Recharge your math instruction with brain-friendly teaching units! Students' brains are wired to make them natural, curious learners. The mathematical world around them offers a vast classroom, filled with shapes, spaces, quantities, and experiences to discover and explore, all leading to the construction of understanding. Teachers can use this natural curiosity to tap the inborn neural mechanisms that motivate students to learn-to make relevance and meaning of their surroundings. Brain-Compatible Mathematics, Second Edition bridges the findings from the realms of brain research and improved mathematics instruction through updated teaching samples, connections to the most recent standards, newest research findings, and integration to other content areas. Each brain is different, and when teachers teach problem-solving skills to help students arrive at their own solution paths, students go beyond mere memorization of facts and algorithms to being an actual participant in the development of mathematical understanding. In an informative and relevant approach, Diane Ronis presents teachers and math leaders with an emphasis on thinking, mathematical representation, and construction of ideas and an abundance of: Sample lessons, units, and strategies linked to 2000 NCTM standards Brain-friendly strategies for math teaching that meet NCLB requirements How-to guides for creating more brain-tuned math teaching Ideas for incorporating technology into the math curriculum Planning templates for immediate use By integrating math learning into real-world applications, students can actively practice what they learn, make meaning out of their everyday experiences, and think mathematically for success within today's information age.
"Very useful to K-12 classroom teachers and preservice teachers. The examples, vignettes, cases, and stories are powerful, and the lesson plans are well done and easy to use." --Mandy Frantti, Science and Mathematics Teacher Munising High School, MI "The author focuses on science as a process, uses familiar examples to explain abstract principles, and provides detailed lessons that align with national science standards, connect to other content areas, and scaffold the development of additional lessons." --Sally Berman, Educational Consultant and Former Science Teacher Ontonagon, MI Fully engage your students in science instruction that promotes deep understanding of essential concepts. Gain fresh insights for teaching, learning, and assessing knowledge of critical science concepts through the exploration of research-based practices for science education. Brain-Compatible Science, Second Edition shows teachers how to incorporate practices such as constructivism and inquiry-based learning into their science instruction to help students move beyond memorizing facts to deeper levels of understanding. Linked to National Science Education Standards, this resource also provides an abundance of fully developed science lessons that give students maximum exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking. Easily adapted to any science curriculum, the lessons include: Learning objectives, assessment rubrics, and checklists Background information Pre-activity discussions with step-by-step procedures Reproducible pages Closure and extension suggestions This powerful model of science instruction invites students into a process of meaningful inquiry, helping them develop positive attitudes about science, and ensuring that they understand important concepts and principles.
"Explains brain research in easy-to-understand language and includes real classroom stories from diverse grade levels and student populations. Any teacher who wants to support effective, brain-friendly instruction should read this book and share it with colleagues and administrators." -Bobbie Faulkner, Teacher Scottsdale Unified School District, Phoenix, AZ "The major strengths are the implications of current brain research and how to maximize student learning and enjoyment in the learning process." -Mary Moore, Third-Grade Teacher Jason Lee Elementary School, Richland, WA A brain-based approach for nurturing the writer in every student! Today's world of high-stakes testing challenges teachers to find a balance between brain-centered and test-driven practices. This insightful book provides a framework for using brain-compatible strategies to develop confident and competent writers while meeting district and national standards. The author applies core principles of effective teaching to writing instruction and shows teachers how to foster a love of writing in their classroom. Written in a user-friendly format, this revised edition of Write Brain Write features classroom stories, reflection questions, student examples, and activities for elementary, middle, and high school students to help teachers implement brain-friendly writing instruction. This resource provides information on: Creating a brain-compatible classroom based on how the brain learns Using a seven-step framework to promote writing skills Integrating test preparation with instruction to boost student achievement Cross-curricular writing in social studies, science, math, and language arts Foster high literacy and increase performance on high-stakes tests while nurturing an authentic love for learning in every student!
"Explains brain research in easy-to-understand language and includes real classroom stories from diverse grade levels and student populations. Any teacher who wants to support effective, brain-friendly instruction should read this book and share it with colleagues and administrators." -Bobbie Faulkner, Teacher Scottsdale Unified School District, Phoenix, AZ "The major strengths are the implications of current brain research and how to maximize student learning and enjoyment in the learning process." -Mary Moore, Third-Grade Teacher Jason Lee Elementary School, Richland, WA A brain-based approach for nurturing the writer in every student! Today's world of high-stakes testing challenges teachers to find a balance between brain-centered and test-driven practices. This insightful book provides a framework for using brain-compatible strategies to develop confident and competent writers while meeting district and national standards. The author applies core principles of effective teaching to writing instruction and shows teachers how to foster a love of writing in their classroom. Written in a user-friendly format, this revised edition of Write Brain Write features classroom stories, reflection questions, student examples, and activities for elementary, middle, and high school students to help teachers implement brain-friendly writing instruction. This resource provides information on: Creating a brain-compatible classroom based on how the brain learns Using a seven-step framework to promote writing skills Integrating test preparation with instruction to boost student achievement Cross-curricular writing in social studies, science, math, and language arts Foster high literacy and increase performance on high-stakes tests while nurturing an authentic love for learning in every student!
"Chapter one piqued my curiosity and hooked me into the book. This is an easy, friendly read with great strategies, lots of examples, and important information for educators." -Marilee Sprenger, Educational Consultant Author, Memory 101 for Educators "An innovative, comprehensive, teacher-friendly book. Kudos to the authors for giving teachers a treasure trove of novel, concrete, and fun-filled strategies that will reach, rally, and rouse all learners." -Patricia DeLessio, Professor of English and Reading Dutchess Community College Integrate study skills with brain-friendly strategies and watch students succeed! Increasingly, educators are recognizing the potential of brain-based instruction to powerfully impact student learning. This unique resource illustrates how physical and emotional stimuli influence the brain's capacity to learn new information and presents ready-to-use, research-based study strategies covering all content areas and tailored to elementary and middle school students. With a focus on students' individual strengths and learning styles, Amy Schwed and Janice Melichar-Utter offer guidelines for using fun and imaginative study experiences to help teachers: Capture students' attention, engage their minds, and increase the potential to produce learning Support all learners, including those in special education classes Creatively use auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities to benefit all learning styles Let Brain-Friendly Study Strategies, Grades 2-8 show you how to leverage the power of brain-compatible instructional methods to help all students develop solid study habits and achieve success throughout their educational journey.
"Chapter one piqued my curiosity and hooked me into the book. This is an easy, friendly read with great strategies, lots of examples, and important information for educators." -Marilee Sprenger, Educational Consultant Author, Memory 101 for Educators "An innovative, comprehensive, teacher-friendly book. Kudos to the authors for giving teachers a treasure trove of novel, concrete, and fun-filled strategies that will reach, rally, and rouse all learners." -Patricia DeLessio, Professor of English and Reading Dutchess Community College Integrate study skills with brain-friendly strategies and watch students succeed! Increasingly, educators are recognizing the potential of brain-based instruction to powerfully impact student learning. This unique resource illustrates how physical and emotional stimuli influence the brain's capacity to learn new information and presents ready-to-use, research-based study strategies covering all content areas and tailored to elementary and middle school students. With a focus on students' individual strengths and learning styles, Amy Schwed and Janice Melichar-Utter offer guidelines for using fun and imaginative study experiences to help teachers: Capture students' attention, engage their minds, and increase the potential to produce learning Support all learners, including those in special education classes Creatively use auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning modalities to benefit all learning styles Let Brain-Friendly Study Strategies, Grades 2-8 show you how to leverage the power of brain-compatible instructional methods to help all students develop solid study habits and achieve success throughout their educational journey.
Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners' Success
Your guide to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in your dual language classroom and school. It's time to set the record straight: Multilingualism is a tremendous asset that must be nurtured and valued and the most effective pathway to multilingualism is dual language education. Despite significant evidence attesting to the cognitive, social/emotional, and economic benefits of multilingualism, the majority of our classrooms and schools are monolingual. Encouragingly, recent shifts in state policies have increased the demand for dual language programming in our schools. This increased momentum brings new challenges, including the need for more bilingually authorized teachers, high-quality instructional resources, and accurate assessment and accountability in the target languages of instruction. With contributions from ten experts in multilingual education, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall outlines the systemic and pedagogical approaches necessary for successful multilingual and dual language programs. The book supports educators to: Shift the paradigm from one that is subtractive and deficit-based to one that is additive and assets-based Embed culturally and linguistically sustaining practices in their instruction Understand how to promote multilingualism in the context of teaching academic content Develop assessments as, for, and of learning in multiple languages. Lead high-quality dual language schools and programs Recruit and retain highly qualified bilingual educators Offering a comprehensive overview of bilingual policies and historical context all educators should understand, Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall is an invaluable guide to creating dual language learning environments that build on the precious assets of our multilingual students and families.
It was a dark and stormy night in Santa Barbara. January 19, 2017. The next day's inauguration drumroll played on the evening news. Huddled around a table were nine Corwin authors and their publisher, who together have devoted their careers to equity in education. They couldn't change the weather, they couldn't heal a fractured country, but they did have the power to put their collective wisdom about EL education upon the page to ensure our multilingual learners reach their highest potential. Proudly, we introduce you now to the fruit of that effort: Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learners' Success. In this first-of-a-kind collaboration, teachers and leaders, whether in small towns or large urban centers, finally have both the research and the practical strategies to take those first steps toward excellence in educating our culturally and linguistically diverse children. It's a book to be celebrated because it means we can throw away the dark glasses of deficit-based approaches and see children who come to school speaking a different home language for what they really are: learners with tremendous assets. The authors' contributions are arranged in nine chapters that become nine tenets for teachers and administrators to use as calls to actions in their own efforts to realize our English learners' potential: 1. From Deficit-Based to Asset-Based 2. From Compliance to Excellence 3. From Watering Down to Challenging 4. From Isolation to Collaboration 5. From Silence to Conversation 6. From Language to Language, Literacy, and Content 7. From Assessment of Learning to Assessment for and as Learning 8. From Monolingualism to Multilingualism 9. From Nobody Cares to Everyone/Every Community Cares Read this book; the chapters speak to one another, a melodic echo of expertise, classroom vignettes, and steps to take. To shift the status quo is neither fast nor easy, but there is a clear process, and it's laid out here in Breaking Down the Wall. To distill it into a single line would go something like this: if we can assume mutual ownership, if we can connect instruction to all children's personal, social, cultural, and linguistic identities, then all students will achieve.
Through powerful vignettes and strategies, discover the tips and tools innovation-minded school leaders use to avoid isolation, lower stress, find support, and share ideas. This easy-to-follow roadmap will help you strategically connect with colleagues and staff, jumpstart and sustain your Professional Learning Network, and transform your practice with Twitter, Google Hangouts, Pinterest and more!
