Education and Teaching: Books and E-books

"One of the first activities I ask new science teachers to do in my methods course is to think of a memorable science activity from their past. Whether it's creating an exploding vinegar and baking soda volcano, dissecting a frog, or building a mousetrap car, new teachers relish their memories from school. Beyond the projects themselves, we also discuss the teachers who facilitated these learning experiences, focusing on how they inspired their students to develop a passion and curiosity for science. ""Once this is established, I ask my students the million-dollar question: 'How are you going to become one of those teachers?'" By reading The New Science Teacher's Handbook, you will learn 12 specific steps that will help you on your way to becoming a skilled classroom teacher. The authors make each chapter both helpful and fun to read by including: The Story--actual experiences that happened within one of the authors' classrooms. As the authors note, these true stories demonstrate that even those who go on to write books on best practices in the classroom didn't start off as perfect educators. The Moral--what the authors learned from the story. Steps for Success--multiple solutions you can choose from to fit your concerns and school environment. What Does Success Look Like?--how the classroom looks after implementing the steps for success. Resources you can turn to if you want to explore each topic in more detail. The book addresses areas that are often underrepresented, if not completely ignored, by prevalent science methods pedagogy textbooks. "Whether you are on your way to becoming a science teacher or a teacher in your early years," the authors write, "we feel confident the ideas presented here will help you become the teacher you've always wanted to be."

`Definitely recommended! This is a comprehensive and practical guide′ - Tom Fischer, Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh This is a comprehensive resource book designed to assist and support the special education teacher through his or her first school year. The authors present a step-by-step management approach design to help the first-year teacher improve and enhance his or her skills in the areas of organization, time management, and instructional planning and implementation. Designed as a quick reference, every chapter is written in an abbreviated format, and the contents are sequentially arranged in order to guide the new teacher from the initial planning stage prior to the start of school to the post-planning stage of the school year.

The Student Teacher''s Handbook, Fourth Editionis a practical, user-friendly text that employs scientific research, sound advice, and student journal entries to encourage, sustain, and challenge the readers to function at their best during the crucial days of student teaching. Their needs--both professional and personal--during this stressful period guide the book''s content. Student teachers'' relationships--with students, cooperating teachers, and supervisors--are seen as being at the core of their teaching assignment. The authors draw on research in education and psychology that has practical application in the classroomand that helps student teachers cope with some of the tough problems connected with classroom management, including maintaining order and motivating students to learn. The book features: *practical, step-by-step assistance in helping student teachers make the most of their experience; *inclusion of the voices of many realstudent teachers who describe their difficulties and frustration--and how they overcome them; *in-depth discussion of the ways in which student teachers can make best use of cooperating teachers and university supervisors; *advice on making a smooth and successful transition from student teacher to teacher; and *attention to cutting-edge issues, such as multicultural education, effective use of technology, psychologically-appropriate methods of discipline, parent involvement in children''s education, relevant education law, and other issues that challenge teachers at all levels. New in the fourth edition: *This popular text has been thoroughly updated and reorganized to eliminate repetition and make for a tighter narrative. *Increased attention has been given to the uses of technology in the classroom and to the pressures of school- or state-wide testing. *This edition includes additional journal entries from student teachers working at the middle and high school level, an expanded critical issues section, a refined description of problem-solving methods, and an updated discussion of multicultural education issues. This is an ideal text for the student teaching seminar at all levels of primary and secondary education, as well as a valuable resource for professors supervising student teachers and cooperating classroom teachers. many realstudent teachers who describe their difficulties and frustration--and how they overcome them; *in-depth discussion of the ways in which student teachers can make best use of cooperating teachers and university supervisors; *advice on making a smooth and successful transition from student teacher to teacher; and *attention to cutting-edge issues, such as multicultural education, effective use of technology, psychologically-appropriate methods of discipline, parent involvement in children''s education, relevant education law, and other issues that challenge teachers at all levels. New in the fourth edition: *This popular text has been thoroughly updated and reorganized to eliminate repetition and make for a tighter narrative. *Increased attention has been given to the uses of technology in the classroom and to the pressures of school- or state-wide testing. *This edition includes additional journal entries from student teachers working at the middle and high school level, an expanded critical issues section, a refined description of problem-solving methods, and an updated discussion of multicultural education issues. This is an ideal text for the student teaching seminar at all levels of primary and secondary education, as well as a valuable resource for professors supervising student teachers and cooperating classroom teachers. additional journal entries from student teachers working at the middle and high school level, an expanded critical issues section, a refined description of problem-solving methods, and an updated discussion of multicultural education issues. This is an ideal text for the student teaching seminar at all levels of primary and secondary education, as well as a valuable resource for professors supervising student teachers and cooperating classroom teachers.

Are you ready to teach your own class? The Field Guide to Teaching is a practical guidebook that will help you navigate the first steps in your teaching career, whether you are currently a Student Teacher, a graduate seeking a teaching position, or a new teacher; whether you teach Elementary, Middle, or High School.   The Field Guide to Teaching provides Guidelines, fundamental information, pointers, examples, and resources that will help you avoid common mistakes and begin your career wisely; Insight into the hiring process, navigating the education system, and getting started in your first year; Fundamental information for planning and organizing, hints for managing your classroom, examples of teaching models and methods, instructional activities, and assessing and grading; Pointers for understanding your students, adapting for special needs and diverse students, and involving family and community; Hints for working with your colleagues, and resources for growing professionally and personally. Get ready to teach!   Features of The Field Guide to Teaching: Briefcase CD packaged with the text contains checklists, sample forms, sample lesson plans, templates, classroom ideas, and other resources for new teachers to use. At the end of each chapter, For Your Briefcase feature lists the things new teachers can do to stay organized and get a head-start in teaching effectively, including relevant CD resources for each chapter. Guidepost features highlight pertinent questions and concerns that new teachers commonly have, choices they will be presented with, and possible solutions or courses of action to take. Caution boxes alert readers to possible pitfalls to avoid. In Real Time features offer frank, practical information on specific situations or issues that teachers may encounter. Voices in the Classroom features present first-person comments and anecdotes from teachers, administrators, students, and parents about their experiences with education. Legal Sidebar featureshighlight court cases and laws that influence teachers and their duties. Stating the Facts features provide brief statistical data to increase new teachers’ awareness of the factors influencing their students and the school environment.   Also Available from Merrill/Prentice Hall: Developing a Teaching Portfolio: A Guide to Preservice and Practicing Teachers, Second Edition, by Ann Adams-Bullock and Parmalee P. Hawk, ISBN 0-13-113213-X Using Technology to Support Learning CD-ROM: An Annotated Database of Technology Integration Strategies, Third Edition, Margaret D. Roblyer, ISBN 0-13-172116-X Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, Second Edition, Adrienne L. Herrell and Michael L. Jordan, ISBN 0-13-098462-0

This new fix-it manual by an award winning educator targets student disruptions and teaching inefficiencies that eat up instruction time. This realistic reference helps teachers solve behavior and classroom management problems on the spot, so time is spent educating rather than disciplining. Teachers learn how to deal with behavior issues so that discipline is immediate, the problems end without paperwork or conferences, and the lesson continues. This book is unique because it was drafted over a period of years, while the author was in the trenches teaching every day. Author Dave Foley assumes there will be problems in the classroom and presents clear, direct solutions and alternatives to help teachers maintain or regain the upper hand. Throughout the book, Foley shares the attention-getting, humorous style that made his classes well-behaved, fun, and educational.

Emeritus educator Friedman (Taking Control: Vitalizing Education) has a plan to fix American education. Our present system allows far too many student deficiencies, he contends, which contributes to a multitude of societal ills. His solution is to improve teaching effectiveness. He thus advocates corrective instruction by individualized attention, with teachers evaluating students according to whether they have achieved "mastery" or "not yet." According to this method, advancement would only follow mastery, and teachers would have the authority to make educational decisions based on research evidence. Prescriptive teaching strategies and tactics cover a wide range of recommendations, including instructional expectations, evaluation, and keeping students on task. Friedman is critical of current thinking on student discipline, ability grouping, and whole-language instruction and supports his arguments with extensive bibliographic references.

How can we structure class time efficiently? How can we explain and lecture effectively? How can we help students master content? How can we make learning more real and lasting?In this revised and greatly expanded 2nd edition of Inspiring Active Learning, educators Merrill Harmin and Melanie Toth provide answers to our fundamental teaching questions and show us how to transform our classrooms into communities of active, responsible learners. The authors present an array of research-based, teacher-tested strategies for managing our everyday responsibilities--from beginning a class to grading homework, from instructing large groups to promoting diligent seatwork, from motivating slackers to handling disrupters. These strategies focus on mutual respect, not bossiness; collaboration, not isolation; commitment to learning, not fear of failure; and the dignity of all, not praise or rewards for a few.Regardless of our level of experience or the grade or subject we teach, the active-learning approach helps us* Perform routine teaching tasks more easily.* Discover a higher level of teaching success and personal satisfaction.* Establish a class climate of full participation and cooperation.* Prepare engaging lessons that keep students productively involved.* Encourage students to work energetically, willingly, and intelligently each day.* Inspire all students, even the most challenging, to strive for excellence.With its detailed classroom examples and more than 250 practical strategies, Inspiring Active Learning is a comprehensive reference for solving almost any teaching problem.

This handbook examines what understanding is and how it differs from knowing, discussing how teachers can know that students truly understand and can apply their knowledge in meaningful ways and how courses and units might be designed to emphasize understanding and uncoverage rather than coverage. The handbook includes a planning template, worksheets, exercises, design tools, design standards and tests, and a peer-review process for learning and applying new ideas. Handbook materials show users how to plan curriculum, assessment, and instruction. An overview of understanding includes the first three modules: (1) "Clarifying Understanding," (2) "The Backward Design Process," and (3) "The Understanding by Design Template." Stage 1, "Identify Desired Results," includes (4)"Identifying Enduring Understandings," (5) "From Topics and Skills to Understandings," and (6) "Framing Units around Essential Questions." Stage 2, "Determine Acceptable Evidence," includes (7) "Evidence of Understanding," (8) "Transforming Understandings into Performances," (9) "Designing Performance Tasks," (10) "Designing Scoring Rubrics," and (11) "Anchoring Unit Designs." Stage 3, "Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction," includes (12) "Engaging and Effective Design," (13) "Uncoverage," (14) "Misunderstanding," (15) "Where," (16) "Questions to Guide Teaching," (17) "Teaching Approaches," (18) "A Story Structure for Curriculum Design," and (19) "Curriculum as Task Analysis." A section entitled "Testing and Peer Review" includes (20) "Testing Designs Against Standards" and (21)"Peer Review.

This handbook synthesizes both contemporary research and best practices in early childhood teacher education, a unique segment of teacher education defined by its focus on child development, the role of the family, and support for all learners. The first volume of its kind, the Handbook of Early Childhood Teacher Education provides comprehensive coverage on key topics in the field, including the history of early childhood teacher education programs, models for preparing early childhood educators, pedagogical approaches to supporting diverse learners, and contemporary influences on this quickly expanding area of study. Appropriate for early childhood teacher educators as well as both pre- and in-service teachers working with children from birth through 8, this handbook articulates the unique features of early childhood teacher education, highlighting the strengths and limitations of current practice as based in empirical research. It concludes by charting future directions for research with an aim to improve the preparation of early childhood educators.

Comprehensive, authoritative, and designed for practical utility, this handbook presents evidence-based approaches for helping struggling readers and those at risk for literacy difficulties or delays. Leading experts explain how research on all aspects of literacy translates into innovative classroom practices. Chapters include clear descriptions of effective interventions for word recognition, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing, complete with concrete examples and teaching scripts. Coverage also encompasses preschool literacy instruction and interventions for older readers, English language learners, and students with learning disabilities, as well as peer-mediated and tutoring approaches.  

This landmark volume provides a broad-based, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research into second language teaching and learning. Fifty-seven chapters are organized in eight thematic sections: *social contexts of second language learning; *research methodologies in second-language learning, acquisition, and teaching; *contributions of applied linguistics to the teaching and learning of second language skills; *second language processes and development; *teaching methods and curricula; *issues in second or foreign language testing and assessment; *identity, culture, and critical pedagogy in second language teaching and learning; and *important considerations in language planning and policies. The Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learningis intended for researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and faculty in teacher education and applied linguistics programs; teachers; teacher trainers; teacher trainees; curriculum and material developers; and all other professionals in the field of second language teaching and learning.

This book provides an authoritative, yet accessible guide to the philosophy of education, its scope, its key thinkers and movements, and its potential contribution to a range of educational concerns. The text offers a balanced view of three key dimensions: first, in giving an equal weight to different styles and modes of philosophy; second, by including past and present perspectives on philosophy of education; and third, in covering both the general "perennial" issues in philosophy and issues of more contemporary concern.Section one of the book exemplifies different styles of philosophy, paying attention to the contemporary debates as to the nature, possibilities, and limitations of these different approaches to philosophy of education. Section two is devoted to particular thinkers of the past, and more general coverage of the history of philosophy of education. Section three is dedicated to contemporary philosophic thought on education, providing the basis and reference point for an exploration of contemporary issues. The handbook is designed primarily to be useful to students studying the field of philosophy of education, in the context of the study of educational foundations or theory. But it is also designed to be of use to practicing teachers who wish to gain easy access to current philosophical thinking on particular contemporary educational issues, and to educationalists of all types who want a succinct guide to questions relating to the nature, the history, and the current state of the art of philosophy of education.

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States¿by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this 13-part, 57-chapter handbook is to help profile and bring greater clarity to this sprawling and growing field. To ensure consistency across the volume, chapter authors review and integrate existing research, identify strengths and weaknesses, note gaps in the literature, and discuss implications for practice and future research. Key features include: Comprehensive Coverage¿Fifty-seven chapters cover all aspects of special education in the United States including cultural and international comparisons. Issues & Trends¿In addition to synthesizing empirical findings and providing a critical analysis of the status and direction of current research, chapter authors discuss issues related to practice and reflect on trends in thinking. Categorical Chapters¿In order to provide a comprehensive and comparative treatment of the twelve categorical chapters in section IV, chapter authors were asked to follow a consistent outline: Definition, Causal Factors, Identification, Behavioral Characteristics, Assessment, Educational Programming, and Trends and Issues. Expertise¿Edited by two of the most accomplished scholars in special education, chapter authors include a carefully chosen mixture of established and rising young stars in the field. This book is an appropriate reference volume for anyone (researchers, scholars, graduate students, practitioners, policy makers, and parents) interested in the state of special education today: its research base, current issues and practices, and future trends. It is also appropriate as a textbook for graduate level courses in special education.

There is widespread agreement that schools should contribute to the moral development and character formation of their students. In fact, 80% of US states currently have mandates regarding character education. However, the pervasiveness of the¿support for moral and character education masks a high degree of controversy surrounding its meaning and methods. The purpose of this handbook is to supplant the prevalent ideological rhetoric of the field with a comprehensive, research-oriented volume that both describes the extensive changes that have occurred over the last fifteen years and points forward to the future. Now in its second edition, this book includes the latest applications of developmental and cognitive psychology to moral and character education from preschool to college settings, and much more.

This state-of-the art research Handbook provides a comprehensive, coherent, current synthesis of the empirical and theoretical research concerning teaching and learning in science and lays down a foundation upon which future research can be built.nbsp;nbsp; nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; The contributors, all leading experts in their research areas, represent the international and gender diversity that exists in the science education research community.nbsp; nbsp; As a whole, the Handbook of Research on Science Education demonstrates that science education is alive and well and illustrates its vitality. It is an essential resource for the entire science education community, including veteran and emerging researchers, university faculty, graduate students, practitioners in the schools, and science education professionals outside of universities. The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) endorses the Handbook of Research on Science Education as an important and valuable synthesis of the current knowledge in the field of science education by leading individuals in the field.nbsp; For more information on NARST, please visit: http://www.narst.org/.

Featuring chapters by the world's foremost scholars in music education and cognition, this handbook is a convenient collection of current research on music teaching and learning. This comprehensive work includes sections on arts advocacy, music and medicine, teacher education, and studioinstruction, among other subjects, making it an essential reference for music education programs. The original Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning, published in 1992 with the sponsorship of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), was hailed as "a welcome addition to theliterature on music education because it serves to provide definition and unity to a broad and complex field" (Choice). This new companion volume, again with the sponsorship of MENC, explores the significant changes in music and arts education that have taken place in the last decade. Notably,several chapters now incorporate insights from other fields to shed light on multi-cultural music education, gender issues in music education, and non-musical outcomes of music education. Other chapters offer practical information on maintaining musicians' health, training music teachers, andevaluating music education programs. Philosophical issues, such as musical cognition, the philosophy of research theory, curriculum, and educating musically, are also explored in relationship to policy issues. In addition to surveying the literature, each chapter considers the significance of theresearch and provides suggestions for future study.Covering a broad range of topics and addressing the issues of music education at all age levels, from early childhood to motivation and self-regulation, this handbook is an invaluable resource for music teachers, researchers, and scholars.

Sponsored by the American Educational Research Association In this completely revised edition of the Handbook of Research on Educational Administration, distinguished scholars draw from recent and classic studies to offer cross-disciplinary views of the most important research in K-12 education. They address the challenges that school leaders and policymakers face, the pressures that bear on their work, and the issues that they must address in order to create successful schools and districts. This comprehensive reference shows how organizational and leadership theory and practice have not only influenced, but responded to systemic changes in education--ranging from theories of learning to changing student demographics. The contributors are among the most respected researchers and thinkers in the field of educational leadership and administration. In twenty-four chapters, they examine the individual, organizational, and institutional dimensions of leadership--especially as they relate to changing views of teaching and learning, new forms of school organization and governance, and shifting trAnds in the social and community climate. The authors also pay particular attention to the changing roles and responsibilities of school administrators and the vital task of preparing new professionals for the field. Their explorations set the agAnda for future research and policy development. The Handbook of Research on Educational Administration is a vital reference for scholars, researchers, administrators, and graduate students who want to learn the fundamentals and latest findings in educational administration.

Frankenstein and Pinocchio help Gary A. Davis, Ph.D., make a point about giftedness in this brand new book. Each chapter begins with humorous anecdotes as a gateway to explaining how to cultivate the talents of gifted children. There are noteworthy obstacles to achieving the successful education of gifted and talented students, but they can be overcome. This book, as a resource for teachers and parents, is a valuable tool for doing so. The author's dry humor, combined with user-friendly explanations, will guide parents and educators through an enjoyable learning experience!

With the increased number of children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, parents and professionals are in search of materials that provide information theat will enable them to better understand affected children. While in the past individuals who were diagnosed had limited verbal and intellectual skills, newly diagnosed children often have good language skills and even areas of giftedness. This A-to-Z work contains original entries on the topic of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Entries include facts about disabilities, personal and historic perspectives, interventions, assessments, educational methods, trusted internet resources, and national organizations. The work outlines the contributions of founding researchers and other professionals and includes personal perspectives from individuals with ASD and their parents. It also includes lesson plans that can be implemented in a home, school, or community setting. No other such definitive resource exists that provides both educational and practical information related to ASD.