New publicationsUpdraft/Downdraft: Secondary Schools in the Crosswinds of Reform
Scarecrow Press,
February 2003
Study has gone into the sizeable gap between the number of students who succeed in comparison to those who do not. The duality of educational experiences that permeate secondary schools in the USA leads to one group of students heading into post-secondary education, while others either receive terminal degrees or drop out. This updraft/downdraft phenomena occurs because time, talent and monies tend to drift into the 'updraft' group's educational arena, leaving the 'downdraft' students and teachers with less time for teaching, fewer qualified teachers and fewer supporters. This book provides a set of tools to assist schools and communities in reallocating their resources more effectively. Using school 'artefacts', educators can collect the data and information needed to make better decisions and equitably leverage what they have. The process of collecting, analysing and acting on the data described is designed to promote more strategic decision-making about school resources. Samples of data and analyses around master schedules, student schedules, curriculum guides and other artefacts inside the schools are provided. (Adapted from publisher's description).
KLA Subject HeadingsEducation financeSecondary education Socially disadvantaged Schools finance Retention rates in schools Transitions in schooling Language Development and Learning to Read: The Scientific Study of How Language Development Affects Reading Skill
Bradford Books,
June 2005
Research on reading has tried, without resolution, to account for wide disparities in reading skill even among children taught by the same method. Some children learn to read easily and quickly while others, in the same classroom and taught by the same teacher, don't learn to read at all. In Language Development and Learning to Read, Diane McGuinness examines scientific research that might explain these disparities. She focuses on reading predictors, analysing the effect individual differences in specific perceptual, linguistic and cognitive skills may have on a child's ability to read. Because of the serious methodological problems she finds in the existing research on reading, many of the studies McGuinness cites come from other fields – developmental psychology, psycholinguistics and the speech and hearing sciences – and provide a new perspective on which language functions matter most for reading and academic success. Topics include the developmental path from words to syllables, the development of general language function, and analysis of mainstream reading research. (Adapted from publisher's description).
Key Learning AreasEnglishSubject HeadingsReadingEnglish language teaching Education research Early childhood education Learning problems Teaching English: A Handbook for Primary and Secondary School Teachers
Kogan Page,
November 2003
This text provides a reference for trainee and practising English teachers at both primary and secondary levels. Based on the latest UK guidelines and requirements from DfES and TTA, it presents a guide to the background, theory and practice of teaching English. Teaching English covers the requirements for gaining qualified teacher status and also provides advice, guidance and tips on the teaching of the subject. With advice on planning and classroom management, assessment, the use of drama and Information Technology, the role of media education, equal opportunities and special needs, the book also covers aspects of professionalism, accountability and the future of the subject. Readership focus includes teacher trainers and mentors. (Available from DA Information). Key Learning AreasEnglishSubject HeadingsEnglish language teachingReading Great Britain Secondary education Primary education Thought and thinking Professional development Mentors Mass media study and teaching Literacy Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Drama Curriculum planning Classroom management Assessment Language Learning: A Lifelong Process
Arnold Publishers,
January 2003
Language Learning examines issues and debates in language and cognitive development from babyhood, through the school years of middle childhood and adolescence, into adulthood and the world of work. As the world trend is towards learning to speak, read and write more than one language, this text includes descriptions and discussions of learning more than one language sequentially and simultaneously. The authors draw on the multicultural and multilingual contexts where they have lived, worked and researched.
Key Learning AreasLanguagesEnglish Subject HeadingsLifelong LearningEnglish language teaching English as an additional language Languages other than English (LOTE) Language and languages Teaching and learning Secondary education Primary education Middle schooling Learning ability Reading Psychology The Impact of ICT on Literacy Education
Routledge Falmer,
January 2004
Following two major reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this book considers issues such as the history of literacy in ICT, the Internet, and their implications for policy and practice. The focus on providing a systematic review of research in the field provides the reader with an overview of the impact of ICT on literacy learning. Chapter topics include the history of literacy and ICT, evidence for the effectiveness of ICT on literacy learning, the impact of networked ICT on literacy learning, and the relationship between verbal and visual literacies. The text is suitable for teachers, student teachers, academics and researchers. (Adapted from publisher's description). Key Learning AreasEnglishSubject HeadingsInformation literacyLiteracy Thought and thinking Technology Teaching and learning Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Computers in society Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools
Jossey-Bass,
May 2004
This book is based on a longitudinal study of fifty new teachers in the USA during their first years in the classroom. It highlights the cases of ten teachers, whose stories illustrate the joys and disappointments of new teachers in the schools of today. The book documents why the subjects entered teaching, what they encountered in their schools, and how they decided whether to stay or move on to other schools or other lines of work. By tracking these teachers' eventual career decisions, Finders and Keepers reveals what really matters to new teachers as they set out to educate their students. The book uncovers the importance of the school site, and the crucial role that principals and experienced teachers play in the effective hiring and induction of the next generation of teachers. For teacher educators, district administrators, educational policymakers, teachers, principals and staff development professionals, Finders and Keepers provides insights about how to better serve new teachers and the students they teach. Topics covered include filling the curriculum void, professional culture and working with colleagues, making better matches in hiring, and supporting new teachers through school-based induction. (Adapted from publisher's description).
KLA Subject HeadingsCase studiesClassroom management Teachers' employment Teaching profession Teaching and learning Teacher training School leadership School culture Professional development Tertiary education Vocational guidance |