Education Teaching Books

This book by John Holt is one of the more idealistic works on education in the last 50 years or so. He accurately represents the problems facing modern education and has harsh words for its supporters. But his solutions for solving the problems seem very naive. It places a lot of trust in humanity's thirst for learning.

The truth is, we are naturally inquisitive, but also naturally lazy. Even Augustine, one of the greatest thinkers of the ancient world, admits in his Confessions that he would rather have been playing sports and chasing girls than learning. Also, having taught the great books to middle and high schoolers, I found that you can try to create the most open learning environment possible, but if the home environment these students are coming from is adversarial to learning, you will always have an uphill battle.

Finally, I disagree somewhat with his overall purpose of education. He states that it is to help us do things better. Huh? I don't know about you, but utilitarianism is not at the root of my love for learning. So the subtitle of the book just does not resonate with me.

All in all, this was an inspiring, idealistic book on education. I think it deserves a prominent place in the school reform dialogue. It helped me tremendously when I did research for my podcast, Chrisian With A Brain. In an episode titled, Why Do We Value Education?, Holt's perspective gave me much fodder for discussion.

John Holt puts to the read a new perspective on what education really involves. He talks about a self-directed learning process that makes a lot of sense.

It's the sixth book of Holt I have read so far and probably the most syntetic; he outlines not only the problems but also the solutions. He has no mercy for knowing-better educators, T-eachers working not FOR, but ON students, S-chools full of fear and anxiety and humiliation, coercion, mindlessness, forced learning, carrot-and-stick attitude; and great appreciation for sensitive, competent t-eachers that are models themselves, self-directed do-ers and s-chools that are not compulsory and help their students to thing better on their own terms. Holt's radical vision is very clear, very understandable; his solutions so natural that they seem to be inevitable and not radical at all. His ability to deconstruct the mechanisms of human learning and expose the hidden curriculum of public schools and social system we live in is outstanding. The book is worth every minute you spend on reading.

Instead Of Education: Ways To Help People Do Things Better by alternative education advocate John Holt (author of the 1964 book How Children Fail) is an iconoclastic and seminal work presenting a persuasively argued case for "un-schooling" from traditional classroom structures and curriculum fare, to innovative, self-directed learning as the basis for a truly creative life. A direct challenge to the complacency of today's educational status quo (even in this political age of "no child left behind" and school voucher proposals), Instead Of Education should be required reading in every Teacher's College, District School Board, and governmental education policy development office whether it be federal, state, or local. Instead Of Education is a significant and seminal contribution to education policy discussions and commended to the attention of education reform activists at all levels and from all perspectives.

I was very disappointed with this book. They mention terms but the definition of the terms are in the pages ahead, so you have to look ahead for the definition then go back to where you were to know what they were talking about. If you don't know that the definitions are in the pages ahead, you're lost. Also, the numerical samples they give in the definition assumes you're a mind reader. They show a bunch of numbers and you have to infer how they relate to the definition. Good luck!

Overall good overview and practice for the 6th grade.
Would purchase this again, and will do so for the 7th grade.
I found a few errors (not a huge deal) but still.

If using this book with children in grade 6 or above who struggle with math, the fraction segments may need better foundations that what is provided here. On the plus side, lots of practice problems to copy.

I used this math book to tutor my little brother who struggled in 6th grade math for 7th grade. We got though it fairly well, the book provides fairly good examples and builds a foundation for subsequent skills step by step.

My one complaint would be that whoever edited this book (especially the answer key) needs to pay more attention. I often quickly checked my brother's work with the key, and made him redo a problem one or two times only to find out he was right and the key was wrong. One page of word problems had 6 problems, the answer key had five answers and some of those were labled with the wrong problem number.

One or two of the world problems were unclear also.

I would just make sure you pay close attention to the problems when you correct them and make sure. By and large the problems in the key were right, but there was still more errors than necessary especially when this book was presumably edited by an adult where the book was designed for 11-13 year olds.

I just feel sorry for kids who are using this book at the orders of someone who would go by the key no matter what.

Great! I love this product. My son, who has special needs does really well with this book!
Easy to use! Solutions section in the back!

Very colorful, simple and yet detailed artwork. My almost 3 year old needs alot of help with these but he loves them. A good way to get your child away from the tv and using his hands to create something.

I was excited to see this workbook from Kumon, since my daughter (4 yrs old) has liked some of them in the past. Unfortunately, she has not been interested in doing any of these crafts. I think it's because she likes to think of the craft herself, and then follow through with her idea. She doesn't like crafts when there isn't a whole lot of creative thought needed.
If your child is creative, it may not be the best workbook for you. If your child likes crafts, but sometimes can't think of what to do on his/her own, then this workbook may be a lot of fun. There are some cute things to make (in my opinion, not my child's!).

My six-year-old has been working from this book non-stop since she got it, and she rarely has to ask for help. I am very pleased, since she's having a blast and it's not too complicated. The crafts are also cute and intriguing and they are not all the same, though there are sometimes more than one version of something (animal masks, for example). So far she has made finger puppets, rings, masks, a man that smiles or frowns depending on how you view him, a cool balancing eagle, etc. (I like that some of the projects deal with optical illusion, etc.) My only not-really-a-complaint is that I would prefer a different kind of illustration. I don't particularly like contemporary animation-like drawing with lots of gradients. But this is picky and doesn't affect my daughter's enjoyment of the book.

This book has been a life saver for days my daughter dosen't want to play outside or says she is bord. Once we get started she dosen't want to stop! There are lots of things to make in this book, some are kind of cheesy like a paper ring but there are many really nice things that you can actually play with.Like a paper bird that you put 2 pieces of string in and make it race up the strings and a hen that flaps its wings.She is always very proud when she has completed a project and has to go around to show everyone her masterpiece.

Cutting skills are needed with this book.So you can cut around all of the dotted lines and there are marked spots for glue and lines for folding.

I can see even using the book to create your own projects from cardstock,this would be great for teachers!

Thank you Kumon for putting out a kids craft book that is actually usable and has so many pages of projects!

I am glad I purchased this workbook. However, some of the activities are a bit difficult for my 4 year old to cut out on her own. It has definitely helped to improve her skills in cutting with scissors. She usually needs my help/supervision, but I love giving her a variety of activities to do each day. The pages are thick enough and the illustrations are cute and unique.

Our grade level switches for mathematics, by level, and I give these to my students to complete as soon as they enter the room. It's a great opening activity and touches on the major standards.

I love this series. My daughter has done all of them so far (up to sixth grade). It only takes about 10 minutes a day but is well worth it for review and to discover areas that need improvement. I highly recomend this.

As a 5th grade teacher, I purchased Math Minutes to use as a
warm up activity. It is an excellent review. I also use it
for homework assignments. The format allows the students to
quickly solve the problems using a variety of strategies.

Forget all those established names: Barron's, Princeton review, Kaplan...this book is written by less well-known publishers, yet it definitely deserves its money. The French grammar is thouroughly explained, beginning from the very basics to the harder parts.The vocabulary strictly relates to what is actually tested. The sections are well written and you are learning something you won't be tested.
There are 6 tests which ressembled up to 95% the actual test. You can clearly rely on this book for the exam. I got 800 from the first shot! So, you're not going to regret having bought this book!!!

this helped me alot, and actually let me pass my french SAT IIs! thanks a lot!

The book has several word sorts for elementary children. Teachers will need to mix in a variety of word study activities, as word sorts will become boring and mundane for students.

Book arrived in a timely manner and was in perfect condition. I would buy from this seller again.

The word sorts are perfect classroom exercises. I wish this book were available in an online version so that I could print them out instead of having to make copies for the classroom.

I am using this book for a class. It is very good, has a lot of information to assit me. If you're looking to make a porfolio this is the book to get. Of course Amazon got me this book on time. I love using amazon for all my books.

It is amazing what this tiny little book is selling for, but it is chock full of great information to help the aspiring teacher develop an excellent portfolio and land that job. Lots of helpful tips and examples of many different examples of artifacts to make your portfolio stand out among the rest.

I needed this book for an on-line class. It was cheaper at Amazon than it was in the school's bookstore. I'm really glad I checked for it here. It came within a few days. I'll be checking for all of my textbooks through Amazon.com.

If you have to create a portfolio for your education program as a teacher, I recommend this. It has a lot of good information in it and is very helpful.

I used this book to help me compile my e-portfolio during my last class of grad school. It helped me decide what was important and what not. If you buy this book, it will help you as well.

I didn't expect for this book to arrive as quickly as it did! It came in just a few days. (With standard shipping) I was very pleased!

The book appears to be a collection of chapters written by doctoral students of the editor. While the call to be "data driven" may be viewed as the latest educational fad, the central thesis (the making decisions in schools and classrooms based on student outcomes) makes sense. The question is whether this work serves as a standalone guide to an administrator moving in this direction. I would say yes to someone who has experience with instituting new programs and a rich understanding of the change process. My caveat is based on the fact that while the book generally outlines the steps involved in institutionalizing the use of data, implementation will require a practitioner who can anticipate problems and respond appropriately. Thus, the book should be viewed as a "primer" for planning purposes rather than a "cookbook." In fairness, I believe the author has tried to address this criticism in her companion volume "Data Wise in Action."

Very good reference. Recommended by ABCTE, an alternative route to teaching in USA. ABCTE is a very rigorous program.

Data Wise contains examples and graphs. The book explains how grades can be plotted on a graph, individual and group, to achieve the learning goal. With the use of the graph, teaching methods can be modified in order to meet the required learning goal. Achievement of students can be clearly seen on the graph whether they are doing well or not. Teachers are aided in planning lessons more effectively.

Data Wise is exactly as the title describes. It tells you exactly how to implement data use in your school with case studies/examples. Great for all levels of experience, especially those just starting out. Little to no background knowledge in the area is required to benefit from the book. Lingo and definitions are given in the beginning. Great for use by all educators.

Very informative, the answer format helps to explain the logic behind the answers to the test questions.

A LEED AP is a person who passed at least one of the three LEED Exams (LEED-NC, LEED-CI, LEED-EB) and has the skills and knowledge to encourage and support integrated design, to take part in the design process, and to control the application and certification process for a LEED building. Since most people tend to take LEED-NC exam to become LEED AP, "LEED NC Sample Exam: New Construction" can be very helpful to them.

"LEED NC Sample Exam: New Construction" is not a study guide or an exam cram book. It is a sample exam. The nice and helpful feature is that it gives you the answer and explanation. This can save you time and let you know if you are ready for the exam. You can download the sample exam from USGBC website, but it only has 12 sample questions.

"LEED NC Sample Exam: New Construction" has 39 pages. It is a useful book for preparing for the LEED-NC v2.2 exam.

Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated," LEED AP, AIA

If there is a question in anybody's mind regarding the need for 'Leadership in Energy and environmental Design,' they need only look at what's happened to their winter heating bill over the last two or three years. And it is going to get worse. In an attempt to remove some of the fraud and misrepresentation from the industry the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has created the LEED Professional Accreditation exam.

This book is just a sample exam. It is not a tutorial on the material, nor does is it an 'exam cram' type book. It consists of a simulated examination, as close to the real test as they can make it, followed by the answers and a detailed solution describing how that answer was derived.

For a text on the material covered by this book, the USGBC (you can find them using a search engine) puts out several documents including the New Construction Reference Guide.