Product Description
The focus of Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities is answering the most common question posed by schools seeking to start their transformation into professional learning communities: Where do we begin? In the Introduction, the authors present the PLC concept, making the book accessible to those who have not yet read Professional Learning Communities at Work and providing a review of the framework for those who have. The main focus of the Introduction is that PLC is not a cookie-cutter approach, but rather a process that can be complex and non-linear. The book provides the reader access to a solid conceptual framework and concrete illustrations of how schools operate when they are functioning as PLCs, as well as to assessments for determining the effectiveness of their efforts.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Hope for Public Schools.......2007-06-26
As a public school teacher and teacher trainer I feel strongly that the best reform schools can make is involving teachers and administrators in professional conversations as colleagues about teaching and learning. This book is a very good "how to do it" manual.
Very good book for college class..........2007-05-10
I needed this book for a college class. The price of the book was very reasonable and I was quite pleasantly surprised that the book was actually interesting. This is one book that I plan to keep and not sell back to the school. I think the book will be a good resource even after I've finished my degree work.
Golden Dancer.......2006-09-22
In the movie Inherit the Wind, the story of Golden Dancer is related to the audience. Golden Dancer was a beautiful and expensive wooden rocking horse that a family bought for its child after saving for it. The first time the child rode the horse, it collapsed as the wood was rotten to the core; so, is the DuFour premise as found on page 37. His conclusion that all students can achieve at the same level (learn specified topics) is asinine. He argues that all that is needed for struggling students is more time and support. He refuses to take into account intelligence and student effort (responsibility) in his equation. If his premise has any chance of coming true, teachers will have to dumb down what they teach to the lowest common denominator. Additionally, he and his colleagues lump all "traditional schools" into the same problem heap. His approach is simplistic and insulting. I would give this book zero stars, but that is not an option.
Product Description
Professional Learning Communities at Work presents research-based recommendations drawn from the best practices found today in schools nationwide for continuously improving school performance. Coming from the perspectives of both a distinguished dean of education and one of America s most widely acclaimed practitioners, this resource provides specific, practical, how-to information about transforming schools into results-oriented professional learning communities.
Customer Reviews:
Bringing me up to date.......2007-06-12
As the educational jargon increases and changes, it is important to keep abreast of the latest. This book provided information which I really needed
A Marketing Triumph; An Academic Disaster.......2007-02-23
Today the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reported that although American high school seniors are getting better academic grades, their literacy and mathematics skills are actually regressing. The most likely culprit: grade inflation. Yet the drumbeat among elite educrats to adopt the Professional Learning Communities fad throughout the nation's high schools continues unabated. While PLC is certainly not to blame for the trend documented by these latest NAEP figures (it hasn't been around long enough), its dumbfounding popularity among education reformers is proof that the current educational leadership in this country is not to be trusted. How should we define "academic achievement"? Both PLC and (to a lesser extent) the federal No Child Left Behind law define it as all students performing at the same level and all teachers teaching their subjects the same way. In other words, the goal of PLC is conformity--the exact opposite of what a quality education in a democratic society should stand for.
When teachers and students are pressured to conform to the same standards, it is inescapable that the standards themselves must be mediocre. The kind of school climate advocated by DuFour will only lead to more teachers handing out more A's for less work, or for inferior work. The most gifted and motivated students will have to be ignored because of the constant pressure on teachers to keep the low end of the student population from failing. But what if we started at the high end of the spectrum instead, teaching everything as if it were an honors class? Our brightest and most hardworking students might achieve their full potential and save us all from the intellectual wasteland our country is becoming. The middle and low-end students would have to struggle to keep up. And yes, a lot of them would be likely to fail...at least until they discovered the will to apply themselves and take their own education seriously. It would be a hard lesson for them, but a valuable one in the long run.
Unfortunately, there are no well-funded think-tanks, education professors, or consultants advocating this approach at the moment.
Professional Learning Communities at Work (Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement).......2006-06-06
Professional Learning Communities at Work (Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement) by Dr. Richard Dufour and Dr. Robert Eaker, is a well-written/user-friendly piece of literature. This book may be useful as a text for graduate and/or post-graduate level students who are studying and/or working within the area of education, administration, and/or curriculum and instruction. It is also an excellent resource to have if you are dealing with staff and/or curriculum development. The basic premise of the book goes about showing how (via PLC's (Professional Learning Communities)/Small Learning Communities) school staff and administration can work collaboratively to help change, redefine, and/or shape their school's mission and goals. Through this teaming process and through the steps/best practices the authors suggest; school improvement, cultural change, and positive curriculum development and implementation can more likely be achieved.
Practices from some of the best schools in the country.......2005-03-07
The collaborative work of Richard DuFour (Superintendent of Adlai Stevenson High School District 125, Lincolnshire, Illinois) and Robert Eaker (Dean of the College of Education, Middle Tennessee State University), Professional Learning Communities At Work: Best Practices For Enhancing Student Achievement offers the reader informed and informative information on how to transform any private or public school into a results-oriented "professional learning community" based upon practices from some of the best schools in the country. Professional Learning Communities At Work covers curriculum development, teacher preparation, school leadership, professional development programs, school-parent partnerships, and assessment practices. Of vital interest to education professionals, Professional Learning Communities At Work is completely accessible and highly recommended reading for parents and other non-specialist general readers with an interest in improving their community schools and school systems.
Product Description
Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work helps educators close the knowing-doing gap as they transform their schools into professional learning communities (PLCs). This handbook is a guide for action that will: · Help educators develop a common vocabulary and consistent understanding of key PLC concepts. · Present a compelling argument that the implementation of PLC concepts will benefit students and educators alike. · Help educators assess the current reality in their own schools and districts. · Convince educators to take purposeful steps to develop their capacity to function as PLCs.
Customer Reviews:
For Management.......2007-09-23
This book is a must read for any administrator or potential administrator that is looking for new ways to improve their schools. Very practical and flexible with many scenarios and worksheets that can help you to determine where your school is and how to get it where you want it to go.
Learning by Doing.......2007-06-27
Excellent Book!! Extremely valuable resource for schools that are working toward a true Professional Learning Community. Easy to read and very practical.
Great Resource for PLCs.......2007-05-31
Professional Learning Communities are the big buzz currently. Does your school district have professional learning communities? Have you wondered where to start? Have you wondered how your professional learning communities are doing? If you've wondered about any of those, then this is the book for you.
Learning by Doing is a great handbook for administrators and teachers to use as they implement professional learning communities in their school. This handbook gives an overview of the different components of the professional learning community process. As schools implement the professional learning community process this handbook is also a useful tool to assist in self reflection and evaluation.
As a school is developing professional learning communities, this handbook is a great resource to use through the process. It begins by giving advice on how to clarify the purpose of professional learning communities, how to build collaborative teams, and how to establish team norms. The collaborative foundation is essential to the success of the professional learning communities. The professional learning communities must collaborate in order to increase student achievement.
The handbook also shares information about how to collect data, how to use the data to improve results, and how to implement interventions in order to improve student achievement. These components help the professional learning community develop strategies to help each individual learner in their classroom. Schools must develop and support a pyramid of interventions in order to meet the students' needs.
This handbook includes many useful reproducible handouts and continuums which help analyze the progress of each professional learning community. The continuums are great conversation starters for the professional learning communities to use to evaluate their progress. This handbook can help your school improve the PLC process through self reflection and evaluation.
If you are looking for tools to help your Professional Learning Communities improve, this book is for you.
PLC handbook.......2007-05-13
Very useful when working with groups beginning to implement the professional learning communities model.
Fool's Paradise.......2007-01-02
"The term [Professional Learning Communities] has become so commonplace and has been used so ambiguously to describe virtually any loose coupling of individuals who share a common interest in education that it is in danger of losing all meaning."
Really? Thank goodness the authors of LEARNING BY DOING have returned with a fifth book (and CD!) on Professional Learning Communities to clarify things and distinguish their PLC from all those cheap imitators. Plus, it's important that teachers, the pawns currently tasked with implementing the PLC concept by fad-chasing school administrators all across the land, be set straight. Where would we be without these enlightened swamis to point the way? Not teaching, that's for sure!
So what exactly is a Professional Learning Community? In Chapter 1 of LEARNING BY DOING, our puissant authors spell out their definition of PLC in only four short pages, using plain, simple language that is refreshingly free of educratic clichés. Lest we all die of suspense, let's review what the Holy Scripture Saith. PLC's are defined by:
"A Focus on Learning": Because schools have never focused on that before, have they?
"A Collaborative Culture with a Focus on Learning For All": Interdependence, collaboration, and collectivism are key to PLC. Anyone caught thinking for themselves, or by themselves, will be ritually sacrificed in the next round of campus budget-cuts.
"Collective Inquiry into Best Practice and Current Reality" [NB: This statement and the passage that follow it are not translatable into any written or spoken language that I'm aware of, including English. I thought I was a professional teacher, but because I don't understand a word the authors said on this page, according to them I'm not a professional at all. If anyone can tell me what it means, please e-mail or fax me. I wait with bated breath; apparently my job depends on it.]
"Action Orientation: Learning by Doing" [Ditto this statement. Although, speaking of breath, doesn't the act of breathing signify an "action orientation"?]
"Results Orientation" [Now that I've caught my breath, the only tangible result of PLC that I can discern is that any teacher who refuses to play ball with the PLC cultists should plan on early retirement or a change of career.]
I could go on, but why bother? Until teachers themselves start standing up and asserting intellectual authority over their profession, the educrats and charlatans behind PLC will have us chasing our own tails until the end of time, or until they find another gimmick to fiddle with. And all at the expense of our students, who deserve far better.
Average customer rating:
- If only...
- New Insights into ADD
- Awesome Life Hack = Highly recommended
- My husband never finished it. . .
- Lots of great info.
|
Delivered from Distraction: Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder
Edward M. Hallowell , and
John J. Md Ratey
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
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ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life
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Answers to Distraction
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You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
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Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD
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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 0345442318
Release Date: 2005-12-27 |
Amazon.com
Medication? Maybe. Marry the right person and find the right job? A must if you are an adult suffering from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). So say psychiatrists Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey, authors of the influential Driven to Distraction, published in 1994. In their new book, Delivered from Distraction, Hallowell and Ratey survey the current medical landscape concerning ADD, combining their own clinical observations with the latest research to paint a much more complex and, in many ways, positive picture of the condition than has generally been presented.
Hallowell and Ratey embrace the idea that success in life comes more from playing to your strengths than overcoming your weaknesses. In the case of a person with ADD (child or adult), these strengths often include unusually high levels of creativity, charisma, intelligence, and energy. The authors insist that, while medication and other treatments can sometimes work wonders in reducing limitations, surrounding yourself with people who promote these positive traits, be they in your personal or professional life, is the single most important element to living well with ADD. As both Hallowell and Ratey are not only experts in the field, but "ADDers" themselves, the tips and stories they share for how to do so are fresh, funny, and far more helpful than tired arguments over drugs verse no drugs or whether there's even such a thing as ADD at all.--Patrick Jennings
Book Description
In 1994, Driven to Distraction sparked a revolution in our understanding of attention deficit disorder. Widely recognized as the classic in the field, the book has sold more than a million copies. Now a second revolution is under way in the approach to ADD, and the news is great. Drug therapies, our understanding of the role of diet and exercise, even the way we define the disorder–all are changing radically. And doctors are realizing that millions of adults suffer from this condition, though the vast majority of them remain undiagnosed and untreated. In this new book, Drs. Edward M. Hallowell and John J. Ratey build on the breakthroughs of Driven to Distraction to offer a comprehensive and entirely up-to-date guide to living a successful life with ADD.
As Hallowell and Ratey point out, “attention deficit disorder” is a highly misleading description of an intriguing kind of mind. Original, charismatic, energetic, often brilliant, people with ADD have extraordinary talents and gifts embedded in their highly charged but easily distracted minds. Tailored expressly to ADD learning styles and attention spans, Delivered from Distraction provides accessible, engaging discussions of every aspect of the condition, from diagnosis to finding the proper treatment regime. Inside you’ll discover
• whether ADD runs in families
• new diagnostic procedures, tests, and evaluations
• the links between ADD and other conditions
• how people with ADD can free up their inner talents and strengths
• the new drugs and how they work, and why they’re not for everyone
• exciting advances in nonpharmaceutical therapies, including changes in diet, exercise, and lifestyle
• how to adapt the classic twelve-step program to treat ADD
• sexual problems associated with ADD and how to resolve them
• strategies for dealing with procrastination, clutter, and chronic forgetfulness
ADD is a trait, a way of living in the world. It only becomes a disorder when it impairs your life. Featuring gripping profiles of patients with ADD who have triumphed, Delivered from Distraction is a wise, loving guide to releasing the positive energy that all people with ADD hold inside. If you have ADD or care about someone who does, this is the book you must read.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
If only..........2007-08-29
This is one of those books that is both a gift... and very upsetting. - - When I was coming up, the terms ADD and ADHD were just becoming popular... only they were becoming so popular a lot of people were having trouble taking them seriously. - - It seemed like a faddy diagnosis and an excuse to medicate any kid who the television set couldn't babysit for adequately... At that time, I should note that it was clear that I had some kind of learning disability - -yet was a supposed "gifted underachiever" - - meaning I had a supposed "borderline genius" IQ but was too "lazy", "disorganized", "unfocused" even "bored" with school work.
(Back then the only treatments were "punishment", "tolerance" or counseling to deal with the "problem behaviors")
Ironically enough, just after I finished HS the SIMPSON'S became popular, and the term GIFTED UNDERACHIEVER also became a popular term... When I went to school however, bad grades meant STUPID... and there is no doubt, I carry some of the trauma and ridicule today (*Teachers just LOVE calling on ADD kids when they're not paying attention and singling them out.... supposedly to shame them into paying attention, but in reality, as an ADD'er I think it was just one trauma built on another!)
O.K. Years passed... and because of my inability to achieve in conventional settings I can't begin to describe all the problems, conflicts and restlessness I had in life... (and here is where I begin to get back on topic....)
HAVING READ THIS BOOK I actually read chapters of my own life story to such a point that had a been able to go back 28 years and been told "this is your future" - - I would have actually been able to read it and have SEEN my future (as well as perhaps get help.)
Anyway, recently I learned that I had ADHD, and you can have ADHD without being "hyper" - - and in looking deeper I realized that my life was a text book on ADD and it explained everything - - so here's my point:
Dr. Hallowell makes a lot of suggestions and leaves it open to the reader to choose... medication, therapy, coaching, 12 step program - - even yoga, medidation and nutritional supplements. Some may very well be quack therapies, others may be under-explored answers - - throw all bias aside fact is this: Had somebody given me this book 20 years ago... (long pause) I probably would have lost it (
<-- ADD joke.... sorry.) But seriously... had I read this book a long time ago the anecdotes alone would have given me a lot of insight and helped circumvent a lot of pain.
In conclusion:- - No, the book does not offer an all in all 100% proven solves all single cure... but it offers OPTIONS... as well as anecdotes that not only demonstrate what its like to have ADD, but are cathartic to read as well... so I see this book as a gift... Looking back, I now realize I suffered because this wasn't common knowlege when I was a kid... on the other hand ADD is nothing new... there have been unfocused, disorganized yet creative people since the begining of time... now however, a syndrome that describes a condition that many people like me have is being formally studied and treatment options are being explored.
In conclusion, this book not only makes an insightful read, but may very well be a gift waiting to be given.
ORDER MULTIPLE COPIES ! ! !
New Insights into ADD.......2007-07-20
Although I have read extensively on this topic, I thought this book did a good job of summarizing symptoms and uncovering new insights into ADD.
Awesome Life Hack = Highly recommended.......2007-07-09
As a highly stressed ADD'ed individual working in the information systems / design industry, this book has helped me tremendously and I have as a result recommended to many of my friends.
Written by two Harvard Medical school graduates, both of which have ADD, this book demonstrate through real-life examples how to live one's life to the fullest.
Written in ADD-friendly writing style--lists, dialog, etc.--the book serves as an excellent guide to hack your life:
1. How to take advantage of all the pros that come with Attention Deficit Disorder.
2. Steps you can take to manage the cons that come with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Highly recommended.
/SML
My husband never finished it. . . .......2007-06-13
Obviously not written well enough for a distracted man to read it.
Lots of great info........2007-05-20
After doing a lot of research on the internet and lots of problems with my 8 year old I was feeling like a failure. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn't sure what. After reading this book it told me all the steps to take to get my son evaluated by a child psychologist and at school. I had no clue where to even go so this book helped me out a lot. There are websites mentioned in the book that help too.
Book Description
Encourage your kids to express their creativity as they discover, collect, sort, arrange, experiment, and think with found and recyclable “stuff.” The real-life experiences of teachers and children will inspire ideas that you can try at home: choose objects and turn them into a display, transform materials into a face, build and glue wood scraps to make constructions. Appropriate for children four years of age and older.
Customer Reviews:
I like this book.......2006-11-10
I took a lot of ideas for working with my kids at school.
New to Reggio Emilia approach - loved this book.......2003-12-12
I am not a teacher and I was not experienced in the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education (project approach) before reading this book. I sought this book for handwork ideas with the items my girls collect on their nature walks. I could not put this book down!
Beautiful stuff outlines the projects developed with found materials at the pre-school in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It starts at the beginning with the ideas of the teachers, the method of including parents and increasing children's awareness of everyday objects. (This book is full of details - they mention how the teachers scan materials and remove inappropriate / dangerous materials).
The book is filled with photographs from beginning to end. The photographs themselves show the story. I especially like the different approaches to sorting suggested in this book and the amount of time the children were permitting to sort, touch, feel, enjoy, and organize the materials. I also liked the three-dimensional project where the children first drew what they were going to build.
The children are quoted throughout the book. The quotes are memorable and sweet and show the children's enjoyment of this entire project.
I would recommend this book to pre-school teachers, day care centers, people who baby-sit in their home or parents looking for ideas for found objects. I loved it!
A wonderful book for caring teachers of young children!.......2001-08-07
This book is a great way to ease yourself into Reggio or to inspire others on your team. You do not have to be "Reggio inspired" to know that young children love small, collectable items. They find such wonderful treasures, but classrooms are not often set up to make good use of this "Beautiful Stuff". This book has great photos and easy to read text showing readers the process that children and staff went through in developing this long term project. I particularly enjoyed the summaries at the end of each chapter on what the adults learned during the process. My only complaint would be that I wanted MORE!
Beautiful Stuff! Learning with found materials........2000-08-12
If you are a Reggio inspired teacher as I am, you will love this book. It takes you through the wonderful process of sharing the joys of all those little treasures that young children find and love. You will be amazed at how clever the children in your class become at sorting and classifying through the kinds of experiences that working with 'Beautiful Stuff' involes. I just love this book, it has changed the way I view the materials that I put out for the children, and how I use them. My friends also love this book and all ask, "where did you get it?" Thank you Cathy Topal Weisman and Lella Gandini you are inspiring.
A marvelous, practical, inspiring, easy-to-read compendium........2000-04-06
In Beautiful Stuff!: Learning With Found Materials, Cathy Topal and Lella Gandini collaborate to share how real teachers in Reggio Emilia, Italy use ordinary and diverse materials found in any home to stimulate their student's imaginations, inspire storytelling and interactions between children, and serve to launch children into such creative activities as drawing, collage making, sculpture, and construction. Beautiful Stuff! is a marvelous, practical, inspiring, and easy-to-read compendium of ideas and suggestions for nurturing the innate creative of a child and adapting within the context of a classroom.
Average customer rating:
- You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
- Excellent book on Adult ADHD
- Finally it's mine!
- you mean I'm not lazy, stupid or crazy
- You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?
|
You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder
Kate Kelly , and
Peggy Ramundo
Manufacturer: Scribner
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Binding: Paperback
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ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life
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Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
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10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction & Accomplish Your Goals (10 Simple Solutions)
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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 0743264487 |
Book Description
With over a quarter million copies in print, You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?! is one of the bestselling books on attention deficit disorder (ADD) ever written. There is a great deal of literature about children with ADD. But what do you do if you have ADD and aren't a child anymore? This indispensable reference -- the first of its kind written for adults with ADD by adults with ADD -- focuses on the experiences of adults, offering updated information, practical how-tos and moral support to help readers deal with ADD. It also explains the diagnostic process that distinguishes ADD symptoms from normal lapses in memory, lack of concentration or impulsive behavior. Here's what's new:
- The new medications and their effectiveness
- The effects of ADD on human sexuality
- The differences between male and female ADD -- including falling estrogen levels and its impact on cognitive function
- The power of meditation
- How to move forward with coaching
And the book still includes advice about:
- Achieving balance by analyzing one's strengths and weaknesses
- Getting along in groups, at work and in intimate and family relationships -- including how to decrease discord and chaos
- Learning the mechanics and methods for getting organized and improving memory
- Seeking professional help, including therapy and medication
Customer Reviews:
You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder.......2007-08-17
This is a must-have for people with ADHD or those who interact with an ADHD individual. I have gotten to understand myself better from reading this book, and I feel a sense of relief now that I know I am not "Lazy, Stupid or Crazy!" I actually had a hard time putting this book down, it was easy to read after a long day at work - I was surprised to find it so humorous and entertaining - something that I haven't found too often in a book of this sort. It is by far the best book on ADHD that I have read; I highly recommend it.
Excellent book on Adult ADHD.......2007-01-24
An excellent book on the subject of adult ADHD. If you think you have it, or have been recently diagnosed, this book will give you a great deal of insight into the disorder, and offer loads of self-help advice. Written by two women who themselves have adult ADHD, they really know what they're talking about. Buy it today!
Finally it's mine!.......2007-01-23
I checked this book out from my local library and was amazed as I read it. They were talking about me! I checked it out again a year later and began rereading it. I saw so much more that time. I renewed it the maximum amount of times and had to return it. After I checked it out for the third time I got around to buying it. Now I can read again --- but this time make all kinds of notes in the margins. Thank you for a wonderful reference, a lifesaver for me.
you mean I'm not lazy, stupid or crazy.......2007-01-15
I was not disappointed in the condition of the book, and it arrived within in a timely manner. No complaints - good service.
You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?.......2007-01-11
Easy to understand. A help in understanding the problem people have. I helps the victim and the victimized.
Product Description
On Common Ground provides a valuable tool for educators who are doing the hard work of improving their schools. This resource offers teachers and administrators a coherent conceptual framework and specific, practical strategies for moving forward with their improvement efforts. Any listing of North America s leading authorities on school improvement would include the authors in this book. These authors agree on many of the best strategies for raising student achievement and support the premise that students would be better served if educators: · Embrace learning rather than teaching as their school s mission · Work collaboratively to help all students learn · Use formative assessments and a focus on results to foster continuous improvement · Assume individual responsibility to take steps to create such schools Although they stand on this common ground, clear differences emerge regarding their perspectives on the most effective strategy for making professional learning communities the norm in North America. The differences, however, focus on the means rather than the end. These educational leaders have found common ground in expressing their belief in both the desirability and the power of professional learning communities.
Customer Reviews:
No Silver Bullet, but . . . .......2006-06-11
If you want to read a book that combines brief overviews of the work of many well-regarded leaders in the field of education, this book is a good beginning. Those who work in public education and understand the need for re-structuring and re-culturing our schools will appreciate the authors' laser-like focus on student learning through the development of professional learning communities.
The authors of the various chapters of this book focus on the essential elements that most impact student achievement. Rick Stiggins discusses assessment for learning vs. assessment of learning. Douglas Reeves focuses on curriculum and the importance of power standards and differentiated assessment. Jonathon Saphier stresses the need for high expectations for all students and suggests what educators can do when students aren't learning. And there are more . . .
In these times of student and teacher accountability, all educators must use data to make decisions, including those regarding staff development. Professional Learning Communities provide educators with the structure for collaboration and learning. Teams of teachers and administrators work together in a PLC to create an environment that supports school improvement to result in greater student learning.
Developing a PLC in your school is certainly not the silver bullet. However, the book is a good one to read to gain an overview of what educators can do to positively affect student achievement. If you are already familiar with the work done by many of our educational leaders, you may need to go deeper. In that case, this book is probably not for you.
Mixed Message.......2006-06-05
Rarely do I find a collection of essays by multiple authors to be a great book. Too often the prose is uneven and the authors, despite the assertions of the editors, come off as talking at cross purposes. This book is no exception.
It is not without value. The theme of this book is the importance of professional learning communities in education and I am a supporter of the concept. I didn't need the authors to convince me of this. Perhaps the most perceptive comment made in the book is that teachers already know how to teach well, they know the best practices, we just need to give them an opportunity to work together, develop mutual support and implement them. The problem is that, on a practical level, this is a hard thing to do in an evironment where scheduling conflicts and self-contained teaching is the norm. What would be nice is to have authors who say more than "this is difficult but you must do it" and instead give some practical suggestions on how to do it. There are some here but not enough.
Perhaps the editors would have been better off authoring the entire book themselves. Some of these essays only pay lip service to PLCs as they wander off into theories that are more personal. I respect Michael Fullan's work on sustainable systems but he didn't seem to really fit here, as did some of the other authors with their own axes to grind.
Still, if a reader goes into this book with eyes wide open, then there are things of value to be found. And, in the tough world of education, anything of value is worth considering.
On Common Ground.......2006-05-30
As the processes of school improvement shifts from regulatory compliance to authentic work in schools, it is essential to build a broad understanding of decades of thinking on school reform. This book offers a strong summary of the concepts most likely to bring real change in the only place that matters, the classroom. We have spent decades talking about change and the learning community concept has the potential to be the catalyst of change.
On Common Ground can build a broad foundation of knowledge however; other resources are needed to detail the specifics. The best highlights include:
1) Michael Fullan on building collective capacity.
2) Doug Reeves on anaylsis of student work and feedback.
3) Rick Stiggins on assessment for learning.
4) Jonathon Saphier on motivation.
5) Mike Schmoker on urgency.
6) Larence Lezotte on shared leadership.
If your goal is to building common understanding about contemporary thinking in the area of school improvement, On Common Ground provides a great starting point.
How Many Ways..........2005-11-15
In how many ways are we going to have to hear that the unexamined methods in which our schools have been organized, structured, staffed, and departmentalized work against our best efforts to create real, sustainable learning communities? The following items were a collection of thoughts on behalf of educators working at the Butte County Office of Education that gathered to discuss this book as part of their professional reading series.
This book offers one of the most comprehensive, candid, and clear calls for reforming the ways in which we approach and engage students each and every day in our schools. By combining the ideas and research from today's most prominent thinkers on the development of effective environments for learning, this book serves as a wonderful, concise compass leading those of us in education who pick it up and care to pay attention to its guidance.
Some guiding points of interest included:
Assessing for Learning vs. of Learning
Focus on the Positive Outcomes of Learning vs. the Punitive Consequences of Not Learning
Collaborative Agreement of Essential Learning vs. Individual, Departmentalized Development of Learner Expectations
Modeling Elements of the Learning Community vs. Merely Proselytizing those Elements
It just isn't that good.......2005-09-22
I wanted to like this book. After agreeing to lead a book study for On Common Ground, I *needed* to like this book. I believe in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and think very highly of the work that the DuFours have done in that regard, but I just couldn't get into the book.
The problems are many. Section 1, by Richard DuFour, is nice enough. It gives a good overview of the PLC structure and how it should work, thought chapter 2 was printed earlier in the ASCD's "Educational Leadership" magazine and can thus be found for free. In section 2 we start going downhill in a hurry, particularly in chapter 4 by Rick Stiggins. By the time you get to section 4, where they talk about taking PLCs into a broader, district context, you're completely out of the realm of the schools and into the work of researchers and administrators.
That's the major problem I have with On Common Ground--impracticality. There are good ideas here, but they aren't useable. Many of the authors talk in grand, eloquent language about their topics, but you have to work incredibly hard (believe me, I did) to make the book practical.
If you're looking for a book on PLCs I recommend "Whatever It Takes" or "Professional Learning Communities at Work." They're far more useful.
Book Description
Learning Communities is a groundbreaking book that shows how learning communities (LCs) can be a flexible and effective approach to enhancing student learning, promoting curricular coherence, and revitalizing faculty. Written by Barbara Leigh Smith, Jean MacGregor, Roberta S. Matthews, and Faith Gabelnick¾acclaimed national leaders in the learning communities movement¾this important book provides the historical, conceptual, and philosophical context for LCs and clearly demonstrates that they can be a key element in institutional transformation.
Customer Reviews:
A hard look at weaknesses in undergraduate education .......2004-11-11
Co-written by four professional eductors that include Barbara Leigh Smith, Jean MacGregor, Roberta S. Matthews, and Faith Gabelnick, Learning Communities: Reforming Undergraduate Education is a hard look at weaknesses in undergraduate education available to students today, and plans for strengthening the quality of instruction. Focusing especially upon structures and practices that yield beneficial results for a learning community, and in particular exploring means to improve learning communities for which English is a second language, Learning Communities is a superb resource of ideas and experiences worthy of being examined at length. Especially recommended reading for anyone responsible for undergraduate education or the academic environment in which such teaching takes place.
Book Description
This important resource offers diagnostic tools, remedial techniques, sample lessons, and worksheets to quickly identify students with learning deficits, improve their academic performance, and bolster their self-esteem. Includes assessment forms, problem-specific solutions, and intervention techniques.
Customer Reviews:
Very Useful Book.......2007-04-11
I found this book to be useful and very informative concerning special education. It covered testing, laws, terms and definitions. I've been using it to study for the Praxis Special Ed exams and feel that I will be well prepared.
Excellent Resource for the LD .......2007-03-09
I am a preservice teacher and am studying special education. I saw this book on Amazon and was intrigued by the low price. I was so surprised when I received it. It is a wonderful resource for anyone who works with students with LD. It covers the whole gambit from identification, to characteristics, to strategies. It really is a complete handbook and for the price you can't find a better deal. I have found this resource much more useful than my textbooks on LD that cost me upwards 70-80 dollars. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book!
Great resource!.......2006-07-11
As a new resource teacher for my school this was one of the better books I found to help me with real life solutions to teaching learning disabled children. This was a great book for explanations of various learning disabilities and set exercises to use in class for all age groups. I work mostly one on one, but found the activities and strategies easily adaptable for individual use.
Superb Book.......2005-07-07
The best resource book I have come across in many a year. Photocopiable resources covering all areas of the curriculum. Excellent lesson suggestions and outlines.I have found this book so helpful for maths, spelling, writing, handwriting and reading.
great references.......2004-07-18
I bought this book as a supplement for a special education class I was taking and it was worth every cent!If you are interested in LD personally or professionally you should have this book!
Customer Reviews:
A Must-Have for Intermediate Grade Teachers.......2007-08-12
This book, like Diller's companion book for K-2 teachers, is a wealth of information for those teachers who recognize the importance of differentiating instruction, engaging the learner, and losing mindless worksheets that only serve the purpose of occupying the student's time while the teacher teaches small groups. Whether you are experienced with managing literacy workstations or a new convert, you will get an in-depth look at management of stations, keeping the stations meaningful and engaging throughout the year, and assessing the students' work. This book is the best I have seen for practical, easy to implement, true literacy activities. I highly recommend it for teachers and administrators of students in grades 3-6.
Literacy Work stations for Grades 3-6.......2007-07-29
I went for this book as soon as I saw it on line - there is little out there for grades 5&6 when it comes to centers. While I got some good ideas, I was disappointed overall. The examples seem to focus on the lower grades, 3rd and 4th, and it left me wanting more information and examples for older kids. I am also unclear on how the novel we might be using in class fits into this concept. One area I did find especially helpful was how to organize and get started at the beginning of the year. It eased some fears for this first time work station user.
Literacy Work Stations.......2007-06-28
Better than the "Literacy Work Stations for K-2"! Excellent and practical strategies for teaching, especially for the new teacher trying to figure it all out. A book worth having in the classroom professional library.
A Must Have for Guided Reading.......2007-06-27
This book has answered all of the questions I have had about organizing centers during my literacy block. During my reading groups, I have wanted to have centers going at the intermediate level, but have been intimidated by the amount of work involved in setting them up. The author has shared ideas in creating centers that are logical, smart, efficient, necessary and don't involve staying up until midnight each night. Too bad I didn't have this 10 years ago!
fantastic!!!.......2007-03-30
This book is full of wonderful ideas that are easy to implement. It is a great continuation of Literacy Stations for Sk to grade 2. I will use this book for a long time.
Books:
- Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6 Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance
- Handbook of Human Performance Technology, 3rd Edition
- High Five (A Stephanie Plum Novel)
- High Impact Tools and Activities for Strategic Planning: Creative Techniques for Facilitating Your Organization's Planning Process
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- How to Develop and Promote Successful Seminars and Workshops: The Definitive Guide to Creating and Marketing Seminars, Workshops, Classes, and Conferences
- Human Dynamics : A New Framework for Understanding People and Realizing the Potential in Our Organizations
- Human Side of Organizations, The (9th Edition)
- Job Analysis: Methods, Research, and Applications for Human Resource Management in the New Millennium
- Leadership By Encouragement (St Lucie)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
- The Outsiders
- Mathematics in biology: Calculus and related topics
- Mixtures, Compounds & Solutions
- Planning and Design of Airports, 4/e
- The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
- The Clay Pot Cookbook
- Between Fences
- L A Lost and Found: An Architectural History of Los Angeles
- Stealing with Style
Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement
Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn
On Common Ground: The Power of Professional Learning Communities
Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (Book & CD-ROM)
If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers (Kids' Stuff)
