"By guiding teachers and their students through the workings of Excel, this book ultimately leads to high-ordered decision making about data management and interpretation-a compelling reality of the 21st century." Nancy Tanner Edwards, Professor of Education Missouri Western State College St. Joseph, MO "A wonderful tool for instruction in Excel. The authors have given a clear and concise explanation which is easy to comprehend, in addition to practical examples to use with students." Peggy Miller, Technology Coordinator/Teacher St. James/Seton School Omaha, NE Make Microsoft Excel (TM) work for you-in the classroom and at your desk! Microsoft Excel is much more than a simple spreadsheet program. It is a sophisticated and flexible reporting, planning, and presentation tool that teachers can use effectively for curriculum prep, class projects, budget planning and reporting, and even as a database. Here is all you need to know on Understanding Excel Creating a gradebook Solving basic mathematics problems Building formulas and functions Creating charts and graphs Making Web pages Using color, fonts, and graphics in presentations . . . and all of it built by tech experts and experienced educators, especially for teachers. Using Excel in the Classroom is the essential how-to for teachers at all grade levels, filled with specific, classroom-tested templates, and techniques that teachers need most!
Use the power of equity audits to help eliminate achievement gaps and educational bias! If you've heard about equity audits but aren't really sure how to use them in your school, you are not alone. This resource, written by well-known authors and experts in the areas of equity and achievement, expands school leaders' understanding of how to interpret data in order to make equity audits work and provides practical, easy-to-implement strategies for using this school assessment approach to help ensure a high-quality education for all students, regardless of socio-economic class. Grounded solidly in theory, this book demonstrates how audits can help not only in developing fair programs that provide all students with the opportunity to reach their potential but also for hiring, training, and retaining good teachers. Readers will discover how to remedy inequalities in student achievement by using: A set of "inequity indicators" for evaluating schools, generating essential data, and identifying problem areas The NCLB Act in a positive way to create equity Nine skill sets for improved equity-oriented teaching Charts, graphs, and support materials that can be customized for specific settings Ideal for helping principals develop school-based equity audits with confidence, Using Equity Audits to Create Equitable and Excellent Schools can also be used by superintendents to increase equity awareness at the district level.
Raise your equity awareness quotient In this time of changing demographics and increased diversity, many teachers find that existing strategies to promote equity are only successful with some of the students in their classes. This book provides teachers with new strategies and tools that will work for all children, including those with diverse needs. The authors outline a wide range of methods to help teachers: Assess their competency in teaching all students Embrace self-reflection and be open to change Evaluate and assess student achievement Develop high-quality teaching skills and an equity consciousness that leads to success with all students Every chapter of this easy-to-read and content-rich text contains a wealth of assessment tools and discussion tools that guide educators to greater equity and excellence. Teachers will find practical strategies for raising student achievement and closing the achievement gap.
"This book will take you along paths forged by data trailblazers toward deeper understandings of the needs of students. The lessons learned will help you blaze your own trail." -Page Keeley, President National Science Teachers Association Collaborative inquiry + effective use of data = significant leaps in learning and achievement! Closing the achievement gap, reducing the failure rate of underserved students, and meeting accountability requirements are primary goals for educational leaders. This valuable handbook arms leaders with the tools to use data to work for students' benefit, with an emphasis on promoting equity within a culturally proficient school environment. Presenting a conceptual framework and practical methods, this resource combines a powerful collaborative inquiry process, reflective dialogue, and rigorous use of data to improve outcomes for all students. The book includes detailed examples of schools that have demonstrated dramatic gains by building collaborative cultures, nurturing ongoing inquiry, and using data systematically. The editor and chapter contributors show school and district leaders how to: Implement collaborative inquiry to meet accountability mandates Build and support a high-performing data culture Establish a school climate characterized by collective responsibility for student learning and a respect for students' cultures The user-friendly overview and step-by-step guidelines help educators develop and refine the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to use data effectively and significantly improve teaching and learning.
Curriculum mapping, utilizing assessment data, and differentiating instruction can improve schools and raise student achievement. But schools need to seamlessly integrate all three techniques in order to see schoolwide change. Kallick & Colosimo show readers what are the essential questions to ask about the curriculum, the data, and instructional and assessment techniques and how technology can drive the process. They provide real-life examples of districts using these techniques successfully. The book uses the AlterNet software as an example of how technology can help schools develop an information technology system to help the reader tap into and make effective decisions based on the data.
The FAR Guide - An Interesting Way to Teach With Analogies
"Makes a distinct contribution to science instruction. Many teachers attempt to use analogies and metaphors to introduce abstract concepts; however, little is available on how to do this with specific examples. The authors definitely address a need." -Douglas Llewellyn, Professor of Science Education St. John Fisher College "Helps preservice and novice teachers use analogies and allows teachers to bridge the gap that sometimes occurs when students are learning abstract concepts. The examples cover a wide variety of subjects and are written in a concise, easy-to-understand voice." -John D. Ophus, Assistant Professor of Science Education University of Northern Iowa Use the power of analogies to enliven your science classroom and meet national standards! When analogies are effective, they readily engage students' interest and clarify difficult and abstract ideas. But not all analogies are created equal, and developing them is not always intuitive. Drawing from an extensive research base on the use of analogies in the classroom, Allan Harrison, Richard Coll, and a team of science experts come to the rescue with more than 40 teacher-friendly, ready-to-use analogies for biology, earth and space studies, chemistry, and physics. The authors show teachers how and when to select analogies for instruction, why certain analogies work or break down, how to gauge their effectiveness, and how to improve them. Designed to enhance teachers' presentation and interpretation of analogies through focus, action, and reflection (FAR), this guidebook includes: Key science concepts explained through effective models and analogies Research findings on the use of analogies and their motivational impact Guidelines that allow teachers and students to develop their own analogies Numerous visual aids, science vignettes, and anecdotes to support the use of analogies Linked to NSTA standards, Using Analogies in Middle & Secondary Science Classrooms will become a much-used text by teachers who want to enrich inquiry-based science instruction.
The FAR Guide - An Interesting Way to Teach With Analogies
Analogies are often used in science to engage student interest and explain difficult and abstract ideas. While some analogies effectively clarify difficult concepts, many are inadequte or can cause further confusion. Drawing from an extensive research base on the use of analogies in the classroom, Allan Harrison and Richard Coll have compiled more than 40 interesting and effective science analogies that are teacher-friendly and ready for implementation. Using the FAR approach (Focus, Action, and Reflection), the authors show teachers how and when to select analogies for use in instruction, where certain analogies work and where they break down, and how to gauge the effectiveness of certain strategies in the classroom. Using this guidebook, teachers will be able to recognize conceptual problems within many commonly used analogies and learn how to improve them.
Learn to plan instruction that engages upper elementary students in mathematics explorations through age-appropriate and culturally relevant social justice topics.
There are so many powerful web tools available today that can engage students, empower teachers, and make learning in the schools not only more relevant, but fun as well. While there are educational technologists who are quite passionate about discovering, trying, and sharing these resources, the fact remains that the majority of teachers are either unaware of these tools or intimidated on how to successfully embed them in their instruction. This book is an introduction to using these web-based tools in the classroom from a practical perspective as well as providing deeper dives demonstrating advanced ways they are being used to impact student learning.
