[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
//-->[ FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OFRESULTS NOW]FOCUSElevating the EssentialsTo Radically Improve Student LearningMIKE SCHMOKERThis is a book to which many teachers will say “Hallelujah.” It chal-lenges educators and policymakers alike to focus on what’ s most impor-tant and not become distracted by numerous “fads.” If we can get ourschools focused on the elements Schmoker identifies, more teachers willbe achieving dramatic results in their classrooms.–David T. Conley, director of theCenter for Educational Policy Research, University of OregonIn his most ambitious book to date, Mike Schmoker moves beyond gen-eralities about education in the United States to offerveryspecific adviceon how to improve schools, the curriculum that should be taught in dif-ferent subject areas, and the way in which curriculum should be taught.Any educator who is willing to consider thoughtful critiques of traditionalpractices and the thinking behind those practices will be intrigued (andchallenged) by Schmoker’s ideas.–Richard DuFour, educator and coauthor ofLearning by Doing: A Handbook for ProfessionalLearning Communities at WorkMike Schmoker says all we need to know about making school reformwork in three words: simplicity , clarity and priority . A sustained focus isindeed what has been missing from almost all educational reforms forthe past 30 years. In a book that beautifully practices what it preaches,the author clearly and simply lays out a sensible plan for making schoolreform focused and coherent. With candor and without political correct-ness, Schmoker has mapped out a truly effective path for school reformthat all educators can grasp and follow.–Grant Wiggins, president of Authentic Educationand coauthor ofUnderstanding by DesignIn an age where teachers are for ced into the unrealistic pursuit of unob-tainable standards, finally , a book emerges that cuts through the noiseand helps us return to sensible, authentic teaching.Focus: Elevating theEssentials to Radically Improve Student Learningis insightful, practical, and,above all else, inspiring—a must read for all teachers, administrators,board members, and policymakers. Reading this book has made me a bet-ter, more reflective teacher.–Kelly Gallagher, educator and author ofReadicide: How Schools Are Killing Readingand What You Can Do About ItMike Schmoker gets it right in this trenchant diagnosis of why Americanschools are failing: Even when the teachers are all good, the school curric-ulum is a poorly organized clutter that diffuses students’ attention ratherthan focusing it on the essentials they need to learn to be college-ready .Schmoker’s book itself is a model of how to cut through the curricularclutter in precisely the way schools need to do.–Gerald Graff, 2008 president of the Modern LanguageAssociation and author ofClueless in Academe:How Schooling Obscures the Life of the MindThis is a brave, powerful book, brimming with good ideas and plain-spokencommon sense. Forswearingthe fads of the day , Schmoker reminds us ofwhat the sales for ce of “new and improved” professional developmentwants us to forget: W e alreadyknowwhat good teaching looks like—andwe’ve known it for a while. The real question is: Do we have the will tomake it happen? This short but powerful book shows us the way.–Sam Wineburg, Margaret Jacks Professor of Education,Stanford UniversityMike Schmoker has provided another valuable resour ce for all educators.Each one of his books seems to provide more assistance than the previousone. If you admired his earlier writings in theResultstrilogy you won’t beable to put this newest entry down. Once again, he provides a simple wayto do a complex thing while at the same time supplying a roadmap forreal classroom and school improvement. Just think how we might impactstudent learning if we all put his ideas to work.–Greg Netzer, principal of Van Horn High School,Independence, MissouriMike Schmoker’s new book is brimming with ideas that I immediatelywant to pass along to the principals, teachers, and district leaders I workwith—how we can slim down the curriculum to the essential core; whatreally effective English, science, social studies, and math lessons look like;how we can get students reading and writingmuchmore in class; and howteacher teams can work together with a renewed focus on results. Thisbook is learned, accessible, packed with specific examples, and powerfullyconvincing.If you read one book this year, read this one!–Kim Marshall, educator and author ofRethinking Teacher Supervision and EvaluationMike Schmoker nails it again. His guidelines for clarifying what we teachand how we teach should bear positive results across this great land. Whatmatters most is what happens in the classroom. Let’ focus on making thissa nation of readers and the rest will follow.–Carol Jago, president of theNational Council of Teachers of EnglishFOCUS [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]