Classroom Observation


Book Description

Classroom Observation explores the pivotal role of lesson observation in the training, assessment and development of new and experienced teachers. Offering practical guidance and detailed insight on an aspect of training that is a source of anxiety for many teachers, this thought-provoking book offers a critical analysis of the place, role and nature of lesson observation in the lives of education professionals. Illustrated throughout with practical examples from a range of education settings, it considers observation as a means of assessing teaching and learning and also as a way of developing teachers’ skills and knowledge. Key topics include: The purposes and uses of lesson observation The socio-political and historical context in which lesson observation has developed Practical guidance on a range of observation models and methods Teacher autonomy and professional identity Performance management, professional standards and accountability Peer observation, self-observation and critical reflection Using video in lesson observation. Written for all student and practising teachers as well teacher educators and those engaged in educational research, Classroom Observation is an essential introduction to how we observe, why we observe and how it can be best used to improve teaching and learning.




A Guide to Staff & Educational Development


Book Description

Systematic support for improving education and learning in further and higher education, has moved to centre stage in recent years. This is reflected in the increasing membership of professional bodies. Most new staff are encouraged to engage in staff development programmes, but receive little training to do so. This book has been written to meet this need: it is a practical handbook that introduces the key issues in staff and educational development, ideal for any education professional in the early years of their career at further or higher education level.




Making Learning Happen


Book Description

This second edition of a popular text provides an accessible and practical discussion of teaching and learning for the post-compulsory sector of higher and further education. Central to the book is the author's well-known `ripples on a pond' model of learning, which identifies fundamental factors underpinning successful learning: - wanting to learn - taking ownership of the need to learn - learning by doing - learning through feedback - making sense of what is being learned - deepening learning through explaining, coaching, teaching - further deepening learning through assessing - making informed judgements The book encourages teachers and students to address these factors head-on in a wide range of contexts, including large-group teaching, the design of assessment, small-group work, reflection, and in making good use of formative feedback. As well as a thorough update based on feedback to the previous version, this edition includes three new chapters: - 'designing the curriculum for learning'; - 'what can I do when...?'providing creative tactics to help address some of the common problems colleagues experience in teaching in post-compulsory education; - 'reflective observation', including peer and self observation. The book is a helpful tool for lecturers and tutors in universities and colleges, post-16 teachers in secondary education, and educational managers.It also provides a valuable resource for postgraduate students on higher and further education courses and staff development courses across UK universities. Phil Race is Emeritus Professor: Assessment, Learning and Teaching, at Leeds Metropolitan University, and continues to travel widely giving keynotes and running training workshops for staff and students in universities, colleges and other organizations throughout the UK and abroad. Access the author's website at http://phil-race.co.uk




Peer Review of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education


Book Description

Incorporating both theoretical and practical perspectives, this volume of papers explores varied aspects of peer review of teaching in higher education. The section on theory features contributions from academics based in Europe, North America and Australia. It provides a number of models demonstrating ways in which collegial peer commentary can enhance the quality of learning and teaching. The chapters examine in detail the importance of communication and leadership, and deploy evidence from one-on-one interviews that evince the value of considering collegiality, emotions, attitudes, and spaces in peer review. The analysis shows how these factors are central to the ways in which lecturers and teachers communicate with each other to create constructive opportunities for learning. The chapters on practical considerations detail the peer review process and include case studies from institutions in Africa, Europe, North America and Australia, which focus on different areas of the topic, including peer review as a quality assurance mechanism, peer review in distance education, peer review in foundation courses, and peer review embedded within a department and across a university. The book ends with an international perspective on the role of peer review in ensuring a holistic approach to quality enhancement in learning and teaching.




Beyond Training


Book Description

Beyond Training examines the nature of second language teacher development and how teachers' practices are influenced by their beliefs and principles. It seeks to move discussion of language teacher development beyond the level of "training," which reflects a technical view of specific teaching practices. Instead, it takes a more holistic approach to teacher development built on the notion of the teacher as critical and reflective thinker. The argument pursued throughout is that teacher education needs to engage teachers not merely in the mastery of techniques, but in an exploration of the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes that underly their teaching practices.




How Learning Works


Book Description

Praise for How Learning Works "How Learning Works is the perfect title for this excellent book. Drawing upon new research in psychology, education, and cognitive science, the authors have demystified a complex topic into clear explanations of seven powerful learning principles. Full of great ideas and practical suggestions, all based on solid research evidence, this book is essential reading for instructors at all levels who wish to improve their students' learning." —Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice chancellor for educational development, University of California, Berkeley, and author, Tools for Teaching "This book is a must-read for every instructor, new or experienced. Although I have been teaching for almost thirty years, as I read this book I found myself resonating with many of its ideas, and I discovered new ways of thinking about teaching." —Eugenia T. Paulus, professor of chemistry, North Hennepin Community College, and 2008 U.S. Community Colleges Professor of the Year from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education "Thank you Carnegie Mellon for making accessible what has previously been inaccessible to those of us who are not learning scientists. Your focus on the essence of learning combined with concrete examples of the daily challenges of teaching and clear tactical strategies for faculty to consider is a welcome work. I will recommend this book to all my colleagues." —Catherine M. Casserly, senior partner, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "As you read about each of the seven basic learning principles in this book, you will find advice that is grounded in learning theory, based on research evidence, relevant to college teaching, and easy to understand. The authors have extensive knowledge and experience in applying the science of learning to college teaching, and they graciously share it with you in this organized and readable book." —From the Foreword by Richard E. Mayer, professor of psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; coauthor, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction; and author, Multimedia Learning




Teaching Communication Across Disciplines for Professional Development, Civic Engagement, and Beyond


Book Description

This volume addresses teaching and research across disciplines, communication and identity development, and the centrality of communication in our quickly changing world. Contributors convey the social and global need, value, and responsibility of communication instruction across disciplines.




Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher


Book Description

A practical guide to the essential practice that builds better teachers. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher is the landmark guide to critical reflection, providing expert insight and practical tools to facilitate a journey of constructive self-critique. Stephen Brookfield shows how you can uncover and assess your assumptions about practice by viewing them through the lens of your students' eyes, your colleagues' perceptions, relevant theory and research, and your own personal experience. Practicing critical reflection will help you… Align your teaching with desired student outcomes See your practice from new perspectives Engage learners via multiple teaching formats Understand and manage classroom power dynamics Model critical thinking for your students Manage the complex rhythms of diverse classrooms This fully revised second edition features a wealth of new material, including new chapters on critical reflection in the context of social media, teaching race and racism, leadership in a critically reflective key, and team teaching as critical reflection. In addition, all chapters have been thoroughly updated and expanded to align with today's classrooms, whether online or face-to-face, in large lecture formats or small groups. In his own personal voice Stephen Brookfield draws from over 45 years of experience to illustrate the clear benefits of critical reflection. Assumptions guide practice and only when we base our actions on accurate assumptions will we achieve the results we want. Educators with the courage to challenge their own assumptions in an effort to improve learning are the invaluable role models our students need. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher provides the foundational information and practical tools that help teachers reach their true potential.




The Hidden Lives of Learners


Book Description

The focus is on how students experience classroom learning activities and how they learn from that experience.