The Cafe Book, Gail Boushey & Joan Moser, Stenhouse, USA, 2009, 190 pgs.
This is a neat companion to the "The Daily 5", Boushey and Moser's reading workshop program. I must admit, I haven't actually read that book, but I get the general gist of it. Plus, I have my own version of reading workshop - based on Fountas and Pinnell - and I'm just durned happy with that, so. Yeah.
The Cafe Book centres on teaching reading comprehension. I'll definitely adopt the suggestions on individual conferences, and the flexible strategy groups look fantastic - that can most certainly update the tired reading groups. I also liked the Cafe Menu, displayed in the class, as well as the Word Collector. All good ideas. The forms and record-keeping suggestions are excellent, kindly provided on CD-ROM.
Amazing that they can have a literacy block that runs for 3 hours! Oh, the jealousy!
Friday, April 06, 2012
Thursday, July 07, 2011
"Teaching Boys who struggle in school" Kathleen P Cleveland
219 pgs, 2011, ASCD.
Well, I loved this book. I really enjoyed reading Kathleen Cleveland's writing style - she has that effortless, easy to read but not dumbed down style that really helps you to take on board what she's saying. And here, she's saying a lot. And she manages to get her message across without alienating any one group. Magic.
As you may have guessed from the title, this book is about ameliorating the "problem" of boys underachieving at school. To begin, Cleveland first sought the guts of the issue. Was it really a problem? Was it as much of a problem as what the media intimated? And what were the main tenets of the issue?
She found there was a problem, though not as much as the media will tell us it is. There are boys - and any practising teacher will tell you this - that do struggle in our classrooms, and there is an urgent need to do something about it. But this change does not need to come at the expense of girls' education, nor anything else, it can be slotted into our current teaching. "Tweaking" what you already do.
Cleveland proposes a 6 step Pathways program that can underscore everything you do. She explains it at length, though not laboriously, and it is a solid structure. I am inspired to go ahead and begin making subtle changes to the way I teach, to take advantage of these very helpful suggestions.
Some of the important concepts I gleaned from the book include: experience learning, or active learning is essential - it is better to do things rather than just talk about them abstractly; collaboration is important, as are co-operative skills and social skills; informational feedback is important to provide direction; regular breaks and activity changers are essential. These are just some of the many helpful ideas within. As Cleveland herself says in the introduction - this isn't a book filled with strategies, it's rather a book about a way of thinking about teaching the kids in your class. Although it's mainly aimed at struggling boys, girls will also benefit from the ideas you try. Highly recommended.
Well, I loved this book. I really enjoyed reading Kathleen Cleveland's writing style - she has that effortless, easy to read but not dumbed down style that really helps you to take on board what she's saying. And here, she's saying a lot. And she manages to get her message across without alienating any one group. Magic.
As you may have guessed from the title, this book is about ameliorating the "problem" of boys underachieving at school. To begin, Cleveland first sought the guts of the issue. Was it really a problem? Was it as much of a problem as what the media intimated? And what were the main tenets of the issue?
She found there was a problem, though not as much as the media will tell us it is. There are boys - and any practising teacher will tell you this - that do struggle in our classrooms, and there is an urgent need to do something about it. But this change does not need to come at the expense of girls' education, nor anything else, it can be slotted into our current teaching. "Tweaking" what you already do.
Cleveland proposes a 6 step Pathways program that can underscore everything you do. She explains it at length, though not laboriously, and it is a solid structure. I am inspired to go ahead and begin making subtle changes to the way I teach, to take advantage of these very helpful suggestions.
Some of the important concepts I gleaned from the book include: experience learning, or active learning is essential - it is better to do things rather than just talk about them abstractly; collaboration is important, as are co-operative skills and social skills; informational feedback is important to provide direction; regular breaks and activity changers are essential. These are just some of the many helpful ideas within. As Cleveland herself says in the introduction - this isn't a book filled with strategies, it's rather a book about a way of thinking about teaching the kids in your class. Although it's mainly aimed at struggling boys, girls will also benefit from the ideas you try. Highly recommended.
Monday, April 18, 2011
"Connecting Teachers, Students and Standards" Voltz, Sims and Nelson
144pgs, 2011, ASCD.
Another Member book from ASCD! Well, if nothing else, they keep me busy with educational research. Not that I mind. This book began with all the promise of everything - and well, then narrowed it down to what they really meant.
The rather gregarious title of "Connecting Teachers, Students and Standards" appears to cover a whole gamut of global necessities for teaching, but it is in actuality another book targeted for the minority groups in your classroom. It kind of reminded me of the Bender book that I just finished - as he to was primarily focused on students with disabilities and not necessarily disclosing this information. Which perturbed me a little.
The subtitle however, on this book reads, "Strategies for Success in Diverse and Inclusive Classrooms", thus leading us to a more complete picture of what this is all about. The whole gist of this book is to lead you through a method of inclusive teaching. That method is from the MMECCA framework. It highlights:
When I think about it now, it's really a book aimed at younger teacher. It gives a larger picture. At the moment, I'm looking for something that will provide a larger picture, with more specifics drawn in. Talk about fussy!
A lot of the content in the this book I must say I already knew about (not to brag or anything). It was a nice little refresher, though, and certainly worth reading.
There are a range of useful strategies that you could use for a number of different lesson situations, such as the COPS strategy to help with editing in writing.
It's good when you're able to find at least a few tips that you can use. Worth it!
Another Member book from ASCD! Well, if nothing else, they keep me busy with educational research. Not that I mind. This book began with all the promise of everything - and well, then narrowed it down to what they really meant.
The rather gregarious title of "Connecting Teachers, Students and Standards" appears to cover a whole gamut of global necessities for teaching, but it is in actuality another book targeted for the minority groups in your classroom. It kind of reminded me of the Bender book that I just finished - as he to was primarily focused on students with disabilities and not necessarily disclosing this information. Which perturbed me a little.
The subtitle however, on this book reads, "Strategies for Success in Diverse and Inclusive Classrooms", thus leading us to a more complete picture of what this is all about. The whole gist of this book is to lead you through a method of inclusive teaching. That method is from the MMECCA framework. It highlights:
- Methods of instruction
- Materials of instruction
- Environment of instruction
- Content of instruction
- Collaboration for instruction
- Assessment in instruction
When I think about it now, it's really a book aimed at younger teacher. It gives a larger picture. At the moment, I'm looking for something that will provide a larger picture, with more specifics drawn in. Talk about fussy!
A lot of the content in the this book I must say I already knew about (not to brag or anything). It was a nice little refresher, though, and certainly worth reading.
There are a range of useful strategies that you could use for a number of different lesson situations, such as the COPS strategy to help with editing in writing.
It's good when you're able to find at least a few tips that you can use. Worth it!
"Learning to Love Math" Judy Willis
(Kindle edition), 2010, ASCD.
Judy Willis, as a neurologist turned educator, has an unique perspective on how children learn. She infuses this knowledge into her teaching, and her students must be all the richer for it. Personally, I gained much from looking at teaching in this light - it can help you see just how children do struggle when conditions aren't right for them to learn.
Willis begin by revisiting what I'm sure we've all come across in our maths lessons, the 'negativity' that can occur, in particular in maths. With such a large range of content to 'cover', we are (well, I am) frequently at a loss as to how to teach it effectively. And Willis confirms what we already knew - children can't learn anyway when they're stressed, so you can't force it. They have to want to learn it.
And this is a reassuring point. From all of my previous research, this is an outstanding similarity. Children learn best when they are invested in what they are learning - teaching them 'because it's on the curriculum' won't suffice.
Throughout the book, Willis delivers in an even, pragmatic tone, teaching that you should and can be doing in maths. She blends in knowledge about the brain with fantastic ideas that will help with the boreds and the confused. She even includes a handy 'Brain Owner's Manual', which you can use to inform your students that yes, they can learn how to be smart!
Willis suggests teaching your students about how their brain can improve, and so their maths skills (and indeed, any other) can also improve. She mentions such strategies as dend-writes, sy-naps, and the neuroplasticity of the brain that enables us to build on new knowledge. She does this, I might add, without the book being bogged down in academia.
She discusses the art of achievable challenge, that is, ensuring each child in the class is working to their capacity. Sound like pipe dreams? It can be done! Using formative assessment and targeted planning, for a start, you can put them on the right track to learning the maths they can.
It can be tricky, as an educator, juggling the different learning needs of a class of many, but the ideas in this book show you how. Alert those minds, differentiate for achievable challenge, and reduce anxiety! Start... now!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
"Differentiating Math Instruction" William Bender
(2nd Ed), 2009, 132pgs, Corwin, USA.
My current improvement focus is mathematics, so I've been reading up on the subject of late. I picked this title, as it had a relevance to current pedagogy (the "differentiation" bit), and it looked as if it would encompass a modern teaching strategy that could help me to teach maths more effectively.
Bender introduces the text by offering it as a kind of "grab bag" of strategies and tricks that you can pick up and use immediately in the classroom. It is indeed accessible in this way. A number of the strategies also apply from Prep to year 8, as it purports to, and could even go further.
It was not really what I was looking for, that is, a program that has an overarching ethos that can be the basis of a successful maths program. I found that in the previous book, "Focus". Schmoker suggests teaching maths in the older style of interactive lecture, and that this can be very effective if taught correctly.
I also found difficulty in accepting the research and theory basis that Bender offers. His field and background is in children with learning difficulties, and this is where he has gathered much of his information. It's not really a problem - until he uses this information as a basis for strategies for general education students. Children with learning difficulties and children without are different, and can be taught in different ways.
So the "differentiation" that was presented was really just suggestions for students with learning difficulties. There was only one suggestion for gifted or bright children, and this in itself was not really satisfactory, not providing any guidance for extending those children beyond their peers adequately.
This, I believe, is not actually differentiation. It's just adapted lessons for those with learning difficulties. It's not so bad in itself, but Bender does not disclose this research bias, and thus discredits his own suggestions.
And yet, I found some useful tips that I could bring into the classroom. For example, there is merit in copying out flashcards as a method to learn the multiplication tables (even better for those with learning difficulties). Students that are bright and already know the content should not participate in the whole class minilesson - they should be taken out of the main group before that. The Concrete, Semi-Concrete, Abstract sequence is important, and should be heeded.
I will continue to look elsewhere for a text that I can base my maths teaching on. I'm thinking a new ASCD book, "Learning to Love Math" looks good. Stay tuned!
My current improvement focus is mathematics, so I've been reading up on the subject of late. I picked this title, as it had a relevance to current pedagogy (the "differentiation" bit), and it looked as if it would encompass a modern teaching strategy that could help me to teach maths more effectively.
Bender introduces the text by offering it as a kind of "grab bag" of strategies and tricks that you can pick up and use immediately in the classroom. It is indeed accessible in this way. A number of the strategies also apply from Prep to year 8, as it purports to, and could even go further.
It was not really what I was looking for, that is, a program that has an overarching ethos that can be the basis of a successful maths program. I found that in the previous book, "Focus". Schmoker suggests teaching maths in the older style of interactive lecture, and that this can be very effective if taught correctly.
I also found difficulty in accepting the research and theory basis that Bender offers. His field and background is in children with learning difficulties, and this is where he has gathered much of his information. It's not really a problem - until he uses this information as a basis for strategies for general education students. Children with learning difficulties and children without are different, and can be taught in different ways.
So the "differentiation" that was presented was really just suggestions for students with learning difficulties. There was only one suggestion for gifted or bright children, and this in itself was not really satisfactory, not providing any guidance for extending those children beyond their peers adequately.
This, I believe, is not actually differentiation. It's just adapted lessons for those with learning difficulties. It's not so bad in itself, but Bender does not disclose this research bias, and thus discredits his own suggestions.
And yet, I found some useful tips that I could bring into the classroom. For example, there is merit in copying out flashcards as a method to learn the multiplication tables (even better for those with learning difficulties). Students that are bright and already know the content should not participate in the whole class minilesson - they should be taken out of the main group before that. The Concrete, Semi-Concrete, Abstract sequence is important, and should be heeded.
I will continue to look elsewhere for a text that I can base my maths teaching on. I'm thinking a new ASCD book, "Learning to Love Math" looks good. Stay tuned!
Monday, March 14, 2011
"Focus" Mike Schmoker
2011, 218pp, ASCD, USA.
I received this edition in the post, being a Select member of the ASCD in America (thus furthering my search for educational research!). Well, it got my attention straight away! The subtitle reads, "Elevating the Essentials To Radically Improve Student Learning". That said to me, "read me, read me NOW!" And so I dutifully obliged.
Schmoker is a previously published author, his most recent book being titled, "Results NOW" (2006), which also looks a good read. He has an effortless but convincing style that is easy to read, and enjoyable. He is most passionate about making grand improvements to education for all, and this is plainly read through his writing. It is a call to action.
Schmoker highlights a few proven, though, some would say, old-fashioned methods in pedagogy and leadership that he attests will improve student learning noticeably. In fact, he repeats these few core ideas a number of times, though I believe this was just because the methods are so versatile and can be applied in a number of places. This repetitious nature of strategy doesn't get boring, but by the end of the book, you can predict what he is going to say.
He stands by solid tactics such as reducing standards taught to Teach Them Properly (my caps), using the interactive lecture style to imbue direct teaching correctly (without all the mumbo-jumbo excessive activity-based frilly stuff that we have devolved into, or so he says), and reading, Reading, READING! Lots of reading.
I agree.
There is, of course, a lot of other useful information in this book. I heartily urge you to read it. It's an influential read, and will get you moving. I will be!
I received this edition in the post, being a Select member of the ASCD in America (thus furthering my search for educational research!). Well, it got my attention straight away! The subtitle reads, "Elevating the Essentials To Radically Improve Student Learning". That said to me, "read me, read me NOW!" And so I dutifully obliged.
Schmoker is a previously published author, his most recent book being titled, "Results NOW" (2006), which also looks a good read. He has an effortless but convincing style that is easy to read, and enjoyable. He is most passionate about making grand improvements to education for all, and this is plainly read through his writing. It is a call to action.
Schmoker highlights a few proven, though, some would say, old-fashioned methods in pedagogy and leadership that he attests will improve student learning noticeably. In fact, he repeats these few core ideas a number of times, though I believe this was just because the methods are so versatile and can be applied in a number of places. This repetitious nature of strategy doesn't get boring, but by the end of the book, you can predict what he is going to say.
He stands by solid tactics such as reducing standards taught to Teach Them Properly (my caps), using the interactive lecture style to imbue direct teaching correctly (without all the mumbo-jumbo excessive activity-based frilly stuff that we have devolved into, or so he says), and reading, Reading, READING! Lots of reading.
I agree.
There is, of course, a lot of other useful information in this book. I heartily urge you to read it. It's an influential read, and will get you moving. I will be!
Monday, January 10, 2011
"Visible Learning" John A C Hattie
2008, 382pp, (Kindle edition), USA.
Previously in my reading, I had a feeling I was searching for something. To be sure, I was always looking for better practice, better pedagogy, and more sound theory. Every book I read took me a little closer, but yet, was not the definitive swipe I was looking for. The allegorical full stop to the journey of educational pedagogy. A book that would stand up and say -- I am theoretically sound and intensely helpful! It had to be waiting in the wings.
"Visible Learning" ends the search. (Though, I say this metaphorically, because there really is no end to the search.) John Hattie, a professor and obviously rigorous researcher, has completed a mammoth task of compiling over 800 meta analyses of educational reviews and articles. Or something like that. I wasn't really concerned so much with the data, more so interested in the content.
Hattie takes to task all of those programs, initiatives and strategies that we throw at schools and schoolchildren -- and clearly tells us if it works or not. If you were thinking, "wouldn't it be great if someone wrote a book that finally told us what worked and what didn't?" then your prayers have been answered.
It's a hard slog. There are numerous programs, etc that Hattie trawled through, but, it is ultimately rewarding. I can't really do it justice by summarising it in 200 words or less, but needless to say, it firstly confirmed the direction our school is going in, and also reassured me that I was also on the right track myself.
Big ideas to take away include a major focus on formative assessment and all that goes with it, eg. student self-assessment, peer assessment, learning criteria, etc; as well as making teaching clear and obvious. That is to say -- Visible Learning and Visible Teaching.
I think I must have highlighted approximately half of the book in my Kindle, so I'll be going over those notes regularly. It really is an enlightening and rewarding book to read. Recommended.
Monday, April 26, 2010
"Teaching and Assessing Spelling" Mary Jo Fresch & Aileen Wheaton
2002, 155 pgs, Scholastic Teaching Resources, USA.
Following on from "Spelling Smart", "Teaching and Assessing Spelling" nicely creates an umbrella program - more like a philosophy, actually - that both programs can co-exist in. (In fact, it was nice to note "Spelling Smart" in the bibliography of "Teaching and Assessing Spelling", confirming the complementary nature of both programs.)
"Teaching and Assessing Spelling" similarly rejects the old model of memorisation, both as a demoralising and incorrect model of spelling instruction. The focus is once again on conceptual learning of spelling patterns, providing a thorough sequence in which to learn these through (although, the authors are quick to note that this is not necessarily to be adhered to in strict sequential order).
Fresch and Wheaton have developed their own assessment method, dubbed the SKI - for Spelling Knowledge Inventory - which will work for any child from prep to the upper grades. They range from I to IV. The stages match developmental stages that the authors identify early on, specifically:
- I. Print and Symbol Awareness
- II. Print and Sound Awareness
- III. Print and Sound Connections
- IV. Self-Reliance
The authors point out that at all stages of spelling - or, as they prefer, word study - students are in need of direct and tailored instruction in order to consolidate and progress their level of understanding. They note that the stages are on a continuum, so at any particular stage, students may have one foot in one, and one foot in the other.
The book is replete with examples that demonstrate how to use the SKI Assessment, and also what to do with the results. They provide examples and suggestions of how to program for spelling instruction that focuses on discovery and word patterns, without really demanding that you adhere to any particular model. There is similarly a focus on etymology as a way to discover words in their irregularities, and to foster enthusiasm in words.
An extensive appendix is included, that facilitates creation of your specific SKI Assessments through word banks and forms.
As with "Spelling Smart", I believe that this program will encourage a richer, more thorough knowledge of spelling in students, and furthermore, will assist a burgeoning appreciation of words. As Fresch and Wheaton say in "Teaching and Assessing Spelling", "you'll begin to look at words in a different way" - both yourself and students.
"Spelling Smart" Cynthia M Stowe
2002, 415 pgs, Jossey-Bass Publishers, USA.
It is a valuable program that dismisses the old practice of memorisation - that is, having students memorise a list of words, with a weekly test to see how they fared. Stowe points out that this is actually a test of memorisation, not spelling skill, so the learning is not conceptual. The program aims to teach spelling with an understanding of the regular spelling patterns. Students are charged with discovering the different sounds that the English language can make, and at the same time, build their self-confidence as they make real learning progress.
The program focuses on the regular spelling patterns - not the irregularities that are so often talked about, the "spelling demons". Stowe mentions that the regular spelling patterns make up about 85% of words (p18), thus the bulk of the program should be about the regular patterns. The remainder are dealt with through regular use (not memorisation), reading, and noticing through reading or modeling.
Etymology (the study of word origins) is encouraged as both a way to explain the inconsistencies in the English language and nurture a fascination with language that can facilitate further interest in study.
Spelling lessons focus on using words in context, and highlighting spelling patterns through a range of different activities. A number of reproducibles are offered for each unit.
"Spelling Smart" is a sequential, systematic spelling program, that focuses on real learning of spelling patterns, thus leading to better spellers and writers. With students at the centre, this program is a bedrock for students with spelling difficulties, and will boost their confidence as they progress.
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