A Guide to Collaborative Learning in and From Practice
Teachers can be leaders of their own ongoing learning-and their best professional development resources may be their own classrooms and colleagues. Applying the Teacher Rounds methodology, teachers learn with and from each other through classroom observations and inquiry and develop a trusted community of practice. Scholar-teacher Thomas Del Prete outlines every aspect of this practice-based approach to professional learning, including: Step-by-step guidance and tools for implementing Teacher Rounds Insights on creating a positive environment for honest feedback A wealth of examples from a high-performing school and across all grade levels and disciplines Based on a whole-hearted commitment to the art and science of teaching, this book helps teachers take classroom instruction to new levels of excellence.
Powerful collaborative learning-anytime, anyplace! Online learning seems like a perfect solution for cost-conscious districts and busy teachers, but can these programs also deliver high-caliber professional learning? Using one district's success story as a model, this timely book shows you how to combine well-designed online instruction with the energy of peer-to-peer collaboration. At the heart of this book is a model that supports powerful professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for every student. Sonja Hollins-Alexander writes from her own experience building a successful online professional development (PD) program for a large urban district. Readers will find Research-based support for online PD and the author's original Learner-Learner model A thorough planning guide and ten action steps for program development Best practices for managing staffing and resources Strategies for establishing a true community of learners online Discover how to create a sustainable online PD program that promotes collaboration and growth! "This book provides district and school leaders with a practical guide to shifting professional learning from more traditional 'sit and get' models to technology-enhanced models that foster collaboration and co-creation." -Catherine Huber, Principal Northwood Elementary, West Seneca, NY
Your ELA roadmap to achieving Common Core objectives! Are your secondary students on track to meet the new Common Core ELA standards? If they aren't, they can be soon. In Mapping Comprehensive Units, Kathy Glass presents a comprehensive plan for effective curriculum design that you can use as a model for either revising your existing Grades 6-12 ELA curriculum or creating an entirely new one. This book includes: Key benefits and a rationale for each standard Tools for developing a unit map and reinforcing important connections across all components Practical instruments to plan exciting, content-rich Common Core units of study
Move teams toward impactful collaborative work, improved instruction, and increased student achievement using this guide's scaffolded, step-by-step activities and real-world examples.
Literacy-it's not just for English teachers anymore. The new Common Core English Language Arts Standards aren't just for English teachers. Fluent reading and writing are critically important to the study of history/social studies, science, and technical subjects, too. What's more, the progress your students make is directly tied to their ability to process information they read and to express their ideas in writing. So how do you make literacy a focus of your teaching . . . without taking time away from essential content? This practical resource-packed with teacher-tested, CCSS-based sample lessons-shows you how, using the Backward Design approach to set and meet your goals. Each lesson template includes The teaching strategies you'll utilize Ways to incorporate technology and media Variations for differentiation and interdisciplinary connections Links to the work of major educational theorists Following these models, you'll set the CCSS in your sights and develop lessons that both meet standards and fit your classroom. Before you know it, you'll be infusing reading and writing across your curriculum in purposeful and meaningful ways.
Be the coach who leads your school team to inclusion success! You know the benefits of inclusion, and your colleagues know that you're the go-to expert when they need assistance with school and classroom implementation. Now you can take your advocacy to the next level with inclusion coaching. Inclusion works best when all team players contribute, and as coach, you'll provide the leadership your school needs to follow through on its mission in a truly collaborative way. Just as instructional coaches help teachers improve their practice and hone their skills, you'll guide your school team in applying the very best inclusion strategies for achieving quantifiable results. Toby Karten's how-to guide will help you Establish your own coaching baselines Introduce research-based strategies for lesson planning, instruction, and recording data Engage staff in reflective and collaborative inclusion practices Manage challenges, including scheduling and co-teaching responsibilities With timelines, planning sheets, surveys, frameworks, curriculum examples, and other practical tools, this hands-on guide is the essential resource for the newly minted inclusion coach. "This book is the necessary piece to including all students successfully in the learning and living classroom. The information, planning, and questioning will help all schools develop the tools necessary to reach all students." -Karen Kozy-Landress, Speech/Language Pathologist MILA Elementary School, Merritt Island, FL
Reward your best teachers for the great work they do! Is your school system considering teacher merit pay? Now is the time to understand the potential benefits and pitfalls of performance-based teacher pay, as well as how today's most successful programs were developed. Drawing on substantial research with school districts, Gary Ritter and Joshua Barnett provide a step-by-step approach to setting up a merit pay system in your school district. Readers will find An overview of existing merit pay programs and their strengths and weaknesses A review of the 12 most common myths about merit pay, and how school leaders can respond Six guiding principles for designing a merit pay program, along with how-to's and timelines for every phase Guidance on creating balanced assessments based on multiple measures of teacher effectiveness, and developed in collaboration with teachers Ensure that your district's merit pay program supports teachers' professional growth, schoolwide progress, and student achievement. "Ritter and Barnett bring much-needed researched clarity to this complex issue. For school administrators, education policy makers, legislators, and others interested in school reform, this book is a must-read." -Rod Paige, Former U.S. Secretary of Education "This guide is a useful resource for undertaking merit pay, preventing pitfalls, and most importantly, offering solid recommendations for creating well-designed implementations." -Gary Stark, President and CEO National Institute for Excellence in Teaching
The articles in this volume address the numerous challenges educators face in their attempts to accurately identify gifted and talented students. Solutions to these challenges and avenues of future exploration are also discussed.
Including Students With Disabilities in Standards-Based Reform
This Second Edition offers more substantive information on what it means to access the general curriculum, providing primary and secondary teachers with a resource to help every learner achieve their full potential. Accessing the General Curriculum presents updated frameworks and strategies, with examples, illustrations and flowcharts. As schools continue to move towards a system based on challenging standards, this book will be an effective tool in staying on track for both teachers and parents.
