People typically misunderstand how power works in schools. Common thinking says that things like high-stakes testing, school reform efforts, and political mandates exert the most power on schools. The reality, however, is that power comes from everywhere. It isn’t a thing that only certain people possess, nor does it operate linearly, as in simple actions and reactions. Instead, power acts more like a web: if you exert power in one part of a school, the effects often spread across the rest of it. The usual emphasis on big, easy-to-see influences causes schools to focus on the wrong concerns (the big public ones) instead of the ones which make the most impact (the small daily ones). This book examines everyday phenomena inside schools to reveal the complexity and nuance of power and makes practical suggestions for how schools can manage power more effectively to maximize students’ learning.
“When students know how to learn, they are able to become their own teachers.” —Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, and John Hattie Imagine students who describe their learning in these terms: “I know where I’m going, I have the tools I need for the journey, and I monitor my own progress.” Now imagine the extraordinary difference this type of ownership makes in their progress over the course of a school year. This illuminating book shows how to make this scenario an everyday reality. With its foundation in principles introduced in the authors’ bestselling Visible Learning for Literacy, this resource delves more deeply into the critical component of self-assessment, revealing the most effective types of assessment and how each can motivate students to higher levels of achievement.
Feedback is arguably the most critical and powerful aspect of teaching and learning. Yet, there remains a paradox: why is feedback so powerful and why is it so variable? It is this paradox which Visible Learning: Feedback aims to unravel and resolve. Combining research excellence, theory and vast teaching expertise, this book covers the principles and practicalities of feedback, including: the variability of feedback, the importance of surface, deep and transfer contexts, student to teacher feedback, peer to peer feedback, the power of within lesson feedback and manageable post-lesson feedback. With numerous case-studies, examples and engaging anecdotes woven throughout, the authors also shed light on what creates an effective feedback culture and provide the teaching and learning structures which give the best possible framework for feedback. Visible Learning: Feedback brings together two internationally known educators and merges Hattie’s world-famous research expertise with Clarke’s vast experience of classroom practice and application, making this book an essential resource for teachers in any setting, phase or country.
Praise for How Learning Works "How Learning Works is the perfect title for this excellent book. Drawing upon new research in psychology, education, and cognitive science, the authors have demystified a complex topic into clear explanations of seven powerful learning principles. Full of great ideas and practical suggestions, all based on solid research evidence, this book is essential reading for instructors at all levels who wish to improve their students' learning." —Barbara Gross Davis, assistant vice chancellor for educational development, University of California, Berkeley, and author, Tools for Teaching "This book is a must-read for every instructor, new or experienced. Although I have been teaching for almost thirty years, as I read this book I found myself resonating with many of its ideas, and I discovered new ways of thinking about teaching." —Eugenia T. Paulus, professor of chemistry, North Hennepin Community College, and 2008 U.S. Community Colleges Professor of the Year from The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education "Thank you Carnegie Mellon for making accessible what has previously been inaccessible to those of us who are not learning scientists. Your focus on the essence of learning combined with concrete examples of the daily challenges of teaching and clear tactical strategies for faculty to consider is a welcome work. I will recommend this book to all my colleagues." —Catherine M. Casserly, senior partner, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching "As you read about each of the seven basic learning principles in this book, you will find advice that is grounded in learning theory, based on research evidence, relevant to college teaching, and easy to understand. The authors have extensive knowledge and experience in applying the science of learning to college teaching, and they graciously share it with you in this organized and readable book." —From the Foreword by Richard E. Mayer, professor of psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara; coauthor, e-Learning and the Science of Instruction; and author, Multimedia Learning
This essential text unpacks major transformations in the study of learning and human development and provides evidence for how science can inform innovation in the design of settings, policies, practice, and research to enhance the life path, opportunity and prosperity of every child. The ideas presented provide researchers and educators with a rationale for focusing on the specific pathways and developmental patterns that may lead a specific child, with a specific family, school, and community, to prosper in school and in life. Expanding key published articles and expert commentary, the book explores a profound evolution in thinking that integrates findings from psychology with biology through sociology, education, law, and history with an emphasis on institutionalized inequities and disparate outcomes and how to address them. It points toward possible solutions through an understanding of and addressing the dynamic relations between a child and the contexts within which he or she lives, offering all researchers of human development and education a new way to understand and promote healthy development and learning for diverse, specific youth regardless of race, socioeconomic status, or history of adversity, challenge, or trauma. The book brings together scholars and practitioners from the biological/medical sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, educational science, and fields of law and social and educational policy. It provides an invaluable and unique resource for understanding the bases and status of the new science, and presents a roadmap for progress that will frame progress for at least the next decade and perhaps beyond.
Easy-to-apply, scientifically-based approaches for engaging students in the classroom Cognitive scientist Dan Willingham focuses his acclaimed research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning. His book will help teachers improve their practice by explaining how they and their students think and learn. It reveals-the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences. Nine, easy-to-understand principles with clear applications for the classroom Includes surprising findings, such as that intelligence is malleable, and that you cannot develop "thinking skills" without facts How an understanding of the brain's workings can help teachers hone their teaching skills "Mr. Willingham's answers apply just as well outside the classroom. Corporate trainers, marketers and, not least, parents -anyone who cares about how we learn-should find his book valuable reading." —Wall Street Journal
Highlighting activities and discussion questions that will pique student interest and facilitate instruction, the 8th edition of this well-known school library text gathers management articles into a ready-to-use volume that showcases current best practices. This 8th edition of School Library Management offers a fully updated collection of articles designed to guide both new and practicing school librarians. It gathers information about the issues and trends in the field, programming ideas, and advice from school library leaders. Contemporary articles from the past five years of School Library Connection bring this edition up to the present. Carefully curated chapters address today's best practices to improve school library programs, integrating technology considerations throughout each of the sections. Authors cover timely topics such as equity, diversity, and inclusion; budgets; copyright; librarian professional development; evaluation; and advocacy. Each chapter begins with an introduction to put issues into context and ends with activities that will help librarians further explore. All readers will appreciate this volume as "one-stop shopping" for readings that address best practices in light of major new guiding documents and standards in the school library field.
This book shows how superintendents, principals, directors, coaches, and other educational leaders can more accurately portray the academic, language, and social-emotional development of multilingual students. This book illustrates how the assessment cycle unfolds at school and district levels and provides comprehensive guidance for enacting linguistically and culturally sustainable assessment in multiple languages in K-12 settings.
The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.
Empower students to own their learning The world today needs students prepared to set goals, to fail, to get up and try a new strategy, to fail again, and to persist until their goals are realized. Therefore, we must ask, "Are all students in our classrooms equipped with the skills and confidence to take ownership of their learning? If not, what can we do to change that?" Building on the work of John Hattie, Larry Ainsworth, and other leaders in the field, Partnering With Students: Building Ownership of Learning offers a powerful framework to accelerate student motivation and learning. This resource is designed to empower teachers and leaders with strategies to develop learners who have the confidence and tools to engage in any challenge. By flipping the focus to student ownership of learning, the authors provide clear and simple ways to: Develop collaborative relationships Jointly establish clear expectations for learning and criteria for success Intentionally build learner strategies that last a lifetime Use formative assessment results to monitor progress Harness the power of reciprocal feedback to improve teaching and learning Empower and motivate students set meaningful goals and prove learning When students are invited to partner and share in the responsibility of learning, they become our greatest allies, and we will learn as much from them as they will learn from us. "O’Connell and Vandas provide a wealth of information to educators, proving that it is not only important to be student-focused, but essential if students are to reach their fullest potential. In an era where we seemingly complicate things because we can, it is refreshing to see a book like this that is clearly written, driven by commonsense, evidenced by good practice, and supported with tools and clear examples." — Russell J. Quaglia, President/Founder Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations "An extremely rich resource for educators who genuinely want to empower students to be successful in college AND careers. The research-supported strategies put forth press educators to engage in deep reflection and analysis of their personal beliefs and practices, while equipping them with practical techniques to engage students in rigorous, relevant ways in the classroom." — Kim S. Benton, Chief Academic Officer, Deputy State Superintendent Mississippi Department of Education
