Book Reviews

Learning Chaos doesn’t pull any punches about our schools. Neither does the book blame the usual scapegoats—teachers, government, parents or children. Schools are failing because they rely on outmoded thinking about how we learn. Contrary to popular opinion, students, whether children or adults, don’t need to be shepherded and spoon fed. Learning is, and always has been, the default setting for human beings. To correct what’s wrong, we need to redesign our schools to remove the barriers that stifle learning.

Filled with powerful research, numerous case studies, and clear, practical suggestions for immediate change, Learning Chaos is for parents, teachers, trainers and learners who are not afraid to question the status quo. Learning Chaos will reignite in its readers a passion for learning—and for helping others to learn.

www.learningchaos.net

Now that most states have adopted the new Common Core State Standards, the next major challenge is to simplify and implement them by 2014. That is why it is important to begin this work now. Joe Crawford, Milken Award-winning educator and author of Using Power Standards to Build an Aligned Curriculum, shares his proven process for building a viable local curriculum based on the CCSS. Readers will find:

• A system for creating local standards from the CCSS
• Methods for connecting the common, formative assessments to quarterly instructional objectives
• Ways to scaffold learning expectations
• Examples taken from districts where CCSS is currently implemented

“How to Be a Great Teacher: Create the Flow of Joy and Success in Your Classroom” is a new teacher help book by Wynn Godbold, founder of the International Academy of Bee Sharp Teachers. The book explains why the current paradigm in education sets teachers up for feeling overwhelmed and frustrated; then proposes a new paradigm for teachers everywhere to follow.

“I spent half of my career overwhelmed and frustrated in the job I believed I was called by God to do,” explains Godbold. “Finally, I made a decision to do things differently. I knew I had to get this message out to other teachers because it changed my teaching and my life for the best. I want all teachers to be in their classrooms filled with joy and success.”

Following the paradigm explanation the book jumps into a 9-step process helping readers on “How to be a Great Teacher.” The steps are broken into three major categories – Decide, Believe, and Share.

“I figured out these nine steps in my own practice and they changed my life,” says Godbold. “When I started traveling the country, I met tons of teachers who were like me in the first half of my career. One day, teachers who read this book will look back and say, ‘My worst day now is better than my best day used to be’.”

This new, practical book provides an explanation of each of the eight mathematical practices and gives elementary school educators specific instructional strategies that align with the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

Math teachers, curriculum coordinators, and district math supervisors get practical ideas on how to engage elementary school students in mathematical practices, develop problem-solving skills, and promote higher-order thinking. Learn how to scaffold activities across grades and get strategies you can implement immediately in your classroom. All K-5 mathematics educators should have this book in their professional libraries!