In section three, four essays explore the relationship between technology and
comprehension instruction. Here the authors examine how technology can be used in the
classroom to enhance literacy instruction. The final part of the text examines the needs of
struggling readers related to reading comprehension. These essays tackle the challenges
associated with helping poor readers learn to comprehend. Specific instructional
strategies are presented for working with those students who find understanding text
difficult. Graphs, charts and other visuals enhance the text along with the extensive
bibliographies provided at the end of each essay.
This highly recommended volume gives classroom teachers, reading specialists and
others involved in the day-to-day practice of teaching reading at all levels, knowledge to
understand the need for reading comprehension and strategies to implement this
knowledge into their daily classroom activities. Written by the best in the field,
Improving Comprehension Instruction offers readers’ information they’ll refer to
regularly as they strive to make the process of understanding what is being read just as
important as the ability to read the text. As stated in the preface, written by Gerald D.
Duffy, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University, “In sum, this book is a
comprehensive, coherent source of knowledge about teaching comprehension. Scholars,
teacher educators, and classroom teachers alike will find it to be a fundamental reference”
(p. xiv).
Pages: 423
Price: $29.95
ISBN: 0-7879-6309-7
Reviewed by Stephanie D. Davis, Spring Arbor University
Cooper, Pamela & Morreale, Sherwyn (2003)
Creating Competent Communicators: Activities for Teaching Speaking, Listening,
and
Media Literacy in Grades 7 - 12.
Scottsdale, AZ: Holcomb Hathaway Publishers.
Creating Competent Communicators introduces the K-12 teacher to
communications studies in general and to teaching each of four components of the
National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards in particular: (1) fundamentals
of communication, (2) speaking, (3) listening, and (4) media literacy. The authors provide
background information on each component as well as teaching activities for grades 7 to
12 that cross curricular boundaries. The book addresses two practical problems that
teachers face in attempting to teach communication and media literacy across the
curriculum: one, a paucity of useful teaching resources related to the NCA standards, and
two, a lack of specific training in communication education.
The authors pose and answer the question, Why teach communication? A rationale
for communication education is based on the value of speaking, listening and media
literacy skills for personal and academic success in life. An argument is made for the
relevance of oral communication competence for students’ social adjustment and
participation in satisfying interpersonal relationships. The authors draw upon
psychological and educational research to demonstrate the relationship between
communication competence and self-actualization, professional success and successful
living in today’s media saturated world. Operational definitions of speaking, listening and
media literacy help the reader to move beyond a conventional understanding of
communication and literacy as merely reading and writing. A new understanding of oral
communication frames an approach to instruction that emphasizes communication
standards and competencies which cut across oral activities and communication contexts.
After the introduction section, the book is structured in four main units that lead the
teacher through background information and activities on each of the four components of
the National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards. Each section is structured
by the specific communication standards and teaching activities that reinforce specific
concepts and provide illustrative examples of each communication standard. At least two
teaching activities are provided for each of the twenty NCA standards for speaking,
listening and media literacy in K-12 education. The standards themselves are detailed in
the introductory chapter, and an itemized list of teaching activities with corresponding
grade levels are mapped to each standard.
Teaching activities include a reference to the specific communication standard, a
description of the activity and grade level, the specific learning objective, materials
needed, the classroom procedure, and methods for debriefing. Activities for teaching the
fundamentals of effective communication (unit 1) include name that analogy, poetry in
motion, talking to parents and the other moral of the story is…. Teaching activities for
speaking (unit 2) include pointers for polished public speaking, using the Internet as
information resource, and using group speaking to overcome anxiety. Many of the
speaking activities can easily be adapted for improving written communication (for
example, Transitional Stories, p. 50 and Word Power, p. 52). Activities for teaching
listening (unit 3) include invisible speeches, to tell the truth, and may I quote you? The
introduction to the unit on listening provides an excellent overview of the listening
process, effective listening skills and barriers to listening (p. 62 - 63). Teaching activities
for media literacy (unit 4) include defining media channels, millions of magazines, a peak
behind the scenes, advertising’s appeal, and the medium and the message. An approach to
assessment is provided at the end of each teaching activity that guides the teacher towards
evaluating meaningful outcomes. Photocopy ready assessment forms and checklists are
provided with many of the activities.
The final section of the book is a compilation of teacher resources entitled “Tools,
Tips, and Great Ideas”. Print and non-print resources for each of the four components of
the National Communication Association’s (NCA) standards are provided that range
from books, articles, videotapes and audiocassettes to web sites and professional
organizations. Teachers might find most valuable the photocopy ready forms and
assessment tools that are provided in the teacher resources section. Approaches to
assessment are articulated in peer assessment forms, self-evaluation forms, and
storytelling evaluation forms. Evaluation tools to assess persuasive and demonstrative
speech are provided that identify key competencies and expectations for performance. A
communication apprehension survey and self-assessments for managing anxiety, use of
language and speaking, and listening skills can be used by individual students or by
groups to reflect upon communication competencies.
New and experienced classroom teachers, student teachers and faculty in teacher
preparation programs will find Creating Competent Communicators to be very
useful for understanding communication education and for instructional planning,
implementation and evaluation. Most of the teaching activities can be adapted and
incorporated into classes and courses across subject areas and for children to adult
learners. Some of the teaching activities are classics, such as Look Who’s Listening (p.
38), Public Speaking (p. 59) and Using the Internet as an Information Resource (p. 48,
includes checklists). The authors also present some new and innovative teaching
activities, such as Becoming a Family (p. 22), Choral Oral Literacy (p. 56) and A Peek
Behind the Scenes (p. 90). The well-developed teaching activities offered in this book
will help teachers to apply the communication principles presented in each unit to their
own classroom environments.
Creating Competent Communicators provides both background information
and practical activities to guide teachers’ efforts to implement communication instruction
across the curriculum in junior and senior high school. Many of the teaching activities
can also be adapted for elementary school and adult learners. In my opinion, the authors
make a credible claim that the teaching activities will appeal to students of all ability
levels, provide for student interaction and involvement, and require students to send and
receive messages in a variety of contexts for a variety of purposes.
Pages: 112
Price: $19.50
ISBN: 1-890871-39-7
Reviewed by Dr. Michele Jacobsen, University of Calgary
Darling-Hammond, Linda, French, Jennifer & García-Lopez, Silvia Paloma, eds. (2002)
Learning to Teach for Social Justice.
New York: Teachers College Press.
As our society is becoming more and more diverse, increasingly teachers will have
students from diverse backgrounds in their classrooms. However, preparing teachers to
work with diverse students has not been given appropriate attention.
Learning to Teach for Social Justice is a collection of essays that illustrate
the experience and struggle of prospective teachers who teach student populations diverse
in terms of language, culture, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and gender.
Authors are Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) students from mainstream and
from non-mainstream cultures. Readers hear the authors’ perspectives through their own
voices as they struggle to learn to be teachers of students from diverse backgrounds and
to be agents of social change.
The volume has four parts: Part I: What is Diversity; Part II: Does Who We Are
Influence How We Teach?; Part III: Who Are Our Students and What Do They Need?;
and Part IV: What Is the Problem and What Can We Do About It? Each prospective
teacher’s story is a chapter. Each part begins with an overview by the editors containing
suggested questions that readers can use for their own reflection or discussion. The first
and the last chapters are contributions from Darling-Hammond, the authors’ professor
and a prominent scholar dedicated to preparing excellent teachers for all students.
In Part I, the authors look at the concept of diversity, the importance of inclusion of
others’ perspectives, the danger of labeling individuals as part of a group and the value of
incorporating the history of marginalized groups into the core of the school curriculum.
In Part II, one of the chapters is written by a white female STEP student who deals with
the question: “Can White teachers support learning by students who are from
backgrounds other than their own?” Another chapter addresses the issue of multiple
identities that can be caused by the dividedness of home and school cultural contexts.
Because the school culture in the United States is primarily that of the mainstream,
students from non-mainstream cultures may experience culture clash. The author of this
chapter, who is from a non-mainstream background, relates her experiences dealing with
such cultural bifurcation as a U.S. public school student. Other issues addressed in Part II
include being inclusive of gay people, institutional discrimination that students from non-
mainstream cultures may experience in school, and oppressive language in the classroom.
One author offers a strong section on turning an occasion of oppressive language into a
learning moment for students.
Chapters in Part III are excerpted from two kinds of case studies that the authors had
done for their STEP courses. Authors illustrate what they learned, in adolescent and
curriculum case studies, about who their students are, what they need, and how to meet
their needs. Part IV is devoted to the issue of tracking, which often results in dividing
students into privileged and underprivileged groups in terms of access to learning
opportunities, funding, qualified and experienced teachers, quality teaching resources,
quality curriculum, and thereby opportunity for success. It also presents reform proposals
for teaching English language learners. The section suggests ways to create a well-
functioning learning community with support for the individual student, and ways a
teacher can promote all students’ learning by allowing them to take ownership of their
own learning and be active participants.
Many of us have an unforgettable teacher who had a significant influence, good or bad, in
our life. As Darling-Hammond writes, “[p]erhaps the most important differences in what
happens to children at school depend on who their teachers are: what they understand
about children and about learning, what they are able to do to respond to the very
different approaches and experiences children bring with them to the learning setting,
what they care about and are committed to as teachers” (p.150). She contends that
becoming a teacher who contributes to social change involves personal transformation.
The prospective teachers in this book go through such transformation by critically
reflecting on their own and their students’ experiences and perspectives. It is through this
journey that they gain an understanding of self, others, school and society, which makes a
vital difference to become a quality teachers of all students.
Even though most of the writers are fairly new to teaching, their stories eloquently
illustrate what it takes to become a multicultural teacher. Practicing and pre-service
teachers can find value in this book as they struggle to find better ways to teach students
from diverse backgrounds.
Pages: 240
Price: $54.00 (Cloth) $21.95 (Paper)
ISBN: 0-8077-4209-0 (Cloth) 0-8077-4208-2 (Paper)
Reviewed by Yumiko Otsuki, Portland State University
Decker, Larry E. & Decker, Virginia (2002)
Home, School, and Community Partnerships.
Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
Larry and Virginia Decker set out to explore a theme voiced in the very first
sentence, asking how to narrow the “growing gulf between the American public and its
public schools.” (p. v) Their book accomplishes two vital tasks in an informative and
easily understood fashion. First, it brings together most of the arguments and
justifications for greater community involvement into one volume. Second, and perhaps
of greater significance, it notes and cites the vast community education literature,
organizing it topically.
Partnerships with family and community members/agencies require that school
administrators and teachers rethink their traditional roles, roles that have effectively
excluded parents and the community as key partners in creating and sustaining
educational excellence. This book outlines seven strategies crucial to the “creation of a
responsive support system for collaborative action to address educational concerns,
quality of life issues…, and specialized needs” (p. 4). These strategies are supported by
the statistical information provided in chapter two which builds a strong case and leads
readers to an understanding of the general dissolution of the family unit and community
cohesiveness. The social contract has broken down. Clearly, “educational problems
reflect community and family problems in all their complexity, diversity and
intractability” (p. 9).
The Deckers reference a 1996 Kettering Foundation report finding that schools and
the public are moving apart. (p. 28) Despite efforts to bring the community into the
schools, community members are often not involved in “the planning and implementation
of academic improvement efforts” (p. 27). Community education offers principles
(lifelong learning, self-determination, institutional responsiveness) which, over time, can
integrate communities and their schools. The authors contend that there must be a change
in the traditional mindset of educators to recognize and act on the belief that schools
belong to the greater community, not to the bureaucrats.
There has been much rhetoric, but little happens in practice with a plan in which
community involvement is a “major component” of efforts to restructure schools. I do
think the Deckers are right, and that colleges of education should do more to teach
prospective teachers how to work with their community in its broadest sense. Pre-service
does very little to acknowledge the community and less to teach teachers how to work
with anyone other than themselves. The on-going premise has been that the teacher is
isolated in the classroom. This reviewer wonders, based on the Deckers’ thesis, if
everyone knows the value of parental involvement, if teachers continue to wish for more
regular contact with their students’parents, and if study after study support the value, then
why isn’t it more of a priority? Why don’t schools of education teach prospective
teachers how to work with their community, including parents?
The book discusses home and school as partners. The Deckers discuss four models,
initially proposed by S. M. Swap, on a scale of increasing involvement: protective,
school-to-home transmission, curriculum enrichment, and partnership. A “partnership”
develops along a continuum from cooperation through coordination into collaboration
according to chapter six. Those who cooperate are simply working together; coordination
implies sharing resources along with joint planning, development and implementation of
programs. Collaboration brings a higher degree of sharing, a more concerted partnership
and joint allocation of resources, monitoring and evaluation. But, there are many barriers
related to this final level: communication, individuals, resources, and policies. The
authors describe a number of types of educational partnerships including volunteer
programs, advisory committees, service learning, and 21st Century Community Learning
Centers. Good planning and cooperation are essential. Partnerships work when planners
realize “that collaboration takes place among people, not institutions” (p. 140). It has
been my experience, however, that cooperation is usually a one-way street with schools
asking for volunteers, but making no offers. The Deckers have more than adequately
covered the traditional aspects of volunteer activity in the schools. I would have liked
some reflection on what school people can contribute to the sense of community. It is my
opinion that school systems would have more respect if we offered some of our time.
Having a good plan for community involvement and executing such a plan is more
effective when the community knows what is going on. I remember an incident from
twenty-five years ago when I was directing a program of adult evening classes. A student
stopped me in the hall one night. “You know,” he said. “I’ve been coming by here for
years. Now I know what’s going on, and I feel good about it.” He was a satisfied
consumer who would spread the word, and vote. That’s the theme of chapter six, “School
Public Relations: Bridging the Gap.” Image does matter. Sharing information is an on-
going process which does not end. Examine your personal level of involvement on
various committees. If the Deckers are right, we are more active in those organizations in
which we have an opportunity to make decisions, where we are wanted, and where we
know what is going on. In such instances, familiarity does not breed contempt.
Consistent, honest sharing of information breeds an even higher level of trust.
The chapter on “Dealing with Political Realities” reinforces our recognition that
education is political at the local, state, and national levels. Education involves all the
crucial essences of politics: power, money, values, and conflict. Obviously, the
community’s largest investment is its schools, both in dollars and in the entrusting of
their children to the process of schooling. Recognition of the “political process” in its
broadest sense is of paramount importance.
The Deckers argue that while most schools are safe, the news media lead us to
believe that violence is pandemic. Consequently, educators and their communities can no
longer be complacent about safety issues; rather, they must be proactive in predicting and
preventing untoward actions. For example, as a high school administrator, I always
wanted to watch the local news and read the paper to help discover what happened the
previous night, activity that might affect school today. According to Home, School,
and Community Partnerships the US Departments of Education and Justice reported
in 1998 that 43% of schools reported no crime, while 90% reported no incidents of
serious violent crime. (p. 209) Proactive discipline, planning for safety, promotion of
tolerance and peer mediation are just some of the elements which can prevent or reduce
the potential for school-based violence. Schools with the strongest community support
tend to have fewer issues with safety and violence.
The means for planning and evaluating successful partnerships between schools and
communities are outlined in chapter nine. It looks in some detail at Wegner and Jarvi, for
example, who advocate four types of planning for every organization: strategic,
comprehensive, community, and internal systems. The Deckers review the basic steps of
planning and provide appropriate references for additional study.
The final chapter is based on a quote attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson, “The best
time to make friends is before you need them.” (p. 251) As schools and the communities
they serve have changed it has become imperative that school policy makers and
administrators adapt to the changes. Resolving an issue or full-blown problem is much
easier when a certain level of trust has been established and nurtured prior to the event.
All too often this becomes painfully obvious to beleagured leaders who, at best, can do
little more than respond to the problems assailing them. Leaders too often say they
“should have” reached out to families and community members before it was too late.
Larry and Virginia Decker have clearly shown us how to close the “growing gulf
between the American public and its public schools.” (p. v) This book has a broad and
practical appeal to a variety of audiences. Administrators wishing to start a new program
or improve an existing one will find valuable guidelines. Classroom teachers will better
understand why and how greater community involvement and interaction can make their
jobs easier. School board members will find extensive justification of the intrinsic value
of such programs as will school-level or community-based leaders. Researchers will find
the extensive bibliographical citations a treasure trove.
Pages: 284
Price: $36.50
ISBN: 0-8108-4522-9
Reviewed by John M. Formy-Duval, a retired public school administrator and now a
content specialist at Measurement, Inc. in Durham, North Carolina
Garan, Elaine M. (2002)
Resisting Reading Mandates: How to Triumph With the Truth.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Speaking directly to a teacher audience without any hint of condescension, Dr.
Elaine M. Garan calls teachers to respond to reading mandates and other "research-
driven" controls. Resisting reading mandates offers teachers and administrators a guide
to the Report of the National Reading Panel (2000) and the published distortions
of this report. A reading specialist for twelve years, Garan provides a practical, concise
reference for teachers, while alerting them to the federal government's new "attack" on
educators.
Referring to the federal government mandates as the recommended "new quick fix,"
Garan bluntly tells teachers that they will eventually feel the influence of the National
Reading Panel's "science" (p.2). While Garan does not provide much detail about the
Bush Administration's No Child Left Behind Act, she does explain how No Child Left
Behind is informed by the NRP (National Reading Panel) report's scientific research.
While the NRP did not advocate any specific teaching method for reading, Garan
reiterates previous educators' criticisms of the NRP, such as their exclusion of all non-
experimental research along with the panel's definition of reading comprehension as a set
of isolated skills.
In the introduction entitled “How to Use This Book,” Garan lays out the book's
question-and-answer format, explaining clearly how teachers can use the answers to
defend their literacy teaching choices to fight against mandates. First, Garan describes the
various editions of the NRP publications, including the Summary booklet, which contains
a condensed version of the report of the subgroups from the NRP. Further, Garan points
out that the Summary booklet, published after the NRPreport, "misreports the true
findings of the panel" (p.8). These discrepancies can assist teachers and administrators
when they choose to refute any isolated skill-and-drill mandates that claim scientific
support from the Summary booklet. Further, direct quotes with pages from each
document are included with responses to the questions, serving as a quick reference for
teachers who may be called upon to explain their teaching strategies.
The next set of questions and answers covers the results of the National Reading
Panel's synthesis of phonics research. Garan describes the panel's definition of reading
comprehension as a set of discrete subskills, rendering the NRP's analyses problematic.
Further, and most important for our defense against teaching phonics in isolation, Garan
emphasizes that the NRP does not advocate teaching any particular method of
reading comprehension or phonics instruction even though other reports have implied
that the NRP does advocate phonics instruction. Garan persuasively summarizes
these findings: "The NRP leaves decisions about when, how, and even if phonics should
be taught to the professional discretion of the teacher" (p.12). The direct quotes included
from the NRP support Garan's assertions, and are useful for any educator who wants to
cite the NRP report directly.
The section of this book that I found most useful begins on page 71 where Garan
clearly delineates the contradictions between The "Summary Booklet" and the NRP
report. The most glaring contradictions occurred in phonics instruction where The
"Summary Booklet" stated that systematic phonics instruction is beneficial for children
with reading problems. On the other hand, as Garan points out, the NRP report stated
that there were "insufficient data" about the effectiveness of phonics instruction (p. 71).
The author analyzes other contradictions related to phonics instruction throughout this
section.
Resisting Reading Mandates contains excellent information about the
"medical model" research methods of the NRP and phonics instruction. However, I
would have been interested in reading more insights on the comprehension section of the
NRP report. While the author does remind us of the NRP's incoherent definition of
reading comprehension, perhaps Dr. Garan will consider writing a second book that
focuses entirely on the NRP's meta-analysis of reading comprehension.
Finally, for those who are quietly waiting for the current political climate to
dissipate, Dr. Garan reminds us at the end of the book that all educators must speak up
about what they believe are effective teaching strategies and fair testing practices. Garan
concludes her book with a poetic letter written by a kindergarten teacher; this letter
represents frustrations that many educators seem to feel about standardized tests and
other political intrusions. This book is an excellent reference for teachers, teacher
educators or administrators who just want information about the NRP or who want to
speak out against government mandates on reading instruction.
References
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the
National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of
the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading
Instruction. (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office. The Reports and the Summary Booklet (which is just the item entitled
Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read and is not
explicitly labeled "Summary Booklet") are available online at http://www.nichd.nih.
gov/publications/nrp/smallbook.htm See Report of the National Reading Panel:
Reports of the Subgroups at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
publications/nrp/report.htm for the full text of all reports.
Pages: 304
Price: $21.15
ISBN: 0-325-00513-3
Reviewed by Ann Marie Smith, University of Maryland, College Park
This book is a comprehensive report by the Committee on Educating Public Health
Professionals for the 21st Century of the Institute of Medicine of their new
recommendations on the future of public health education. The committee has
representation from various fields of academia, research, medicine, nursing and law.
This provided a broad perspective on the many issues surrounding public health and the
challenges it is facing, such as globalization, bioterrorism and issues related to ethics and
the law to name a few.
The book is divided into six chapters. The introduction takes a look at the issues
and objectives that will be addressed such as the profound effects of globalization and
advances in science and technology including the ethical and legal issues that can arise
from these advances. Also, since there are a variety of professions within the context of
public health, establishing a definition of who are the public health professionals was an
important distinction for the purpose of this study. The committee also proposes an
ecological model as the framework for action on determinants to health. This is a good
model as it emphasizes the linkages and relationships among multiple factors that are
affecting health.
The second chapter gives a good overview of the past and present status of public
health education and a review of the 1988 Institute of Medicine report, The future of
public health, which “described the field of public health in disarray” (p.51). Although
some changes have been addressed in the past five years, this report highlights the need
for further actions and changes that need to take place in institutions and agencies
responsible for educating public health professionals.
The third chapter takes a vivid look at the future of public health education and the
eight content areas that the committee recommends be included in the graduate-level
curriculum such as informatics, cultural competence and communication. An in-depth
look at issues related to communication was included, particularly “risk communication.”
Even though the cases of anthrax in 2001 happened while this report was in progress,
they are not mentioned in the book. I believe the anthrax cases highlight the importance
of public health officials being able to communicate to the public and why it should be
included in the training or education of every public health professional.
The next two chapters give recommendations for schools of public health, and other
programs (i.e. medicine, nursing, law). The report provides institutions with specific
frameworks and recommendations on how to strengthen programs, including gaps that
need to be addressed. It goes further to recommend “all doctors should receive a basic
public health training” (p. 135). The report also suggests incorporating training in public
health in other professions, mentioning lawyers who can have influence over policies that
have “profound effect upon the public health” (p. 143) and “the value of instructing
future business leaders about the health consequences of their decisions.” (p. 143).
The last chapter focuses on the roles of public health agencies in training and
education not only of the current public health employees but the future public health
workers. This report gives specific useful strategies such as collaboration with schools of
public health, and emphasis on access to life long learning to assure that public health
workers are up to date with current information and trends in public health. Additional
recommendations include a call for increased funding from federal agencies for curricula
development, fellowship programs, and education and training activities. The committee
also recommends that public health officials in leadership and management positions
should possess Master’s in Public Health (M.P.H.). The master’s level of education can
help prepare our leaders gain better understanding of the whole public health system and
equipped them with the current and most effective approaches in public health.
There are also appendices which include an in depth look at the public health
education in the 20th century, input from organizations such as CDC, and an updated
collection of competency sets for the different disciplines in public health.
The report is surprisingly easy-to-read and the format is easy to follow. This text
highlights the importance of having adequately trained and competent public health
professionals for the future protection of our nation’s public health. I highly suggest
reading this text to anyone who has an interest in public health. The full report is
available online at http://books.nap.edu/b
ooks/030908542X/html/index.html
References
Institute of Medicine, Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health. (1988).
The Future of Public Health. Washington D.C.: National Academies Press.
Available online at http://www.nap.edu/catalog/1091.html
Pages: 304
Price: $42.95
ISBN: 030908542X
Reviewed by Victoria Buholtz, Point Loma Nazarene University
Gold, Mimi (2003)
Help for the Struggling Student: Ready-to-Use Strategies and Lessons to Build
Attention, Memory, and Organizational Skills.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
In Help for the Struggling Student, Mimi Gold presents a well-developed
and organized format for strategy instruction to address attention, memory and
organizational skills. The format is such that the strategies can be used to build on
students’ strengths as well as to address students’ deficits. This book is for practical,
everyday use; it is not a research book. Professionals interested in research supporting
strategy instruction will not find this book useful. In lieu of research, the author draws
upon her many years of experience working with struggling students, particularly
students with learning disabilities.
The book is organized into four sections. The initial section provides the
foundational basis for using strategy instruction. The section apportioned to attention is
ordered by complexity of skills presented. The section on memory is structured by
categories according to learning modalities and the attention section is divided by skill
areas. The last three sections each open with both a description of one of the processes of
attention, organization or memory and a discussion of how the section is organized. Each
of the strategy lessons included within the sections begins with an opening vignette.
Using a vignette, a teacher should be able to quickly assess the strategy that will match
her student’s individual needs.
Interspersed at various points within the sections are suggested dialogued scripts
that can be followed when working with a student. This should be an asset to a teacher
new to strategy instruction. The author provides “recipes” with step-by-step instructions
and samples to assist the teacher in presenting the lessons.
Strategy instruction can appear overwhelming for teachers using the methods for the
first time because observations need to be made regarding learning styles and strengths
and needs must be assessed before instruction can begin. The information included is
thorough enough to allow confidence building for a first time user, and flexible enough to
allow for individual adaptations with a more experienced teacher. Also, parents using the
book will also likely opine that the scripts are beneficial.
A definite plus for the book is the inclusion of full-page reproducible visual aids and
strategy sheets that correspond to the skills being discussed. Approximately one third of
the 300 pages contain visual aids or pictographs that can be used to reinforce the lessons’
objectives without a reliance on verbal explanations. In keeping with accepted practice,
the pages for photocopying do not contain page numbers.
Although not explicitly stated, the book seems most appropriate for the elementary
school level. Due to the detailed instructions included in the book, it seems that teachers
of remedial reading and teachers of special education would be able to maximally utilize
the book’s contents. Some of the introductory attention lessons could be adapted for use
with larger class sizes, but the amount of time and intervention needed for the majority of
the lessons would seem to negate its usefulness for large group instruction. The author
adds in her introduction that parents could find the book’s suggestions useful for
addressing areas of concern in their children. The book does appear to be suited for use
by parents or by teachers for individual or small group instruction.
The contents of Help for the Struggling Student mirror the title. Teachers
and parents should find this book gives them ample material to successfully implement
strategy instruction with their students.
Pages: 320
Price: $29.95
ISBN: 0-7879-6588-X
Reviewed by Karen Fontana, Mohawk Valley Community College and Elmira College
Gurian, Michael & Ballew, Arlette C. (2003)
The Boys and Girls Learn Differently Action Guide for Teachers.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Over the years an incredible amount of column space has been devoted to the study
of gender and schooling worldwide, with theories and argument abounding as to the
reasons for the apparent difference between boy’s and girl’s academic and behavioural
performance at school. While Gurian and Ballew add to the mountain of information with
physiological evidence as to the source of gender difference, they also offer up a variety
of interesting pedagogical strategies that teachers from preschool to high school can use
in their classrooms.
Chapter 1 deals with the brain and its structural, chemical and functional differences
between boys and girls, as well as how these differences affect learning. The authors go
on to discuss brain based gender research in areas like academic performance, classroom
behaviour, test scores and educational aspirations, offering suggestions as to how this
research can be applied to the classroom. Chapter 2 looks at “Bonding and Attachment,”
with strategies for fostering feelings of belonging in students right through the various
stages of schooling. Chapter 3 addresses "Discipline and Related Issues," in particular
dealing with aggressive behaviour from boys. Once again strategies for students from
preschool to high school are offered. Interestingly, this chapter almost exclusively deals
with male students and strategies in dealing with their behaviour. I was puzzled at the
lack of coverage of perceived discipline problems which may exist for teachers of female
students and wondered if it was merely an oversight.
The next group of chapters deal with specific subject areas. Chapter 4 provides
ideas for “Math, Science and Spatial Learning,” while Chapter 5 looks at “Language,
Reading, Writing and Social Science” techniques. Chapter 6 deals with an area of special
significance for me as a Physical Educator, namely “Physical Learning and Nutrition.”
An important observation made by many researchers and revisited here is that boys value
movement as a part of their learning experiences. The authors also discuss the value or
otherwise of single sex classes, especially where tactile contact is involved. They
maintain that single sex institutions are a preferable educational delivery structure, so that
with the distractions of the opposite sex eliminated learning outcomes for both genders
are enhanced. Call me old fashioned but I still see a great deal of value in “tactile
contact” between boys and girls in activities where the social, cultural and emotional
benefits far outweigh the initial distraction or feelings of awkwardness felt by the class.
In fact students who have previously shown less competence in physical activity have
been known to shine in situations where they express their abilities in movement away
from competitive sport, most notably during a mixed gender dance class. In this situation
the motivation and attitude of the teaching staff is crucial to the success of the learning
experience. This chapter also deals with the nutritional requirements of students and the
modern phenomenon of childhood obesity.
Chapter 7 deals with “Special Education,” the use of medication and special
techniques to encourage learning with this unique group of students. Chapters 8 is the
“nuts and bolts” section of the guide in that it gives the classroom teacher a host of
suggestions as to how to plan and implement experiential learning strategies. Chapter 9
specifically deals with structural and systemic innovations to promote an environment
that helps address gender issues in schools. This includes considerations like class sizes
(a hot topic in Australia at the moment), uniforms and dress code, as well as pedagogical
issues in the form of teaching and learning strategies. An appendix provides a guide to
enlisting parent support, and a comprehensive list of resources and references is also
included.
Setting aside the U.S. origins and references, the ideas, suggestions and strategies
that the authors present in this action guide could be utilised by any educator in almost
any setting. The message seems to be that while we can take into account the
physiological differences and draw conclusions from that, perhaps the more compelling
case in addressing gender differences is in the need for a modification of pedagogy when
working with students of both sexes at all stages of schooling.
Pages: 240
Price: $19.95
ISBN: 0-7879-6485-9
Reviewed by Brendan Jones, Head Teacher (Personal Development, Health and Physical
Education) Erina High School, NSW, Australia.
Kajder, Sarah B. (2003)
The Tech-Savvy English Classroom.
Portland, Maine: Stenhouse
Publishers.
The Tech-Savvy English Classroom by Sarah B. Kajder is both a well-
balanced discussion of technology’s implications in the English classroom and a
collection of constructive ideas for teachers interested in applying technology to student
learning. Practical applications and implementation techniques, many fine-tuned in
Kajder’s own classroom, are described throughout the book. Each chapter concludes
with a list of related readings and online resources, while useful rubrics and worksheets
are included in the appendix section. In addition, Kajder maintains a companion Web
site to extend and update the material discussed in her book.
Kajder draws on her experiences as an English teacher to address both the potential
and the challenge of technology in the English classroom. As presented by Kajder,
technology is any tool English teachers can manipulate to enhance student learning:
hardware, software, Internet, PowerPoint. While Kajder’s enthusiasm for using these
tools is apparent, she is not blind to the difficulties arising from technology
implementation.
Kajder opens The Tech-Savvy English Classroom by discussing her
personal experiences with technology as an English teacher. Her description of growth as
a technology user segues into Chapter 2, where Kajder discusses the different
technological skill levels teachers possess. Each level is identified with a specific icon
(such as a light bulb for technology innovation), which is then referenced throughout the
book to identify activities and abilities relevant to that skill level. Chapter 3 addresses the
skill levels of the students. Kajder describes activities used to assess her English
students’ understanding of and comfort with technology, then provides practical tips for
student computer lab use and online communication.
In the remaining chapters, Kajder highlights specific technologies in the English
classroom, incorporating clear-cut explanations, personal experiences and practical tips.
In Chapter 4, Kajder addresses the advantages of utilizing hypertext with student reading
and writing. Several activities are described that integrate this ability to link documents
with English curricular skills and standards. Chapter 6 discusses the ability of technology
to enhance the writing process. Kajder provides numerous useful examples and strategies
for prewriting, revising and editing, and publishing, all aligned with a specific tool. In
Chapter 8, Kajder presents the varied educational applications of telecommunication and
teleinformation tools: communication, information and exploration, collaboration and
community building.
Kajder introduces the Internet as an educational tool in Chapter 5, providing
realistic suggestions on how to deal with search engines, searching strategies, information
evaluation and student plagiarism. She expands on the Internet’ applicability to the
English classroom in Chapter 9 with her discussion of personal Web sites. Kajder’s
experience in building a class Web site provides constructive tips and helpful resources to
any teacher desiring to do the same. Chapter 7 examines the Internet’s applicability in
one specific context: the WebQuest. Developed by Bernie Dodge of San Diego State
University, a WebQuest is an Internet-based research tool and active learning activity.
Kajder discusses the advantages of this instructional model, details the steps of creating a
WebQuest for student use and provides hints on evaluating existing WebQuests.
Accessible and entertaining, The Tech-Savvy English Classroom provides
both practical approaches for incorporating technology into the English classroom and
balanced discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of technology use. English
teachers will find Kajder’s book a valuable resource in their efforts to move their
classrooms into the technological age.
Pages: 150
Price: $17.50
ISBN: 1-57110-361-9
Reviewed by Melanie Shoffner, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Kelley, W. Michael (2003)
Rookie Teaching for Dummies.
New York: John Wiley and Sons.
For readers who are familiar with other titles in the “For Dummies” book series this
book displays the same easily identifiable cover and follows the same characteristic
format. They will recognize the characteristic “plain English - get in, get out” layout that
is highly popular and definitely has a place in our time sensitive world where we search
for straight-forward directions and answers. However, from a personal perspective, I
found the topic and the book series a difficult combination to address. After polling
colleagues, classroom teachers and pre-service teachers I found I was not alone in my
negative reaction to the title. This response appears to be aimed at the catchy title that
obviously markets well, but at the same time it apparently unintentionally offends
practitioners. This turned out to be my main negative comment on the book.
Once past the title any reader who has taught school will find a delightfully written
book filled with humor and extremely realistic ideas dealing with the everyday
classroom. The author, W. Michael Kelley, is a veteran math teacher and founder of Calculus-Help.com. His dedication to
students and teaching becomes apparent in the number of innovative ideas he shares with
his reader. Everything from ideas for teaching in multicultural settings to using TV
programs such as “The Survivors” (complete with background music from the Survivors
CD) for review and practice in math. His sense of humor is woven throughout
discussions covering topics such as classroom management, planning instruction, implicit
and expected duties, as well as understanding the role of the teacher with respect to
administrators and parents. It is very much a compilation of topics that most student
teachers cover when working with a sponsor teacher during their practicum experience.
Through research with colleagues and others, Kelley anticipates the kinds of questions a
student teacher doesn’t even know should be asked. I don’t always agree with his
comments but overall they are extremely practical and definitely worthwhile.
The book is organized around a format that covers the entire “For Dummies” series.
The 23 chapters are divided into 6 major parts ranging from “What They Didn’t Teach
You in College” to “Managing Your Classroom”. The book can be read in any order
since each section stands on its own. Icons are used to identify pertinent segments and
highlight important parts of the text (specifically: Tips, Warnings, Remember, It’s
Elementary and Secondary Studies). The final section of the book consists of “The Part
of Tens”. This is a feature of the series where lists of items to remember are itemized into
lists of ten. For this book it consists of two chapters, “Ten Things That Always Happen
to Rookie Teachers” and “The Ten Biggest Rookie Blunders”, which give a practical
summary for any new teacher such as handling medical emergencies and cautions about
harmless comments being misunderstood. These are followed by two fabulous chapters
for great ideas and help, “Ten Ways to Use Technology in Your Classroom” and Ten
Great World Wide Web Resources for Rookie Teachers”.
The strength of this book lies in its plain language advice. Kelley doesn’t shy away
from topics that may be skirted in other places, such as his advice about keeping a pair of
latex gloves in the desk for your own protection. The medical section is informative and
covers a wide range of possible problems and issues. In each instance the focus is on care
of the student while maintaining safety for yourself and the other students.
Overall this is a worthwhile book, filled with humor, practical advice and plenty of
classroom ideas. For an experienced teacher it may bog down in places where it explains
things we found out the hard way. But for a novice teacher it holds some great
suggestions and sage advice.
Pages: 352
Price: $19.99 US; $29.99 CN
ISBN: 0-7645-2479-8
Reviewed by Elizabeth Jordan, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology
and
Special Education at the University of British Columbia
Luongo-Orlando, Katherine (2003)
Authentic Assessment: Designing Performance-Based Tasks.
Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers,
distributed by Stenhouse.
If you can envision a classroom of elementary students deeply engaged in a variety
of creative and stimulating learning activities, Katherine Luongo-Orlando's guide,
Authentic assessment: Designing performance-based tasks, will help get you
there. The materials the author created for her authentic assessment workshops have
evolved into this compact, practical guide to designing and implementing performance-
based assessment tasks in the elementary classroom. The examples and sample
assessment tools form a guide for pre-service and beginning teachers as well as those
seasoned teachers who long to make their classroom places where students actively
engage in the experience of learning.
Terms associated with assessment are defined at the outset to ensure a common
understanding. A number of assessment formats and rubrics are laid out as models or for
duplication. Classroom examples include introductions to and activities for three units
The performance-based assessment tasks are laid out in a way that can be easily
replicated by classroom teachers. The sample units are Making Literature Connections,
Exploring Community and Understanding the Influence of Advertising. Each unit,
pitched at the middle elementary level, is carefully explained in sufficient detail.
Learning objectives and activities in one chapter are followed by assessment tasks and
rubrics in the next. A number of informative criteria for developing rubrics are clearly
described. Included also are worksheets that students can use to monitor and assess their
progress as well as templates and tracking sheets for teacher use. All are in a form that
can be readily duplicated for use by teachers.
The book concludes with a brief discussion of ways to translate assessment results
into the grades demanded on school report cards. Although the author attempts to show
the path from assessments to grades; the complexity and difficulty of accomplishing this
task eventually defeat her. Her recommendations for using the results of assessment to
communicate with both parents and students are more successful. Neither of these topics
is commonly found in writings on the topic of assessment. Authentic assessment:
Designing performance-based tasks can be a valuable tool for teachers wanting a
practical guide to getting started or refining their skills as evaluators of their teaching.
Pages: 128
Price: $18.00
ISBN: 1-55138-152-4
Reviewed by Sandra R. Glass, Arizona State University
Pirie, Bruce (2002)
Teenage Boys and High School English.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
When I began my teaching career forty years ago I taught in an all male situation.
Not knowing any better, I just assumed motivating teenagers to do their reading and get
essays in on time was a problem that went with the territory of teaching high school
English. Five years later when I switched to a co-ed school, I realized this wasn't
necessarily the "reality".
Unfortunately, it doesn't take long for most of us to discover that not only are
teenage boys not as successful in English as girls but they are also less likely to enjoy
reading and they tend to struggle more with their written expression. Thank God there are
certainly exceptions, but even the males who do well in the subject often do not see
themselves as committed English students.
Puzzling over this situation, Bruce Pirie looked at the research explaining why boys
aren't as successful as girls in English and assessed the findings against his own
experiences in the classroom. From this investigation Pirie mapped the hurdles that seem
to stand in the way of boys' achievement.
As he discusses the kind of thinking and feeling valued in the English classroom
and how that relates to males, Pirie suggests some changes that will allow young men to
grow beyond the present limiting stereotypes. While looking at the qualities boys can
bring to the classroom setting and how to engage them at a higher level, the author also
emphasizes that girls will benefit from some of the strategies he proposes.
Perhaps Pirie spends a bit too long explaining the problems or the hurdles that boys
must overcome. He is writing for an audience that probably doesn't really need much
convincing. The outlining of various teaching strategies to remedy the problem are what
most teachers will really be interested in. Fortunately, there are plenty of concrete
suggestions here on how to make subtle changes in approaching the subject matter that
could help engage more males.
A case in point would be a few good ideas on handling peer editing. Since boys
often do not handle public criticism well and may consider another male student telling
them they made a mistake a put down. Pirie suggests the following: Form mixed-sex
editing partners or groups. Boys may feel less competitively threatened by a female
partner, plus boys' and girls' writing styles, although different, may well complement one
another.
Another good idea is having the instructor model the review process. Hand out a
piece you wrote and elicit hard, constructive criticism from the class. Explain how you
are reacting to the comments from the students so they see how to deal with criticism.
This will also set the parameters of the class peer-editing task.
Finally, it might be a good idea to explain that collaborative criticism is part of the
"real work world". Whether a recording artist, filmmaker, professional writer or auto
mechanic, you will probably be working with someone making suggestions on how to
improve the "product" or a person you can consult if you need a second opinion.
Certainly this book is not a "cure-all" nor does it profess to be. Pirie does offer
enough useable ideas, though. Those teachers who wish to "tweak" their classroom
environment should find some solid help here.
Pages: 152
Price: $19.50
ISBN: 0-86709-536-9
Reviewed by Robert F. Walch, Retired educator, Monterey, California
Schlechty, Phillip C. (2002)
Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and
Superintendents.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
As Schlechty, founder and CEO of the Center for Leadership in School Reform,
states in the introduction, the purpose of this book is to promote “the uses of the WOW
framework as a tool to improve student performance in school” (p. xiv). WOW (Working
on the Work) is a concept introduced in some of his previous books, notably, Schools
for the Twenty-First Century: Leadership Imperatives for Educational Reform (1990)
and Shaking up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational
Innovation (2001). Schlechty asserts that the three main ways to view school reform
is to work on the students, the teachers, or the work. The first two reforms that involve
changing the students or teachers did not produce the desired results, so schools must
now make sure that the student’s work is authentically engaging. He claims that he
promoted his ideas in his earlier work, particularly Shaking up the Schoolhouse,
therefore this book is to help those who are already persuaded by his ideas to put them
into practice and improve student performance.
Schlechty sees five types of responses from students. They may be authentically
engaged, ritually engaged (working for the grade alone, for example), passively
compliant (solely avoiding negative consequences), actively retreating (not engaged, but
not disruptive), or openly rebellious (refusing to do tasks and disruptive to others).
Similarly, he sets twelve standards for what the school and classroom should manifest.
These standards include patterns of engagement which are high, all parties are satisfied
with student performance, tasks are geared towards a product focus, teachers and
administrators are clear about student expectations, teachers are organized, the schools
are safe, the communities are playing a part in the students’ performance, students are
working with their peers, there are a wide range of product types, students are given
choices within their products, and the products are meaningful to the students. The slim
book reads like a checklist in which these responses and standards are repeated, even in
their exact wording, over and over.
Chapter Three focuses on teachers and their role as leaders. Although he states in
the book that his focus is on schoolwork as the centerpiece to success, he rarely mentions
schoolwork and instead focuses on how to improve teachers. Teachers must morally and
intellectually lead; they must have discipline, they must constantly re-evaluate
themselves, and they must read more. Teachers should also invite the principal or
colleagues into their classrooms to help them improve by being observed. They, and
their evaluator, judge how many of the students are actively engaged. While it is granted
the teacher plays a major role in the classroom and should not be ignored, the author
could have shown teachers, based on his premise, how to structure their classrooms so
that most students will be easily engaged in their work. Instead the book continues to
blame teachers in a subtle way for not having successful schools.
There are also chapters aimed at the principal and superintendent as leaders. In the
principal’s chapter the author discusses the notion of principals forming guided
coalitions, or teams composed of people with at least one of the following attributes:
power, creativity, technical competence, leadership, or credibility. The principal’s
foremost role is that of a staff developer. The superintendent’s primary role is to form
his/her vision and create strong, shared relationships. Schlechty asserts that the moral
leadership of the superintendent will be reflected throughout the school district.
The major problem with this book is that it would have been more appropriate in a
lengthy article. Different size fonts, incessant repetition of his ideas, down to the exact
wording, and framing or placing in large type statements, such as “Today, there is a
demand for men and women who can think, reason, and use their minds well” (p. 94)
makes reading the book difficult for anyone looking for a new idea. The bibliography for
the book is little more than a page in length. In conclusion, this book rarely discusses
how to make work be authentically engaging and instead substitutes how to make the
employees of the school be more authentic without taking into account the many
obstacles that prevent people from becoming their authentic selves.
References
Schlechty, Phillip C. (1990) Schools for the twenty-first century :
Leadership imperatives for educational reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Schlechty, Phillip C. (2001) Shaking up the schoolhouse: how to support and sustain
educational innovation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pages: 128
Price: $28.00
ISBN: 0-7879-6165-5
Reviewed by Regina Pauly, University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Smith, Margaret (2002)
Aspects of Teaching Secondary Geography: Perspectives on Practice.
London: RoutledgeFalmer.
A plethora of unfamiliar acronyms and organizational details about the history of
British standards and curricula development might discourage an American reader from
further investigation of the potential applications of this rich collection of articles on
teaching and learning. Aspects of Teaching Secondary Geography: Perspectives on
Practice is one volume in a series for the Open University Flexible postgraduate
certificate of education program. With its companion reader, this edited book is part of an
integrated course and has articles that will pique the intellectual curiosity of pre-service
teachers, practitioners, and teacher educators from many communities.
The persistent reader is rewarded in the second section, which is by far the largest
segment of the book. It is here that the practical issues of teaching and learning are
addressed. The chapters discuss specific strategies a new teacher might employ for
effective planning with diverse groups of students as well as strategies for evaluation of
assessment procedures that will “ further teaching and learning” (Howes & Hopkin, p.
172). In this section is a challenge (Kitchen) to consider the landscape of a limiting
environment as an example of the denial of democracy and social justice. Students read
about a wheelchair patron who is denied access to a theatre because she presents a fire
hazard to the other 30 patrons. The teacher helps students respond to this literary excerpt
by observing the environment, drawing maps, and proposing design options so the text of
the environment reads: equitable and just.
This section also discusses the need to integrate the cognitive domain of teaching
and learning with the affective domain in deeper fieldwork (Job). The author justifies the
use of qualitative measures in reviewing field work to show experiences which “engage
the head and touch the heart in pupils’ experience of fieldwork.” (p. 133). Other articles
(Smith, Martin, Williams, Taylor) describe educational uses of information and
communications technology with specific examples of projects used in classrooms and
many opportunities for additional applications in teaching geography.
Sections three and four direct the reader’s thinking toward global concerns with
issues of injustice, economic development, sustainable resources, and our national socio-
political image. Several selections invite 21st century educators to take an
active role in “pushing the frontiers of geography teaching forward” (p. 300) and to
confront the difficult questions. Included is an essay on geography and race (Morgan) and
another that asks readers to take a critical look at sustainability and our vision of a better
world (Hicks).
The twenty-six chapters range in complexity from how-to chapters on sequencing
questions for inquiry to chapters analyzing implications of current research for teaching
secondary geography. Editor Smith has selected contributors who offer multiple
perspectives on current topics of concern and they punctuate their theoretical positions
with relevant case studies and particular classroom practices for the student to review.
Many authors present information with charts, diagrams, maps, sample surveys, and
student work, making them more easily accessible for the reader.
The title of the second section of the text, “Geography in (and out of) the
classroom” clearly communicates the message of the book. Geography education begins
with the classroom but reaches into the larger community and its social, economic, and
political issues that face tomorrow’s teachers and students. While the arrangement of
writings suggests a sequence for reading, each chapter offers unique solutions to teaching
geography. The book draws non-British readers into the practical concerns facing
certified educators in many school situations in the professional field of geography
education. The collection of articles successfully engages both pre-service teachers and
experienced educators in reaching the book’s overarching purpose: “to develop critical
understanding and discuss complex issues that surround teaching and learning in the
21st century” (p. i).
Pages: 384
Price: $30.95
ISBN: 0415260868
Reviewed by Reese H. Todd, Ph.D., Texas Tech University
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