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Erwin presents nearly 200 easily adaptable strategies designed to customize and manage a motivated classroom environment based on William Glasser's Choice Theory.
Making decisions is one of the main activities of the teacher’s work. Considered or apparently unconsidered, these decisions significantly affect the lives of all who work in classrooms, both children and the teachers themselves. Originally published in 1979, the aim of this collection of papers was to achieve greater understanding of classroom decision-making and its consequences, to identify and map existing knowledge, and to indicate where it might be augmented. The contributors were researchers and teachers from schools, universities and colleges at the time, and they examine the process of teacher decision-making from sociological, psychological, economic and other perspectives. The book includes a detailed analysis of life in the classroom from a phenomenological perspective, explorations based on micro-economic techniques, and structural perspectives on the role of the teacher in the school. The concluding papers examine the possibilities for social change, given the constraints on the work of the teacher.
William Glasser, M.D., puts his successful choice theory to work in our schools--with a new approach in increasing student motivation. "Dr. Glasser translates choice theory into a productive, classroom model of team learning with emphasis on satisfaction and excitement. Working in small teams, students find that knowledge contributes to power, friendship and fun. Because content and the necessary student collaboration skills must be taught, teachers need to develop skills if they are to use this model successfully. The dividends are 'turned-on ' students and satisfied teachers." --Madeline Hunter, University of California at Los Angeles "Choice Theory in the Classroom is a landmark book, without question one of the most important and useful books for teachers to appear in a long while. Written with rare lucidity and grace, the book has numerous instantly usable ideas that will contribute fundamentally to the success of classroom teachers. William Glasser combines his extensive theoretical expertise and wide practical experience to provide a practical and illuminating guide for teachers [that] should be required reading in every college of education in the country." --David and Roger Johnson, University of Minnesota "Choice Theory in the Classroom presents an insightful analysis of what is wrong with traditional school and what need to be done about it. Dr. Glasser gives a compelling rationale for the use of learning-teams in schools to capture the excitement and commitment students display in sports but rarely in the classroom. The book is well written and persuasive. I hope every teacher in America buys it, believes it, and behaves accordingly." --Robert Slavin, John Hopkins University
Designing and Evaluating E-Managemnet Decision Tools presents the most relevant concepts for designing intelligent decision tools in an Internet-based multimedia environment and assessing the tools using concepts of statistical design of experiments. The design principle is based on the visual interactive decision modeling (VIDEMO) paradigm. Several case studies are discussed in detail, referring to online preference elicitation, collaborative decision making, negotiation and conflict resolution, and marketing decision optimization. (See www.beroggi.net for more info on the book and Visual Interactive Decision Modeling)
This primer explains school choice, historically reviewing the origins and growth of tax-funded schools nationwide and how they became synonymous with public education. It examines the rise of government-funded and operated schools in Michigan through the efforts of Isaac Crary and John Pierce and describes the negative effects of a 1970 state constitutional amendment that severely restricts parents' ability to exercise school choice. The primer demonstrates the failure of many past and present education reforms, including ever-increasing funding, to significantly improve the quality of government education, and it explains different types of school choice (including intra- and inter-district choice, charter schools, tuition vouchers, and tax credits). Finally, it evaluates the progress of school choice programs available nationwide; identifies individuals and organizations who support, oppose, or are ambivalent to greater school choice in Michigan; and outlines strategic plans that parents and other concerned citizens can follow to get involved in efforts to improve education through greater school choice. Appendixes include a glossary, a sample illustration of how to advocate for school choice with letters to the editor of local newspapers, and a list of where to go for more information on this and other education issues. (Contains 175 endnotes.) (SM)
This book focuses on teacher behavior and explores the concept of noncoercive classroom management. It is a companion to a previous book, "A Multiple Intelligences Road to a Quality Classroom." The book describes what teachers can do to eliminate fear and coercion, model learning tasks, honor all ways of being intelligent, collect authentic information about student learning, and make classrooms joyful places in which to work and learn. Chapter 1 describes how to change the classroom management system and create a reinforcing feedback system. Chapter 2 discusses establishing and maintaining a quality physical, emotional, and collegial climate for effective learning. Chapter 3 explains how to manage classrooms for quality classwork, focusing on making learning meaningful, building on what students know, modeling tasks, expecting quality, and using self-evaluation for growth. Chapter 4 discusses using choice theory in the classroom, explaining that the principles of choice theory involve meeting basic needs and learning appropriate behavior. Chapter 5 highlights the importance of creating cooperative learning group environments that satisfy all students' needs. Chapter 6 explains the theory and use of multiple intelligences to target all students' strengths. Chapter 7 describes quality authentic assessment and evaluation in the classroom. Each chapter includes student activities. (SM)
