Education Teaching Books

This book is a must for teachers, parents, and administrators who want to understand research-diven methods for teaching writing. Nagin explains the myths and reality involved with creating good writers. This book sponsored by the National Writing Project explores current research on teaching writing and discusses how that translates into sound classroom practices.

I have to agree with another review, this is a boring book; however, there is a lot of information in the book that may help you develop book lists for your classroom. Lots of resources cited and listed. The only reason I purchased this book was because of course requirements. I'll keep it on hand for future reference.

I highly recommend this book for Children's Literature. Extremely well organized by genres and well written. I found it very interesting and informative, but, I love childrens' literature. My only criticism of the book is regardingthe copyright of 1995. As a result, there have been many great children's books printed since 1995 that were not covered in this book. Nevertheless, I found this book to be a source of great information and one that I will continue to use.

This was required reading for my class. I like the web site that goes with the book. It has sample tests.

It is hard to imagine a book that could take the wonder of children's literature and more thoroughly destroy it. The cover illustration makes you feel momentarily safe. Then the texts begins and hope is slowly and mercilessly trodden into the dust. Take this for example:

"Another approach to the study of art is recommended by Stephen F. Eisenman and Thomas Crow, who use art criticism that focuses on the relationship between art and ideology, the economic and social conditions expressed in the art (a Marxist approach to criticism)."

Now pause briefly and consider this is a book about *children's* literature. Let us continue to some questions that should be used in this analysis:

"What role does class play in the work of both the artist and the viewer?

In what way might the artwork serve as propaganda?

What is the dominant ideology that the artist challenged?"

I'm now preparing to write a whithering review of the oppression inherent in the "Cat and the Hat".

All of this wouldn't be so bad if books were actually presented. Instead we get lots of small type with a reference to a random children's title in every other paragraph and the impression that children's literature is either dominated by the enlightened academic class or club wielding classist Neanderthals. You know, the kind that make you read books like "Through the Eyes of a Child".

DO NOT USE THIS IN YOUR CLASS. You will be torturing your students in a manner not allowed by the constitution. Hopefully, that at least, will carry some weight.

If you plan to teach a children's literature course, then this book possesses nearly all of the information, history, and important milestones that you need...if you can get by the stilted language.

It reads well for someone like me who studies/collects children's literature as a personal hobby; however, for the average reader? Get ready for a painful struggle.

I would suggest using it in conjunction with two other books: Jacob & Tunnell's more classroom-focused CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, BRIEFLY and Rebecca Luken's more historcal/applicable balanced CRITICAL HANDBOOK OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE.

William Rice, in Moodle Teaching Techniques, has created a resource that goes beyond the basic "keystroke and click directions" provided by many introductory manuals. Rice provides a variety of practical suggestions for teachers and trainers and avoids the discussion of technical issues which are often irrelevant to Moodle course creators.

The book begins by introducing the instructional principles he uses as the basis for the ideas and activities shared throughout the book. Those without formal educational training will find these few pages informative and helpful, while those with an instructional design or educational background benefit from a reinforcement of those principles we learned, but sometimes forget when the development begins. For example, Rice discusses the value of forums and collaboration among course participants, an important element in good course design, but one which is lacking in many Moodle courses. I was pleased to see this principle reinforced and think it is helpful for readers to be reminded.

The core of the book consists of chapters dedicated to various Moodle tools and specific applications; all presented with the expectation that the reader is familiar with Moodle basics. As I started reading, I was skeptical that Rice was going to present any unique ideas that I had not seen or thought of before--I've been using Moodle for over four years and have worked with hundreds of schools, companies, and organizations through which I've heard many interesting and unusual ideas for the implementation of Moodle activities. As I read, however, I found some ideas that really made me think again about how I had been doing things. In some cases, there was new information that I didn't realize was useful until after the fact. For instance, there are several pages dedicated to network or IP addresses as they relate to proctoring quizzes. As I read the information, I thought initially that too much space was dedicated to the concept; thinking that most readers would contact their network director or that they would know the information themselves. A few days later though, as I was conducting a training and discussing IP addresses, I realized that the information I picked up made me aware of some nuances surrounding proctored quizzes and activity tracking that I had not considered before.

In addition to the ideas Rice presents for the application of the various modules, one of the biggest strengths of the book is that he includes instructions for "real" teacher tasks. Readers will find one section of the book dedicated to tracking participant activity, which is a skill that many teachers and trainers will utilize. Rice mentions using everything from the activity logs to course reports to see what learners are doing. The book also addresses more obscure, under-used features such as splitting forums, using groups and custom scales. Rice hit the mark here in identifying these more advanced topics as being especially valuable.

The other feature that will benefit readers is that Rice presents the "why" behind his choices. For example, he explains his selection of a forum over a wiki for one activity. In another section, he explains why he would use a wiki instead of an assignment, blog, forum, or journal. In my experience, course creators do not struggle as much with which button to click, but rather more in deciding which tool is best for a specific learning activity. Rice's explanations provide the reader insight to help guide them through those decision-making processes.

While Moodle Teaching Techniques is a valuable resource for Moodle users, there are some caveats that should be mentioned. First, as Moodle 1.9 is released later this month, I recognize that many readers will be looking for information to help them make the transition. Though this book makes mention of being based on 1.9, it is really based on 1.8 functionality. For most of the content, the version is not significant as the information is true for both 1.8 and 1.9 and the book is more about big ideas than buttons. However, there are a few pages that mention groups and the gradebook, both of which have seen large changes in 1.9. The good news is that the suggestions still apply and the functionality exists in both 1.8 and 1.9, but the steps will be a bit different. In the case of the gradebook example, the reader will likely have to spend some time finding their own solution to the suggested implementation.

Aside from the version difference, my only other complaint is that while Rice professed that this book was not going to go step-by-step and was going to make some assumptions about prior knowledge, it seemed a bit inconsistent. In many places the instructions were detailed and very clear; I had no doubts that even a fairly novice Moodle user would be able to follow along. In other places though, I found myself wanting more information. For example, the lesson and the workshop are pretty complex tools and while the information presented was helpful, it could have been more so. While Rice generally follows his premise throughout the book, the lesson and workshop are tools that many people struggle with and readers may have benefited from a bit more detail about them.

Despite these minor complaints, I recommend this book without reservation. Moodle Teaching Techniques is a great companion resource to other more basic Moodle texts and manuals and provides many ideas to help teachers and trainers take their Moodle courses to the next level.

Moodle Teaching Techniques

Good, clear screen captures, logically sequenced and fairly clear instructional text.

However, not all that much different from the original, Moodle classic book by Jason Cole.
Using Moodle: Teaching with the Popular Open Source Course Management System (Using)

In my opinion, not worth purchasing/owning both!

As I am developing a few courses for e-learning I order this book to understand moodle LMS.

I was surprised with the overall view and the very usefull tips and structure.

If you are plannig to use moodle to create e-learning courses and training, it is a good start.

If you are already comfortable with general online development techniques, this book will help you bump your course development up a notch. Rice introduces practical tools that any online developer needs to at least be aware of even if they don't use Moodle. It is more of an educational methods book as a technical "how to" book.

Rice is his previous book, Moodle E-Learning Course Development, also by PACKT, covered all the how-tos of the online software. In this book, he demonstrates how to take advantage of this powerful medium.

After reading about the philosophy behind Moodle in the first chapter, I looked with anticipation to the techniques. I didn't have to wait long. The first technique shows how to set up a one-on one forum with a student to provide a channel for communication that is private, while keeping the thread of the discussion for future reference. I was hooked.

In the rest of the book you'll find plenty more useful suggestions to making the most of Moodle.

Highly recommended!

This book is critical to students who study social scientific methods, especially experimental methods.

not totally worth the cost of the book,but useful i guess.

The books is good for whom has some knowledge in experimental design. The book not have examples is very theorical.

A very concise book that gives an elegant treatment of experimental research. The text is from the 1960s, but the principles are timeless. The experiments might be in a wide range of fields; including anything in the social sciences.

The amount of statistics needed to follow the authors is minimal. Though in practise, with your actual experiments, you might need more statistical analysis. The book concentrates not on the mathematical details, but more on the overarching philosophy behind what you are trying to find or test. The intent is to design an experiment that is as simple as possible, and which can prove or disprove a focused hypothesis.

Puts to rest the notion that simple case studies really "prove" anything, and helps students confront differences between trying to undermine one's cherished hypotheses and simply marshaling evidence on behalf of a point of view. This book is elegantly written, though a bit pricey. Still, I've yet to find a better quick overview -- though other authors have certainly tried. A classic.

In these days of cram for the exam and then forget, Laurel Schmidt brings a much needed and essential perspective to the art of teaching in general and Social Studies in particular.

Yes, teaching is an art. Some are naturally talanted and some must develop their talent -- but all need sophisticated and easy to understand coaching to realize their potential. This is the book that delivers that.

If you're a teacher or thinking of becoming one, I urge you to read this book.

As someone wrote, "Teaching is not filling a bucket, it's lighting a fire." A passion for learning will serve every student well in his or her life. This book contains the formula for combustion.

I am her dear brother, and can attest to the passion Laurel puts into every book and the joy she has at sharing what she has gleaned from almost 40 years in education. I know she loves kids, and loves the people who work hard to give them the best education possible. Out of her concern for teachers and principals, she brings forth practical tools for both.

I was prompted to write this review to counterbalance the nasty, ill tempered review which was (below)here ( and will be stricken by Amazon soon)

Dear sister, I love you, and your family. You have been such a light of hope and a beacon of sanity to myself and to mom. God bless you.

Used this book as summertime "busywork" to keep 11 year old in the rythm of homework every day. He enjoyed doing a couple pages a day.

I was looking for a book with practice sheets to strengthen basic grammar skills for my nephew. This had some of that, but not enough and it was also not much to the book itself. It's the sort of book you can find at any Walmart store and for less money to boot.

Workbook has excellent subject matter. Good flow and review for kids.

I've been using the book with my child and it is easy and interesting. He is responding well and I am very excited.
I am satisfied with the product.

I received the book right away and it was packaged and shipped in excellent condition.

First off I only gave the book a 3 star because I wanted to catch attention to the review. While I do think there is a better book I think it does deserve better than a 3 star.
Because I have both books and read reviews before purchasing both, I hope this can be helpful to some. My two year old was at lesson 23 in TEACH YOUR CHILD TO READ IN 100 EASY LESSONS before we moved. He was enjoying it but after moving he had a hard time transitioning back to it. I then bought The Reading Lessons thinking a change would help. I am very structured and liked the daily break up in 100 EASY LESSONS. I have a hard time finding a pace for the 20 LESSONS. He is continuing it but I feel like he learned more with less effort on his part with the first book. It was more effort on my part, I would have to read through the lesson and prepare before working with him daily and do not have to with the 20 Lessons. But I feel like The 100 Lessons most important chapters are the beginning ones about the approach and ways to encourage a discouraged child, something the 20 Lessons did cover briefly but not nearly as in depth as the 100 Lessons. I do believe both are good choices, I just feel like if your child can handle 10-15 minuted a day and you are willing to lay down some time the 100 lessons will help you to build a love for reading in your child with all of its hints.

First, let me just say that I am a Special Education/Resource teacher. It's amazing to think of the thousands of dollars public schools spend on curriculum, when anyone can buy this book and have their kids reading in a short amount of time. I use this book to teach my 5 1/2 year old pre-kindergarten child to read at home. I have been doing this for 6 months, 3-5 times a week, most weeks. We started with 1 or 2 pages a day, but we are now reading 4 pages a day. He is almost finished with the book, and very close to reading on a 2nd grade level. Here are some details of how this Reading Lesson works:

1) The 20 lessons are seperated into learning a couple of different sounds/rules. Each lesson averages about 20 pages of practicing these sounds/rules.
2) The lessons start with learning the sounds, practicing the sounds, practicing the sounds in words, practicing them in sentences, and then practicing the sounds in stories (paragraphs with pictures). My son and I really enjoy these stories, better than the Bob Books!
3) They have some paper pencil practice/game sheets. There are more of these in the first few chapters and they gradually lessen the amount as the book goes on. I like this, as when a child is first learning to blend sounds, it is very difficult. This really helps keep their attention when first learning to read, when they need it most.
4) There are helpful "crutches" that are gradually phased out towards the end. For example, putting a little dot inside the b because the majority of kids mix up b's and d's. These "crutches" are barely noticeable and they really help!
5) In the beginning, they only use lower case letters. This helps the child become more confident, only having to learn 1 set of sounds and letters at first instead of 2 sets (when there are hardly any capital letters in reading). As they become better at reading, the book gradually introduces capital letters.
6) The book teaches periods, question marks, and exclamation marks.
7) The book has a ton of sight words needed for reading.
8) The only thing that would really help make this book better is explaining the rules behind reading, however, I just do this on my own. It would be hard if you don't know all the rules, though. Generally, most people read without knowing all the rules behind it. For example: C and G make their soft sounds only when the signal vowels E, I, and Y follow them.
9) Go to the Reading Lesson website and print off the first 2 chapters for free. Try it with your child!

I got this book for my 4 year old. I was reading the introduction pages when I came across the recommendation that you "gently pinch" your child if they get an answer wrong.

Enough said.

I certainly would not recommend this book to anyone.

"Suzanne H. Chapin is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Boston University in Massachusetts.
Her work includes research in the areas of gifted education, curriculum design, and teacher professional development in mathematics.
She is a coauthor of Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades 1-6 (Math Solutions Publications, 2003)."

"Art Johnson is an award-winning educator who has taught for more than thirty years.
During that time he has taught at the middle school, high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels.
He has been named Teacher of the Year for New Hampshire and has received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching."

"..... No matter what instructional program is being used, MATH MATTERS IS AN ESSENTIAL AND ACCESSIBLE book that serves all who teach or are about to teach K-8 mathematics---experienced instructors as well as those just starting out."
[from the book of the back cover]

Conceptual, rather than procedural teaching of math--that is what this book tries to encourage. Although elementary math teachers can often (but not always) find the right answers for math problems, they overwhelmingly are ignorant as to WHY they follow steps spelled out in the procedure they learned so long ago. A teacher who does not know why cannot teach why. This makes for students floating in a permanent math fog. This book tries to fill the gap by laying out math basics--the mathematical principles behind the steps. I am a bit disappointed that no mention is made of the identity properties, but all in all, this book does a good, if sterile job. If you want to get EXCITED about understanding elementary math, you need to read Liping Ma's Knowing and Teaching Elementary Math.

This book is a great resource for anyone who teaches reading. It begins with an overview and has a lot of information regarding assessments and other areas of reading.

Written in a teacher-friendly style, this book combines research and practice to produce ideas about powerful learning that contradict the movement across the country to teaching mindless, fragmented, and conceptually weak curriculum to children and youth, especially children of the poor and English learners. This is good reading that offers hope for teachers. I am a bit concerned that it doesn't deal much with issues of racism and class, or that it doesn't include critical approaches to teaching, but it does offer ideas about inquiry teaching across content areas that are refreshing.