Pedagogy Books

The First Days Of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher

Harry K. Wong, Rosemary T. Wong

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HARRY K. WONG PUBLICATIONS - Model: HWPFDSW Amazon Marketplace: 162 new & used starting at $17.49

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Education -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 280 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An Invaluable Tool 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is one of the first books I purchased in preparation for my first year of teaching. It has already proven itself to be a valuable resource, from effective classroom management techniques to long-term professional development advice. This book has exceeded my expectations in its comprehensive coverage of typical first year teacher issues. I foresee using this book throughout my teaching career as a resource and a reminder to use and expand upon its recommended techniques and habits so that I can continue to grow as a professional educator.

I am a first year teacher... 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I thank God someone advised me to read this book. I would not have been prepared. This is a must have for every teacher and anyone contemplating teaching.

The First Days of School - Wong 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is simple yet very effective in helping the novice or the seasoned teacher. I read it, took notes, and am applying what I learned.

Editorial Review:

With nearly 1.4 million copies sold, you'll learn practical techniques on discipline, procedures and routines, teaching for mastery, cooperative learning, and positive expectations. You'll find it difficult to put this book down as you become an even more effective teacher.

Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement

Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudvis

Amazon Price: $27.00 List Price: $30.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Stenhouse Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $24.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Reference & Nonfiction -> Language Arts -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Contemporary Methods -> Language Experience Approach
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 36 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

The Best book for the classroom 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an AWESOME book. I had the opportunity to listen to Stephanie Harvey talk and she is amazing! This book makes such perfect common sense. We use the Comprehension toolkit in our school and this book goes right along with it. I actually want to expand and use this book more. It is great not only for the language arts classroom but for all content area classes. This is a must have for your professional library!!!!

Excellent comprehension lessons 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I absolutely love the lessons in this book. There are excellent modeling lessons and ideas to help your students increase their reading comprehension skills. You won't regret buying this book.

Strategies That Work 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful teaching resource for teaching reading comprehension strategies. A must read for all elementary teachers!

Engaging Children Through Understanding What They Read 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Engaging children in books and loving reading is a natural next step when they understand and go to a deeper level to embrace books. Another must-have for kids 4-8 are 2 fabulous pieces of children's literature with invaluable teaching guides for parents and teachers:The Big Squeal: A Wild, True, and Twisted Tail and
Life's Little Lessons: An Inch-By-Inch Tale of Success...which teach those all important early reading skills and develop a love for reading !

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Paulo Freire

Amazon Price: $17.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Continuum International Publishing Group Amazon Marketplace: 65 new & used starting at $15.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Aims & Objectives
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Philosophy & Social Aspects

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 33 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A must-read one if you are keen on Education 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

You will see how his idea is very influential in the educational discourse. Intrigued particularly by the Chapter 2, I would say that his revlutionary notion of education will be alive and well-adapted in the contemporary educational practices.

Freire wants to critisize the idea of narrative education in which teachers just impose students with plentiful information without encouraging them to think cirtically and to search for realilty, and students just listen passively, try to memorize, and repeat teacher's words and lessons accordingly. In fact, education should be to forster students' creativity, transformation ,and knowledge so that it helps them to become fully human being. In the ideology of oppression, teacher is the oppressor, and students are the oppressed. It means it is not neccessary for students to argue, ask questions, have their own position, and the roles of teacher are to preach students and to dominate their opinions. In other words, it is called the banking concept of education used by oppresors to change the mind of the oppressed in order to easily cotrol them. Conversely, the concept of liberian education entails deeper cooperation between teachers and students. Teachers and students can learn from each other because students must be seen as people who have prior knowlege and raise their opinions influencing teachers'.

The First Six Weeks of School (Strategies for Teachers Series, 2)

Paula Denton, Roxann Kriete

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $22.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Northeast Foundation for Children Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $18.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great for First Year Educators! 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I began using Morning Meeting [ASIN:1892989093 The Morning Meeting Book (Strategies for Teachers, 1)] as a part of my teacher education program last year and found it to be a great benefit for encouraging positive social interactions between my elementary students. This year, I began following and implementing The First Six Weeks of School's suggestions and my students LOVE it! They enjoy greeting each other, sharing and doing the activities. I have likewise seen a decrease in the amount of behavioral issues within my classroom. The program will work with your own ideas of discipline, rules and expectations and I have found it to be invaluable as I begin my teaching career. I would recommend The First Six Weeks of School to any teacher (new or experienced) who wants to encourage a positive, socially interactive classroom experience for their students.

Editorial Review:

Learn how to structure the first six weeks of school to lay the groundwork for a productive year of learning. Discover how taking the time to build a solid foundation in the early weeks of school can pay off all year long in increased student motivation, cooperation, responsibility, and self-control. This comprehensive guidebook for K-6 teachers features: Daily plans for the first three weeks and commentary about these plans at three grade levels: primary (K-2), middle (3-4), and upper (5-6) Detailed guidelines for: -Building community -Creating rules and teaching routines -Introducing engaging curriculum -Fostering autonomy -Integrating social and academic learning -Establishing high expectations for learning and behavior An extensive collection of games, activities, greetings, songs, read-alouds, and resources especially useful during the early weeks of school

Integrating Differentiated Instruction & Understanding by Design (Connecting Content and Kids)

Carol Ann Tomlinson, Jay McTighe

Amazon Price: $16.34 List Price: $25.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: ASCD Amazon Marketplace: 34 new & used starting at $16.34

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Educational Psychology
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Research

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Teachers struggle every day to bring quality instruction to their students. Beset by lists of content standards and accompanying "high-stakes" accountability tests, many educators sense that both teaching and learning have been redirected in ways that are potentially impoverishing for those who teach and those who learn. Educators need a model that acknowledges the centrality of standards but also ensures that students truly understand content and can apply it in meaningful ways. For many educators, Understanding by Design addresses that need.

Simultaneously, teachers find it increasingly difficult to ignore the diversity of the learners who populate their classrooms. Few teachers find their work effective or satisfying when they simply "serve up" a curriculum--even an elegant one--to students with no regard for their varied learning needs. For many educators, Differentiated Instruction offers a framework for addressing learner variance as a critical component of instructional planning.

In this book the two models converge, providing readers fresh perspectives on two of the greatest contemporary challenges for educators: crafting powerful curriculum in a standards-dominated era and ensuring academic success for the full spectrum of learners. Each model strengthens the other. Understanding by Design is predominantly a curriculum design model that focuses on what we teach. Differentiated Instruction focuses on whom we teach, where we teach, and how we teach. Carol Ann Tomlinson and Jay McTighe show you how to use the principles of backward design and differentiation together to craft lesson plans that will teach essential knowledge and skills for the full spectrum of learners.

Connecting content and kids in meaningful ways is what teachers strive to do every day. In tandem, UbD and DI help educators meet that goal by providing structures, tools, and guidance for developing curriculum and instruction that bring to students the best of what we know about effective teaching and learning.

Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition)

Neil Browne, Stuart M. Keeley

Amazon Price: $35.28 List Price: $39.20 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 48 new & used starting at $27.50

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Literature & Fiction -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good questions. Very helpful indeed. 4 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I strongly agree with the author on pg 13, that "by the end of the book, you should know when and how to ask these questions productively (elaborated through individual chapters):-

1. What are the issues and the concclusions?
2. What are the ressons?
3. Which words or phrases are ambiguous?
4. What are the value conflicts and assumptions?
5. What are the descriptive assumptions?
6. Are there any fallacies in the reasoning?
7. How good is the evidence?
8. Are there rival causes?
9. Are the statistics deceptive?
10. What significant information is omitted?
11. What reasonable conclusions are possible?

Of course, a compilation of good questions doesnt qualify it to be a good book. Indeed, the samples and stories well illustrate the principles and concepts behind. The discussions on various fallacies are marvelous, including:-

Ad hominem: An attack, or an insult, on the person, rather than directly addressing the person's reasons.
Slipperly Slope: Making the assumption that a proposed step will set off an uncontrollable chain of undesirable events, when procedures exist to prevent such a chain of events.
Hasty Generalization: A person draws a conclusion about a large group of based on experience with only a few members of the group.
Causal Oversimplification: Explaining an event by relying on causal factors that are insufficient to account for the event or by overemphasizing the role of one or more of these factors.
Confusion of Cause and Effect: Confusing the cause with the effect of an event or failing to recognise that the two events may be influencing each other.
Neglect of a common cause: Failure to recognize that two events may be related because of the effects of a common third factor.
Post hoc: Assuming that a particular event, B, is caused by another event, A, simply because B follows A in time.
............

In short, an excellent food for thought. Highly recommended!

p.s. I like the following story on pg 137 the most.

"After carefully conditioning a flea to jump out of a box following the presentation of a loud noise, the researcher removed the first pair of legs to see what effect this had. Observing that the flea was still able to perform his task, the scientist removed the second pair of legs. Once again noting no difference in performance, the researcher removed the final pair of legs and found that the jumping behaviour no longer occurred. Thus, the investigator wrote in his notebook, "When all the legs of a flea have been removed, it will no longer be able to hear."

Editorial Review:

This book helps readers bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. It teaches them to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject as they read and listen. Chapter titles include: The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions; What are the Issue and the Conclusion?; What Are the Reasons?; What Are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions?; Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?; How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Appeals to Authority, and Testimonials?; and What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?. For any critical reader who wants to enhance and develop better reasoning skills in order to make rational decisions.

The Morning Meeting Book (Strategies for Teachers, 1)

Roxann Kriete, Lynn Bechtel

Amazon Price: $19.80 List Price: $22.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Northeast Foundation for Children Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $19.05

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Elementary School
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Aims & Objectives

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This resource is an excellent buy. After cutting morning meeting out of my classroom routines, I realized that it's not what I should have done. I wish that I had this book in the beginning of the year to help me with the morning meeting. There are so many wonderful ideas and activities in this book. If you get this book, I would also highly recommend Morning Meeting, Afternoon Wrap-up by Donna Whyte. That is also an excellent resource. The two together will give you what you need for your morning meeting.

Editorial Review:

Morning Meeting is a powerful teaching tool for building community, increasing student investment, and improving academic and social skills. This comprehensive guidebook has helped thousands of teachers across the country use Morning Meeting to launch their school days. The expanded edition offers: Step-by-step guidelines for implementing Morning Meeting in any K-8 classroom Clear explanations of purposes 45 greetings, 66 group activities, and many samples of morning message charts Frequently asked questions and answers?? A chapter on implementing Morning Meeting in middle schools Ideas for adapting Morning Meeting for use with second language learners

How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms (2nd Edition) (ASCD)

Carol Ann Tomlinson

Amazon Price: $20.40 List Price: $22.67 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Assn for Supervision & Curric Development (ASCD) Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $17.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Contemporary Methods -> Experimental
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Just as students come in different sizes and shapes and with differing cultural backgrounds, interests, and abilities, so do teachers face challenges in "fitting" instruction to the students in their classrooms. This book provides practical guidance in addressing the diverse needs of students in mixed- ability classrooms. Differentiated instruction provides multiple approaches to content, process, and product; and it is a blend of whole-class, group, and individual instruction.

The author states: "My goal here is to help teachers determine what differentiated instruction is, why it is appropriate for all learners, how to plan for it, how to manage it, how to help parents and students prepare for differentiated classrooms, and how to assess student progress." She describes actual classrooms that use strategies for managing differentiated classrooms and provides detailed how-to's for lesson planning. An appendix lists strategies, including pretesting for competence ("compacting"), independent projects, interest centers, and tiered assignments.

104 Activities That Build: Self-Esteem, Teamwork, Communication, Anger Management, Self-Discovery, Coping Skills

Alanna Jones

Amazon Price: $18.82 List Price: $24.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Rec Room Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 31 new & used starting at $14.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Pedagogy

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Resource! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I found this book to have some great ideas for group activities that introduce and teach social/emotional skills. As a social worker in a junior high school, I have implemented many of these activites into my daily activities. Highly recommended for teachers, counselors, social workers, etc.

Great for groups! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you're a therapist or therapy intern looking for ideas to use with children in groups, there are several good ones in here. Some need weird supplies, but most have a good core concept that you can tweak to work with common elements in the classroom. Especially good for "Social Skills" groups, which seem to be more and more popular in elementary schools today.

One Math Teacher who Needed Some Ideas...got them! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Sometimes, like before long school breaks, i want to plan an activity for the kids that is fun and helps them learn a little more about themselves and/or each other. This book has lots of great ideas divided by category (very helpful); i'm planning to try several of them in the next schoolyear (2008-09). Also, some of the games can be adapted to serve instructional purposes; a bonus!

The Essential 55: An Award-winning Educator's Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child

Ron Clark

Amazon Price: $9.56 List Price: $11.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Hyperion Amazon Marketplace: 98 new & used starting at $3.92

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Aims & Objectives
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Education -> Education Theory -> Leadership

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 143 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good for people who never took an education class 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book for someone who has never taught in a classroom or taken any introductory education classes. All of the information in this book is taught in any entry level college education class. Since Mr. Clark was not an education major in college, the things he learned on the fly while teaching astounded him. To an education major, they are givens. By the way, Mr. Clarke quit teaching within 2 years of receiving the Disney Teacher of the Year award to go on the book promo circuit and make more money than a dedicated teacher does. This book is a waste of money.

Editorial Review:

ow many authors would travel coast to coast on a bus to get their book into as many hands as possible? Not many. But that's just what Ron Clark, author of The Essential 55, did to keep his book and message in the public eye. And it worked. After his Oprah appearance, sales skyrocketed: we've sold more than 850,000 copies in six months! The book sat tenaciously on the New York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks. Ron Clark was featured on the Today show, and in the Chicago Tribune, Good Housekeeping, and the New York Daily News-not to mention the calls we've received from teachers and parents who want to get their hands on Ron's guidelines for teaching children.Now in paperback, The Essential 55 will be the perfect book for parents and teachers to slip into their own backpacks, to read on the train or at lunch, and to highlight the sections that resonate for them. And with an author who is truly a partner in getting his message to the masses, we just can't lose.