Building Better Learners


Book Description

In this book you will find information on how you can help your child be better equipped to successfully respond to academic instruction as well as increase his level of skill in all activities – including sports. The concepts presented are not new. Years ago researchers, working with children with learning problems, created programs that included neuro-motor involvement to help improve learning. Some of these programs have been around for decades and some have been refined. Unfortunately most of the time the programs have been used only when helping individuals who had obvious disabilities. It is the intent of the authors to preserve as much as possible the teachings of Ed Snapp who saw the potential of using these activities in elementary school classrooms to enhance the abilities of all children.




Building Learning Power


Book Description




Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy


Book Description

Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy: Adaptable Policy for Teachers and School Leaders provides an extensive set of free-to-use policies for building better schools. The policies included in this book cover a broad range of popular topics for schools that are not readily accessible, and each policy is built on theory, driven by research, and created by experts. Each policy is based on substantial evidence, and this is ensured through the inclusion of contributors who are active and highly reputable in their respective field. Most schools are obliged to write and maintain policy, and not all school leaders have the required skills, time, or expertise to do this effectively. Building Better Schools with Evidence-based Policy: Adaptable Policy for Teachers and School Leaders is a time-saving resource for schools. It aims to address the reported research-to-practice gap in education by delivering accessible evidence-based practice in a ready-to-use adaptable format. All policies within this book are designed to be adapted and tailored to the unique diversity and needs of each school as reflected by the context and the people that make up the school community. This book is relevant to every person who works in a school – worldwide. Users of this book can rest assured that each policy has been carefully formulated from the current understandings of best practice. This is a practical innovation and an example of how schools can use research evidence in their day-to-day practices. "The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license."




Building a Better Teacher


Book Description

A New York Times Notable Book "A must-read book for every American teacher and taxpayer." —Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World Launched with a hugely popular New York Times Magazine cover story, Building a Better Teacher sparked a national conversation about teacher quality and established Elizabeth Green as a leading voice in education. Green's fascinating and accessible narrative dispels the common myth of the "natural-born teacher" and introduces maverick educators exploring the science behind their art. Her dramatic account reveals that great teaching is not magic, but a skill—a skill that can be taught. Now with a new afterword that offers a guide on how to identify—and support—great teachers, this provocative and hopeful book "should be part of every new teacher’s education" (Washington Post).




Building Better Students


Book Description

Led by a team of experts, Building Better Students: Preparation for the Workforce discusses a variety of issues surrounding workforce readiness in the 21st century by presenting the latest research, practice, and policy on what is continually emerging as a febrile field. By featuring such topics as how to define and measure workforce readiness; how to prepare students for the workforce; and bridging the gap between college and workforce readiness, this volume is a necessary contribution to today's "skills gap" literature as society works to not only secure our own economic futures, but our children's futures, as well. In this volume, world-class contributors from a variety of backgrounds (including industrial/organizational psychology, personality psychology, and educational assessment) all come together to share their unique perspective on the larger issues at hand. In addition to showcasing cutting-edge research, Building Better Students offers insightful commentary and provides readers with the opportunity to not only reflect on these issues, but how to move the needle further for this generation and beyond.




Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K-12


Book Description

A thinking student is an engaged student Teachers often find it difficult to implement lessons that help students go beyond rote memorization and repetitive calculations. In fact, institutional norms and habits that permeate all classrooms can actually be enabling "non-thinking" student behavior. Sparked by observing teachers struggle to implement rich mathematics tasks to engage students in deep thinking, Peter Liljedahl has translated his 15 years of research into this practical guide on how to move toward a thinking classroom. Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, Grades K–12 helps teachers implement 14 optimal practices for thinking that create an ideal setting for deep mathematics learning to occur. This guide Provides the what, why, and how of each practice and answers teachers’ most frequently asked questions Includes firsthand accounts of how these practices foster thinking through teacher and student interviews and student work samples Offers a plethora of macro moves, micro moves, and rich tasks to get started Organizes the 14 practices into four toolkits that can be implemented in order and built on throughout the year When combined, these unique research-based practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned deep mathematical thinking and learning, and have the power to transform mathematics classrooms like never before.




Building Better Citizens


Book Description

Educating for citizenship was the original mission of American schools, but for decades that knowledge—also known as civics education—has been in decline, as schools have shifted focus to college and career, STEM, and raising reading and math scores. But over the last few years, spurred on by political polarization and a steep decline in public understanding, civics education is seeing a nation-wide resurgence, as school leaders, educators, and parents recognize the urgency of teaching young people how America works—especially young people who have been marginalized from the political system. But this isn’t your grandmother’s civics. The “new” civics has been updated and re-tooled for the phone-addicted, multi-cultural, globalized twenty-first century kid. From combatting “fake news” with fact checking in Silicon Valley, to reviving elementary school social studies in Nashville, to learning civic activism in Oklahoma City, journalist Holly Korbey documents the grassroots revival happening across the country. Along the way, she provides an essential guidebook for educators, school leaders and caregivers of all types who want to educate a new generation of engaged citizens at a critical time in American democracy.




Building Better Teams


Book Description

Over the past 10 years in the field of human and organizational development, the approach to team building has moved from problem solving and conflict management to helping work groups and organizations build a foundation of trust, cooperation, and mutual support. Focusing on collaboration rather than resolving conflict, Building Better Teams: 70 Tools and Techniques for Strengthening Performance Within and Across Teams offers a fresh approach to team building. It provides proven tools for the most common needs of teams, including establishing trust, building consensus, managing change, working virtually and across boundaries, and dealing with setbacks.




You Can Learn!


Book Description

Great learning starts when students believe in their academic abilities. In You Can Learn!, authors Tim Brown and William M. Ferriter introduce intentional and purposeful steps collaborative teams can take to increase the self-efficacy of every learner. By incorporating the book's research-backed practices, professional learning communities will cultivate a culture where students at every grade level see themselves as competent learners fully capable of succeeding in school and beyond. Discover key instructional strategies to develop and reinforce student learning and achievement: Understand why self-efficacy in the classroom is important for student achievement and well-being. Discover how to implement efficacy-building practices designed around foundational PLC elements. Study a research-based approach to student engagement that spans grade levels and subject areas. Review recommendations for how to start utilizing the strategies outlined in each chapter. Utilize reproducible templates and tools to enhance individual and team understanding of the material. Contents: Introduction Chapter 1: Building a Commitment to Learning in Students Chapter 2: Helping Students Understand the Expectations for a Unit of Study Chapter 3: Helping Students Assess Their Progress Toward Mastery Chapter 4: Helping Students Take Action Epilogue References and Resources




Mindstorms


Book Description

In this revolutionary book, a renowned computer scientist explains the importance of teaching children the basics of computing and how it can prepare them to succeed in the ever-evolving tech world. Computers have completely changed the way we teach children. We have Mindstorms to thank for that. In this book, pioneering computer scientist Seymour Papert uses the invention of LOGO, the first child-friendly programming language, to make the case for the value of teaching children with computers. Papert argues that children are more than capable of mastering computers, and that teaching computational processes like de-bugging in the classroom can change the way we learn everything else. He also shows that schools saturated with technology can actually improve socialization and interaction among students and between students and teachers. Technology changes every day, but the basic ways that computers can help us learn remain. For thousands of teachers and parents who have sought creative ways to help children learn with computers, Mindstorms is their bible.