Dalton Public Schools administrators and teachers model lifelong learning and professional growth that is a goal for all students. Learning should never stop. While not every resource that our staff is utilizing can be listed, you might be interested in reviewing current topics.
Catching Up or Leading the Way
Yong Zhao
The author raises questions whether the United States' education reforms efforts at the national level are preparing students to participate in a global society or are the emphases on high-stakes testing and standardization actually undermining the traditional strengths of American creativity and individuality.
Drive
Daniel Pink
The author addresses the issue of motivation and the misguided attempts to influence individual's behavior and actions with incentives or punishment. Pink proposes that three elements are the bases of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Five Minds for the Future
Howard Gardner
The author describes five kinds of minds that will be needed as society demands more complex thinking. The five minds are: disciplined, synthesizing, creative, respectful, and ethical.
Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook
Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins
Resource to support participants during initial involvement in UbD training and during subsequent lesson/unit development, anchoring of assessments and peer review.
Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe
Book provides the reader/user with an overview of the conceptual foundation for UbD and emphasizes what true understanding is and is not. Tools are provided to assist the teacher with lesson/unit design, including ways of assessing one's own work, gauging student impact, etc.
Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program (one version for primary grades, one for upper elementary, and one for secondary)
Larry Ainsworth and Jan Christinson
Text outlining the framework based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommendations for ways to "build" mathematically powerful students. The five steps address computation, mental math, conceptual understanding, problem solving, mastery of math facts, and math performance assessments evaluated with a rubric.
Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics (one version for K-3, one for 3-5, one for 6-8)
John a Van de Walle and LouAnn H. Lovin
Comprehensive volume addresses conceptual mathematics, key concepts, problem-based teaching and learning, difficult-to-teach concepts, and lesson ideas.
Math support materials from Math Solutions Publications
(Marilyn Burns, et al.)
Various titles focusing on grades 1-6. Each publication stresses student understanding, identifies misconceptions, and provides sample discussion ideas, observation strategies, and assessment tools.
Guiding Readers and Writers, Grades 3-6: Teaching Comprehension, Genre and Content Literacy
Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su PinnellI
Overview of the literacy framework, including language and word study, reading workshop and writing workshop. Each area is thoroughly supported with background and extended content related to the teaching and learning structures and curriculum components needed to implement the framework.
Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children
Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
Addresses foundational assumptions about reading, assessment, instructional decision-making and appropriate, dynamic grouping of students. The book's focus is on assisting children as they begin to read and strategically use literacy skills on a regular basis.
Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents
Phillip C. Schlechty
Volume written around the central theme that teaching and learning success is grounded in the quality of the work provided for students. Work must be engaging and all work in a school must be developed around ensuring that quality work and experiences are provided for students so that the students learn what they need to learn. Practical strategies for identifying, modifying, creating and using engaging work are included.
Shaking Up the Schoolhouse: How to Support and Sustain Educational Innovation
Phillip C. Schlechty
This book presents a challenge to educators to take action to become catalysts for meaningful change. Potential obstacles are identified as are means for moving past the obstacles. A section of the book is focused on the qualities of work that make work engaging.