eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors
A collection of over 3,000 entries from hundreds of professors, scholars, politicians, and celebrities who offer thoughts on the art of teaching and the acquisition of knowledge.
In this fascinating book, the author of The Hinge Factor and The Weather Factor surveys revolutions across the centuries, vividly portraying the people and events that brought wrenching, often enduring and always bloody change to countries and societies almost overnight. Durschmied begins with the French Revolution and goes on to examine the revolutions of Mexico in 1910, Russia in 1917, and Japan in 1945, as well as the failed putsch against Hitler in 1944. His account of the Cuban Revolution is peppered with personal anecdotes for he was the first foreign correspondent to meet Castro when the future leader was still in the Sierra Maestra. He concludes with the Iranian Revolution that ousted the Shah in 1979 another that he personally covered and, in a new preface, extends his analysis to the Arab Spring.Each revolution, Durschmied contends, has its own dynamic and memorable cast of characters, but all too often the end result is the same: mayhem, betrayal, glory, and death. Unlike the American Revolution, which is the counterexample, few revolutions are spared the harsh reality that most devour their own children. Durschmied is a supremely gifted reporter who has transformed the media he works in. Newsweek A] light and lively narrative that serves as a useful introduction for the general reader. Library Journal
Nowhere is teachers’ lives and work more challenging than in Jamaican schools. Teachers in Jamaica are regularly faced with limited resources and challenging students. Teacher pay has been historically low and current conditions continue a long tradition of providing minimal compensation for teachers’ work. Recent school reform efforts has been successful in producing a teaching force that is better educated than ever before, and yet, teachers are seldom given the autonomy in decision-making and/or respect that accompanies the work of comparable professions. Coupled with these issues, teachers regularly face hunger, poverty, behavioral issues and a lack of parental support as part and parcel of their experience in 21st century schools. If teachers are perceived as having low professional status, it is not surprising that they are often blamed for the shortcomings of Jamaican schools. The citizens of Jamaica are firmly committed to the notion that “every child can learn, every child must learn;” however, the reality is that while all children can learn, many children do not learn in this country where the allocation of resources favors the rich and disowns the poor. Public schools in Jamaica vary tremendously across the fourteen parishes. Geography and social class regularly determine both the context and circumstances of teachers’ work, and yet, discussions of teachers seldom acknowledge the differences. There is a place for a more in-depth examination of teachers’ work and teachers’ lives in Jamaica where a consideration of the emergence of teacher leadership and higher professional status can intersect with a vision of new roles and responsibilities for teachers. While many of the reports on Jamaican education consider the role of administrative leaders, there is an absence of any discussion of the role of teacher leaders is school reform. It is interesting that a country can advocate for higher levels of teacher preparation and an upgrading of the professional status of teachers, and yet, ignore the potential power of teachers as major actors directing efforts to reform the schools. Teachers acting as leaders, in a profession dominated by women, would challenge the status quo and usurp preconceived notions regarding the work of teachers. In this book, 21st century descriptions of teachers’ lives and work will accompany a consideration of how the transformation of the teaching profession could positively impact both schools and classrooms across the island.
Not much has been written about technical colleges, especially teaching mathematics at one. Much had been written about community college mathematics. This book addresses this disparity. Mathematics is a beautiful subject worthy to be taught at the technical college level. The author sheds light on technical colleges and their importance in the higher education system. Technical colleges area more affordable for students and provide many career opportunities. These careers are becoming or have become as lucrative as careers requiring a four-year-degree. The interest in technical college education is likely to continue to grow. Mathematics, like all other classes, is a subject that needs time, energy, and dedication to learn. For an instructor, it takes many years of hard work and dedication just to be able to teach the subject. Students should not be expected to learn the mathematics overnight. As instructors, we need to be open, honest, and put forth our very best to our students so that they can see that they are able to succeed in whatever is placed in front of them. This book hopes to encourage such an effort. A notable percentage of students who are receiving associate degrees will go through at least one of more mathematics, courses. These students should not be forgotten about—their needs are similar to any student who is required to take a mathematics course to earn a degree. This book offers insight into teaching mathematics at a technical college. It is also a source for students to turn toward when they are feeling dread in taking a mathematics course. Mathematics instructors want to help students succeed. If they put forth their best effort, and us ours, we can all work as one team to get the student through the course and onto chasing their dreams. Though this book focuses on teaching mathematics, some chapters expand to focus on teaching in general. The overall hope is the reader, will be inspired by the great work that is happening at technical colleges all around the country. Technical college can be, should be, and is the backbone of the American working class.
This book brings an international perspective of school leadership, but this time, examines how such leadership can have a positive impact on students considered to be “unique.” At one time, such students considered “unique” or “special” were often placed in special education programs and/or special schools to address their physical, emotional, and/or mental disabilities. Through legislation and changes in beliefs, many countries have changed approaches with these students from a “warehouse” approach, where such students were placed in special schools, to more of an inclusive approach where such students remain in their particular home school in an environment that was more inclusive and less restrictive. Over the past two decades or so, schools around the globe have been experiencing a significance increase in not only the number of “traditional” types of students needing special services, but a new generation of unique and diverse students, including those with: sexual identity and orientation differences; extreme social and economic inequities; cultural differences, arising from the significant increase in the number of migrant families fleeing unstable nations. Through their educational systems, many nations are moving from compliance and deficit models to support and prevention; they are becoming more inclusive of unique and special students. Thus, the school leader, if provided the opportunity and support, can have a significant impact on the education of and all students by linking their leadership to the acceptance and inclusion of all students, and to ensuring that all adults in the school become responsible for each student.
Confidence, emotional intelligence and resilience are vital to children's mental wellbeing, and this book gives early years practitioners all the tools they need to promote these skills in young children. The book explores how three approaches - Growth Mindset, Forest School and Multiple Intelligences - can be key to building these skills. Growth Mindset focuses on talents being strengthened through hard work and determination; Forest School uses the physical natural world to enhance learning and development; and Multiple Intelligences focuses on equally valuing the many different kinds of intelligences there are. Each chapter includes activities and ideas to show how the different approaches can be used in everyday practice. Also included are reflective questions, quick tips and case studies. This book will inspire and empower readers to reflect on themselves, their practice, and how they can support each child as an individual to give them the best start in life.
Spark a culture of success. Building a professional learning community that fosters collaboration and collective responsibility can create lasting change and improve student learning schoolwide. Investigate the five challenges to school improvement, and uncover research-based strategies to confront them. Read a true account of a school that experienced reform, reversed its culture of failure, and reaped lasting results.
Your brain is 100 billion cells and 3,200,000 km of wires, with 1,000,000,000,000,000 synaptic connections, all packed into 1.5 liters and weighing 1.5 kg. Your brain determines virtually everything you do; voluntary and involuntary activities, ranging from walking, breathing, sweating to emotion, learning, and personality expression. This organ influence how your body responds to disease-causing organisms and even, could dictate how well individuals respond to treatments. It receives and processes information from the environment and shapes your thoughts, dreams, aspirations, and imaginations. Indeed, it determines your behaviors, worth and values. It also differentiates you from other species or another person. This fundamental aspect of human nature is laid bare when our brains fail. Why you need this book? In a new and innovative manner the author presents scientific facts that can be practised in our daily lives using relevant examples. This book can become a resource material for your brain fitness and even your total wellness. It is written in a way that is reader friendly and can be adapted as a personal wellness tool kit. The materials would be of an immense use since most of us would prefer to live a meaningful life every moment of our lives. This book- Aims at improving learning and memory Provides holistic strategies to keep your brain ever powerful Describes the role your brain in stress management Guides you to use your brain to achieve great feats even at old age Presents the scientific basis of addiction, dependence and other brain-disabled conditions By reading this book to the end you must have completed a tour of empowerment through the instrumentality of your brain.
Disrupt the painful cycle of academic challenges and emotional distress When students struggle with learning, it can be stressful for both them and their teachers. Struggling learners are more likely to experience low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues—challenges that, combined with highly stressful learning experiences, can tip students into a trauma response that makes learning even harder. Overcoming the School Trauma Cycle explores the science behind how learning occurs in the brain, how it can be disrupted, and—most importantly—how to overcome the painful cycle of academic challenges and emotional distress. Inside, you′ll find: What the latest research tells us about how mental health issues can disrupt the learning process How academic and mental health challenges can fuel each other Manageable, whole-class practices and targeted supports to meet struggling learners’ academic and emotional needs Opportunities to self-assess and reflect Many schools have increased their focus on trauma-informed teaching and social-emotional learning, but these approaches are too often pitted against academic rigor when they are really two sides of the same coin. To improve outcomes for all students, we must address their social-emotional needs alongside their academic ones. In Overcoming the School Trauma Cycle, you′ll discover empowering practices to help all students learn and thrive.
1,001 Pearls of Teachers’ Wisdom is a fun and inspirational book packed with words of wisdom on the art of teaching. With more than three thousand entries, it includes thoughts on the art of teaching from hundreds of teachers, professors, authors, and politicians. Quotes are drawn from a wide variety of sources, from the ancient to the modern. Among the contributors are Aristotle, the Buddha, Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, Helen Keller, Freud, Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and John Lennon. The late Frank McCourt, celebrated author of Angela’s Ashes and a veteran educator, provides an inspiring introduction. Now in paperback, this portable treasure trove will make a perfect gift for a teaching school graduate, a favorite teacher, or anyone with a passion for learning and education.
