Ever-changing technology and a generation of "digital-native" students challenge educators to keep pace, especially in preparing students for a successful future in an increasingly technologically advanced world. Well-known technology specialist and consultant, Susan Brooks-Young emphasizes that incorporating effective, regular use of technology as a tool for teaching and learning is imperative if we want to "stay in the game." In this new book, Brooks-Young combines her most popular work into a collection of practical technology strategies and issues most critical for busy school leaders. The book is organized into four sections, each focusing on a different aspect of technology leadership: o New Literacies: the latest technology advances and opportunities for integration in schools o Engaging Teachers and Students: tools and strategies for professional development, establishing a web presence, classroom blogs, and distance learning o Providing a Reliable Infrastructure: tech-ready facilities, cost management, software and networks, and the role of technology coordinators o Legal and Social Concerns: Internet safety and security, precautions, copyright and plagiarism concerns, home-school communications, and much more School leaders will find detailed and concise information, extensive resources, and reflective questions for personal use or group discussion. This comprehensive, straightforward guide provides all the tools needed for effective technology leadership.
Learn the best methods for teaching students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom! In today's classrooms, teachers must meet the educational needs of students of all ability levels, including students with disabilities. This invaluable resource offers elementary and secondary teachers a deeper awareness of "what works" when teaching students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Grounded in extensive special education research, this book will enlighten teachers with a greater understanding of special education students and how to teach them successfully. For teaching students with the most common disabilities in classes with their nondisabled peers, general and special education teachers alike will get the most current information on issues such as: Developing Individualized Education Programs Teaching reading successfully Managing behavior and motivating students Organizing classrooms and lessons effectively Using cognitive strategies successfully Making appropriate accommodations and modifications Assessing students, grading, and collecting data Working with parents and families Collaborating with other teachers and parents Rooted in the best research and practice, this essential resource demonstrates how to teach inclusive classes successfully.
"This book addresses the needs of teachers at every level in their teaching careers, as well as those who support and work with teachers. The processes can be used individually to guide professional learning and teaching, or within almost any professional development structure for facilitating group learning. " -Katherine E. Stiles, Senior Program Associate, WestEd "This resource supports continual professional growth of both content and pedagogical knowledge and will help teachers focus on the appropriate research. What a time saver this is!" -Rhonda Naylor, National Board Certified Mathematics Teacher Campus Middle School, Englewood, CO Attain the tools to plan and incorporate standards-based instruction that positively impacts student achievement! Becoming an accomplished mathematics teacher requires not only a thorough understanding of content, but also a familiarity with mathematics standards and research. However, a strategy for translating standards and research into instructional practice has been lacking since the advent of standards-based education reform. Mathematics Curriculum Topic Study provides a systematic professional development strategy that links mathematics standards and research to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Developed by authors Page Keeley and Cheryl M. Rose of the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, the NSF-funded Curriculum Topic Study (CTS) process can help educators align their practice with research-based concepts and skills required in local, state, and national standards. Successfully field-tested with hundreds of teachers, mathematics coordinators, and staff developers, this book contains 92 ready-to-use CTS guides arranged in seven categories that are aligned with NCTM content and process standards. Designed to work in a variety of contexts, the CTS process will help teachers: Increase their content and pedagogical knowledge Better understand and access mathematics research Translate standards to the classroom in a conscious, scholarly way Learn to recognize and address learning difficulties Increase opportunities for all students to achieve mathematical literacy An essential investment toward improving student achievement in mathematics for K-12 teachers, staff developers, directors of curriculum, department chairs and math educators, this innovative resource is also appropriate for preservice teachers and preservice higher education faculty.
A Guide to Planning, Implementing, and Assessing Student Projects
"There is no better way to improve student attitudes and outcomes than to blend both meaningful community and global service with improved academic achievement. Sally Berman invites her readers to do just that." -Bob Koehs, Service Learning Coordinator Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency "This book is full of practical tips for the classroom teacher, including strategies for assessing student learning." -Jeanine Yard, Learn and Serve Program Officer Michigan Community Service Commission Provide authentic, lasting learning opportunities for students in their own community Service learning offers students the unique opportunity to learn both in the classroom and in the real world. This exciting teaching strategy, detailed in Berman's second edition of Service Learning, motivates students to learn content information, processes, and skills while making authentic connections to their surrounding community. This valuable resource explains the benefits of service learning and provides a step-by-step guide for using the instructional model. It features nine service-learning projects that are broken down into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Each project features: Strategies for aligning service and curricular goals Tips for involving students in decision-making Guidelines for managing different phases of the project Activities that foster reflection and self-evaluation Tips for differentiating by tapping into multiple intelligences In this single resource, teachers will find everything they need to successfully implement service learning projects, helping students gain deeper understandings of content while positively impacting their communities.
Facilitate dynamic classroom discussions that motivate students and deepen their understanding! "There are two reasons why this book is so important now. The first is the vitality of the subject: true classroom dialogue may be our only hope for helping students become thoughtful citizens. The second is that the authors practice what they preach. They assume from the first page that teachers are thoughtful professionals capable of making the subtle decisions discussed. The result is a book that should lie open on the desk of any teacher who is truly interested in teaching students to think." -Terry Roberts, Director National Paideia Center "I loved the case stories of classroom discussions that illustrated the authors' points." -Kimberly C. Smith, Advanced Math Teacher/Math Department Chair Welborn Middle School, High Point, NC "Practical and beneficial to teaching and learning in today's world." -Sylvia Jackson, Principal Adolfo Camarillo High School, CA Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher's decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills.
Attracting, Developing, and Retaining the Best Teachers
"This is a good and needed book. I would buy it, and recommend it to a wide range of educators." -Kenneth D. Peterson, Author Professor, Portland State University "The authors have amassed a tremendous amount of information and assembled it into a very readable book that is an excellent resource." -Randel Beaver, Superintendent, Archer City School District, TX Attract and retain the highest-quality teachers through competitive compensation programs! While many working in the teaching profession cite intangible rewards as reasons for staying in the profession, concrete rewards such as salary, benefits, and working conditions are inextricably linked to attracting, developing, and retaining highly-qualified teachers. This timely text examines the fundamental link between teacher pay and teacher quality as well as the extent to which compensation can be aligned with student achievement. A range of existing compensation models are reviewed in order to provide a balanced, practical, research-based approach for developing a comprehensive, best-practice teacher compensation system. School administrators can use these synthesized, innovative findings to Determine the most practical compensation model for achieving their school's objectives Examine different pay options used across the country Connect their school's compensation program to organizational goals Discover how to attract and retain high-quality teachers Advance student achievement and improve teacher retention by developing a deeper understanding of the connection between teacher pay and teacher quality.
Attracting, Developing, and Retaining the Best Teachers
"This is a good and needed book. I would buy it, and recommend it to a wide range of educators." -Kenneth D. Peterson, Author Professor, Portland State University "The authors have amassed a tremendous amount of information and assembled it into a very readable book that is an excellent resource." -Randel Beaver, Superintendent, Archer City School District, TX Attract and retain the highest-quality teachers through competitive compensation programs! While many working in the teaching profession cite intangible rewards as reasons for staying in the profession, concrete rewards such as salary, benefits, and working conditions are inextricably linked to attracting, developing, and retaining highly-qualified teachers. This timely text examines the fundamental link between teacher pay and teacher quality as well as the extent to which compensation can be aligned with student achievement. A range of existing compensation models are reviewed in order to provide a balanced, practical, research-based approach for developing a comprehensive, best-practice teacher compensation system. School administrators can use these synthesized, innovative findings to Determine the most practical compensation model for achieving their school's objectives Examine different pay options used across the country Connect their school's compensation program to organizational goals Discover how to attract and retain high-quality teachers Advance student achievement and improve teacher retention by developing a deeper understanding of the connection between teacher pay and teacher quality.
Improving Relationships With Co-Teachers, Teams, and Families
'The valuable information and numerous strategies and resources make this a must have book for all teachers striving for effective collaborative relationships' - Spencer J. Salend, Professor, SUNY, The College at New Paltz General and special education teachers working side by side on a daily basis must move beyond basic communication to improve collaborative relationships in and outside the classroom. Author Sharon F. Cramer delves into the art of the collaborative process through a series of practical exercises coupled with relevant research, and outlines a plan to make collaboration a life-long part of teaching. Pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and staff developers alike can use the activities in the book as is or adapt them to fit their own unique circumstances. Whether used for personal improvement or by a group for professional development purposes, these invaluable set of relationship-building tools will empower teachers and give them the motivation, understanding, and skills to transform unsatisfactory co-teaching relationships into productive, truly collaborative relationships. Special features include: o Case stories and data from among 1,000 collaboration projects supervised by the author o Up-to-date research, including an overview of current literature on collaboration o "Idea try-outs"-step-by-step reflection activities for promoting independent, innovative thinking o "Project try-outs"-structured research and interview activities that provide readers with focused ways to test their collaboration skills When teachers become curious, motivated learners, not only will they discover the many benefits of collaborative relationships with their peers, but they will also enrich the learning environment for their students.
'This is a timely and thought-provoking book. Fullan, Hill, and Crevola address the complexity of teaching and leading, and offer a compelling way forward that focuses on learning for all students through personalization, precision teaching, and professional learning for educators. By connecting assessment with learning, leading with teaching and learning, and classrooms instruction with district and government roles and responsibilities, the authors present an integrated approach that promises to 'breakthrough' the sterile standardization that plagues contemporary education' - Dean Fink, Professor, OISE//University of Toronto , and author of Leadership for Mortals (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) 'An outstanding book for educators to transform classroom practice and learning strategies. It builds important perspectives on personalizing learning that will inform current practice. Highly recommended' - Brent Davies, Professor, University of Hull, and author of The Essentials of School Leadership (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) Redesign classroom instruction to transform learning for both students and teachers! Breakthrough presents a revolutionary new approach to educational reform, breaking away from the conventional paradigm to help educators create focused instruction, transform the classroom experience, and dramatically raise and sustain performance levels for students and teachers alike. This book provides the breakthrough concepts needed for developing precise, validated, data-driven instruction personalized to each and every student. Synthesizing the best of current instructional models, this framework focuses on the Triple P Core Breakthrough Components: Personalization - meaningful, student-centered classroom interactions; Precision - using formative assessments to monitor individual student progress; and Professional Learning - daily, ongoing learning for all educators. Helping educators create expert instructional systems, while breaking through the "prescription trap," the authors introduce unique elements of the Breakthrough model, including: * improvement by design * assessment for learning * critical learning instructional paths * mapping instructional paths * smart use of data to drive instruction * locking in ongoing improvement. Breakthrough establishes the tipping point for moving toward personalized, high-quality instruction and learning in the classroom to ensure continuous improvement and ongoing academic success.
