and Elise Trumbull answer these and many other questions by drawing on the experience and collective wisdom of teachers in the Bridging Cultures Project, a five-year action research study of elementary classrooms with high percentages of immigrant students. The authors present a simple framework for understanding cultural differences, comparing the “individualistic” culture that prevails in American education with the “collectivistic” culture that characterizes most of the world’s population, including many of the Latino immigrant students in U.S. classrooms. At the heart of the book are teacher-developed strategies that capitalize on the cultural values that these students and their families offer, such as an emphasis on helping, sharing, and the success of the group. The strategies cover a wide spectrum of issues and concerns, including * Communication with families * Open house and parent-teacher conferences * Homework * Attendance * Learning in the content areas * Motivation and rewards * Classroom rules * Assessment and grading Managing Diverse Classrooms: How to Build on Students’ Cultural Strengths presents both the research foundation and the practical perspectives of seasoned teachers whose classroom-tested approaches have produced positive results. With this valuable guide in hand, readers will have the insights and strategies they need to turn educational challenges into educational opportunities.
Common Core Standards for Middle School English Language Arts
Smart implementation of the Common Core State Standards requires both an overall understanding of the standards and a grasp of their implications for planning, teaching, and learning. This Quick-Start Guide provides a succinct, all-in-one look at
* The content, structure, terminology, and emphases of the Common Core standards for English language arts at the middle school level. * The meaning of the individual standards within the four ELA strands—Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language, with an emphasis on areas that represent the most significant changes to business as usual. * How the standards connect across strands, domains, and grade levels to build on prior learning and prepare students for the nuanced communication and analytical work they will encounter in high school.
Here, middle school ELA teachers and school leaders will find information they need to begin adapting their practices to ensure that all students master the new and challenging material contained in the standards. A practical lesson planning process to use with the Common Core, based on Classroom Instruction That Works, 2nd Ed., is included, along with three sample lessons.
LEARN THE ESSENTIALS OF THE COMMON CORE The grade-level and subject-specific Quick-Start Guides in the Understanding the Common Core Standards series, edited by John Kendall, are designed to help school leaders and school staffs turn Common Core standards into coherent, content-rich curriculum and effective, classroom-level lessons.