A Book about Achievement Driven PLC’s
Elisa Waingort found valuable ideas in this book from the “PLC at Work” series but objected to the intense focus on assessment-driven school improvement.
Category: Book Reviews
Cemeteries: Alive with Learning
Cemeteries: Alive with Learning, Barbara Kissling’s short book describing a PBL experience focused on old cemeteries, is a unique idea sure to engage middle schoolers, says reviewer Carolyn Baker.
Reinvent Vocabulary Instruction
In addition to its comprehensive, CCSS-friendly approach to integrating vocabulary lessons into literacy curriculum, Word Nerds: Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary is also fun for students, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
Insights into School Culture
Any leader who believes that school culture is an important topic to pursue will find Building a Culture of Support: Strategies for School Leaders to be a crucial tool, says reviewer Geralyn Schmidt.
Give ‘Em a Break
Using “‘brain breaks” in class has helped students stay fresh, says reviewer Linda Biondi. Using the strategies recommended in Energizing Brain Breaks gets students moving, laughing, & challenging themselves.
Trustworthy Advice about Trust
Research reports a strong link between trust in schools & student achievement. The Trust Factor: Strategies for School Leaders can help leaders boost the trust factor, says reviewer James Jordan.
20 CCSS Literacy Strategies
Reviewer Anne Anderson recommends 20 Literacy Strategies to Meet the Common Core for its research-based strategies designed to grow readers & thinkers within a CCSS framework. The payoff will justify the necessary time investment, she says.
Telling Media-Rich Tales
Digital Storytelling: Guide for Educators from 2010 can help teachers start to explore digital storytelling as a powerful instructional strategy, says teacher-reviewer Kevin Hodgson.
Strategic Writing Mini-Lessons
SpEd teacher Danielle McIntosh recommends these 22 mini-lessons with adaptations for struggling and advanced writers and English language learners found in Strategic Writing Mini-Lessons for All Students, Grades 4-8.
Evaluating Assessment
Assessing 21st Century Skills: A Guide to Evaluating Mastery and Authentic Learning is a must-have guide for any educator wishing to assess students beyond the knowledge-based level, says reviewer Cindy Musselwhite.
