Educators who read policy pundit Rick Hess’s new book The Cage-Busting Teacher will find plenty to disagree with, says instructional specialist Curtis Chandler, but “they will also learn quite a bit about their potential and influence as an educator.”
Kids on the Cusp / Making Connections
by Mary Tarashuk · Published 05/05/2015 · Last modified 11/30/2019
Students’ success in making connections – whether listening, writing, or linking ideas with bits of yarn – is essential to learning. Mary Tarashuk sees those connections in her 4th graders’ notebooks and in their eyes. But can PARCC prompts capture them?
In “Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools,” the authors provide a roadmap to help educators deconstruct a factory-style education system and introduce innovative approaches that empower students as learners, says reviewer Mackenzie Grate.
To understand how America’s infatuation with high-stakes testing negatively impacts our quality of life, we need look no further than China’s education history, says principal Matt Renwick, in his review of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? by Yong Zhao.
If you need content-rich short nonfiction texts to support social studies lessons, this spiral bound book is for you. “The American Revolution and Constitution” also provides online access to a ‘trove’ of lesson-ready images and resources, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
The authors of “Blended” clearly know their stuff, says principal/reviewer Matt Renwick, providing multiple examples of blended learning supported by technology. But Renwick questions the heavy corporate focus and one-sided citations he finds pervade the text.
CommonLit.Org is a nonprofit organization building a growing collection of supplemental texts, curated by teachers, for teachers, writes founder Michelle Brown. The free and open resource is cross-curricular, organized around themes and essential questions.
Book Reviews / Improving Teacher Quality
by MiddleWeb · Published 02/14/2015 · Last modified 12/01/2019
Todd Whitaker provides school administrators with a fresh approach to improve the culture in their schools, suggesting positive strategies for working with mediocre teachers. Reviewer William Evans wanted more research to support experience-based suggestions.
Working to bring America’s Colonial Period to life in the classroom? Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis’ new toolkit will help history teachers engage students with primary sources, digital links and visual guides. “A gold mine!” says reviewer Linda Biondi.
The Power of Teacher Leaders will empower readers to mobilize colleagues to positively affect school change and student achievement through shared and collaborative practice. See it happen in case studies, says reviewer Linda Biondi. With an online study guide.
