Teaching Books

Pros:
1. Reinforces the dialogues from the textbook

Cons:
1. Romaji - I have the kana version of the textbook and I wish there was a kana version of this workbook
2. Not a grammar workbook - This is a workbook for practicing the conversations presented in the textbook. I was expecting more grammar drills.

Overall, it is a decent book with great printing and illustrations. But content-wise, I'm not so sure. I refer to it every now and then if I want to remember certain phrases. However, I can also do the same thing by opening the textbook.

My recommendation: work through the textbook and skip this workbook.

Do you own or plan to buy the "Japanese for Busy People I: Revised 3rd Edition" either in romanized or kana version? If you do, this is a pretty good choice if you want to do more exercises along with the lessons learned from the "Japanese for Busy People I". This workbook only provides more dialogue and listening exercises. Do not expect to see any grammar tips, culture notes, or even kana. If you do not have the "Japanese for Busy People I", you will not find this book helpful at all. All the dialogues in this workbook are written in romanized form, no kana. But that's ok, because this workbook only targets the dialogues and listening exercises. So, looking for extra homeworks? This is not a bad choice.

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 12-May-2007)

I thought this was the Kana version, but a lot of the answers and exercises were in Romaji. I'm confused. Not as good as the text, and not nearly as useful or informative. I guess it's OK for supplemental material.

I desired a book that would be concise and teach a language the right way (how to say letters, conjegate verbs, etc.). This book has you jump right in to phrases. Also, a better title would be Japanese for busy business people, because these are the type of phrases that it taught you. This may be a good book if that is what you were using it for, but just not for me.

If you want to read a book that combines brief overviews of the work of many well-regarded leaders in the field of education, this book is a good beginning. Those who work in public education and understand the need for re-structuring and re-culturing our schools will appreciate the authors' laser-like focus on student learning through the development of professional learning communities.

The authors of the various chapters of this book focus on the essential elements that most impact student achievement. Rick Stiggins discusses assessment for learning vs. assessment of learning. Douglas Reeves focuses on curriculum and the importance of power standards and differentiated assessment. Jonathon Saphier stresses the need for high expectations for all students and suggests what educators can do when students aren't learning. And there are more . . .

In these times of student and teacher accountability, all educators must use data to make decisions, including those regarding staff development. Professional Learning Communities provide educators with the structure for collaboration and learning. Teams of teachers and administrators work together in a PLC to create an environment that supports school improvement to result in greater student learning.

Developing a PLC in your school is certainly not the silver bullet. However, the book is a good one to read to gain an overview of what educators can do to positively affect student achievement. If you are already familiar with the work done by many of our educational leaders, you may need to go deeper. In that case, this book is probably not for you.

As the processes of school improvement shifts from regulatory compliance to authentic work in schools, it is essential to build a broad understanding of decades of thinking on school reform. This book offers a strong summary of the concepts most likely to bring real change in the only place that matters, the classroom. We have spent decades talking about change and the learning community concept has the potential to be the catalyst of change.

On Common Ground can build a broad foundation of knowledge however; other resources are needed to detail the specifics. The best highlights include:
1) Michael Fullan on building collective capacity.
2) Doug Reeves on anaylsis of student work and feedback.
3) Rick Stiggins on assessment for learning.
4) Jonathon Saphier on motivation.
5) Mike Schmoker on urgency.
6) Larence Lezotte on shared leadership.

If your goal is to building common understanding about contemporary thinking in the area of school improvement, On Common Ground provides a great starting point.

Rarely do I find a collection of essays by multiple authors to be a great book. Too often the prose is uneven and the authors, despite the assertions of the editors, come off as talking at cross purposes. This book is no exception.

It is not without value. The theme of this book is the importance of professional learning communities in education and I am a supporter of the concept. I didn't need the authors to convince me of this. Perhaps the most perceptive comment made in the book is that teachers already know how to teach well, they know the best practices, we just need to give them an opportunity to work together, develop mutual support and implement them. The problem is that, on a practical level, this is a hard thing to do in an evironment where scheduling conflicts and self-contained teaching is the norm. What would be nice is to have authors who say more than "this is difficult but you must do it" and instead give some practical suggestions on how to do it. There are some here but not enough.

Perhaps the editors would have been better off authoring the entire book themselves. Some of these essays only pay lip service to PLCs as they wander off into theories that are more personal. I respect Michael Fullan's work on sustainable systems but he didn't seem to really fit here, as did some of the other authors with their own axes to grind.

Still, if a reader goes into this book with eyes wide open, then there are things of value to be found. And, in the tough world of education, anything of value is worth considering.

I wanted to like this book. After agreeing to lead a book study for On Common Ground, I *needed* to like this book. I believe in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and think very highly of the work that the DuFours have done in that regard, but I just couldn't get into the book.

The problems are many. Section 1, by Richard DuFour, is nice enough. It gives a good overview of the PLC structure and how it should work, thought chapter 2 was printed earlier in the ASCD's "Educational Leadership" magazine and can thus be found for free. In section 2 we start going downhill in a hurry, particularly in chapter 4 by Rick Stiggins. By the time you get to section 4, where they talk about taking PLCs into a broader, district context, you're completely out of the realm of the schools and into the work of researchers and administrators.

That's the major problem I have with On Common Ground--impracticality. There are good ideas here, but they aren't useable. Many of the authors talk in grand, eloquent language about their topics, but you have to work incredibly hard (believe me, I did) to make the book practical.

If you're looking for a book on PLCs I recommend "Whatever It Takes" or "Professional Learning Communities at Work." They're far more useful.

In how many ways are we going to have to hear that the unexamined methods in which our schools have been organized, structured, staffed, and departmentalized work against our best efforts to create real, sustainable learning communities? The following items were a collection of thoughts on behalf of educators working at the Butte County Office of Education that gathered to discuss this book as part of their professional reading series.

This book offers one of the most comprehensive, candid, and clear calls for reforming the ways in which we approach and engage students each and every day in our schools. By combining the ideas and research from today's most prominent thinkers on the development of effective environments for learning, this book serves as a wonderful, concise compass leading those of us in education who pick it up and care to pay attention to its guidance.

Some guiding points of interest included:
Assessing for Learning vs. of Learning
Focus on the Positive Outcomes of Learning vs. the Punitive Consequences of Not Learning
Collaborative Agreement of Essential Learning vs. Individual, Departmentalized Development of Learner Expectations
Modeling Elements of the Learning Community vs. Merely Proselytizing those Elements

I just brought this book for my 7 yr old that is building his skills on writing sentences independently. We also own the My Book of Writing Words: Learning about Consonants and Vowels (Kumon Workbooks) and My Book of Simple Sentences: Learning about Nouns and Verbs (Kumon Workbooks). Although this book is recommended after the other two, I am actually going to use this book first, then the "Writing Words", and then the simple sentences. The nouns in this book are a mixture of long and short vowels, but one syllable words. It also contains a lot of the helper adjective words that are in the Dolch list (eg. big, little, short, long, etc). The "Writing Words" book contains a lot of blend sound words, but no helper words or sentences. The simple sentences book has only nouns and verbs in the sentences, but the nouns are more complex: eg. kangaroo. I give all three books 5 stars. I just disagree with the order that Kumon recommends.

I bought this for my daughter's summer reading for Art History class - a 200+ page brief summary of the history of art. I paged through it to see what she was getting into, and I was very impressed with the breadth and interesting facts contained within. It's a great outline of a huge topic, that gives the reader a framework into which subsequent knowledge can be organized.

This is a wonderful book, I am studying for the Art praxis and found this book very helpful. Good crash course in art history.

This book is just what is says it is: "a crash course in Art History" and it is great! Carol Strickland is a top flight writer and art historian. She covers the most important artists and movements in a concise and readable manner. Her side-bars that appear throughout the text add interesting anecdotal material that is always worthwhile. There are plenty of art reproductions, many in color, that illustrate the text.

I have used this book (1st edition) for several years in a one semester high school Art History course and it is perfect. It is also makes for very pleasant and informative personal reading. I recommend it very highly.

This book is well worth the price! I feel like I need to memorize every word written! Full of relevant information!

I bought this book to review for the Art Content Praxis. It's been about 20 years since my art history classes so I definitely needed a refresher. Although, I did remember a lot and reviewed other books, this book put me over the top.

It's fast paced and easy to read! Short highlights to remind you of things you may have forgot and adds what you may have missed.

This is an interesting book about microbiology and how it is impossible for the human body to have developed into the intricate machine it is during the time frame that science supplies for the evolution of man. He also speaks of how science, though it can explain how the brain works, can not explain how the mind works. He shows that there is an intelligence in each and every cell of the body and comes to the conclusion of an intelligence behind the cosmos . . .

" . . . Every particle is an expression of information, of wisdom. The self-awareness we experience is the emergent offspring of that wisdom. The more complex the entity, the more complex the information stored within. We tap into it via our brain. Because information is present in all existence, the consciousness I feel as my self-awareness has a cosmic history. It does not arise from my brain de novo. Aspects of it have been present from the start, the very start, the big bang. Consciousness, as wisdom, is a fundamental as existence itself."

He continues with how the mind seems to have two lives: the temporal (the here and now) and the transcendental (daydreams and plans). He writes:

"The Bible understands the human psyche. It realizes that harmony between the two lives we live, the temporal wants of the body and the transcendent needs of the soul, is rarely a spontaneous happening. Without a ritualized, established routine there is always a reason for the tangible immediate demands of life to take precedence over our more abstract spiritual desires. There's no difficulty in being `holy' in a church or mosque or synagogue or temple. But the aspirations of theology far exceed our behavior in places of worship. The inherent aim is to bring the holy, the metaphysical, into the daily life of the marketplace. Bringing the spiritual into the tasks of the work week takes practice. Religion provides that practice. It's the pumping iron that gives us the spiritual strength to make theology a part of our mindset. The Sabbath is the day of practice. It's Eden, the message of which is that humankind was created for pleasure. The Sabbath returns to us a taste of Eden and helps us spread it through the entire week."

I recommend the book.

Great book. Everyone should read it. The world would be a better place. Thanks for the speedy delivery. I finished it. Could not put it down.

This is a life-changing book. If you have an open mind about creation vs. evolution, then read this. I've purchased 5 copies of this for people I thought you find it interesting. Of the ones that had open minds and read it, all said it was the most amazing book they'd read.

The details on conception to childbirth is worth getting the entire book

This book is one of the most significant books I have read in the last thirty years. It opens the reader's eyes to the mind-blowing miracles that exist in every atom of every part of the universe and especially the intricate interdependence of the organs and brain of every human body! All of it in constant motion at every instant. Gerald Schroeder is not only a graduate of M.I.T. but a microbiologist and a nuclear scientist. In addition he has delved deeply into Jewish mysticism and is a philosopher able to communicate with grace and humor to people not familiar with the topic but seeking proof of a spirituality that is borne out by science. The result is a masterpiece!
Alice O. Howell

In a folksy tone Israeli physicist Gerald Schroeder pulls together quantum mechanics, neuroscience, and Bible study to conclude that mind, as exhibited by the ability to make choices, is inherent in every atom of the Universe.

The book shows the place where physics and metaphysics meet and greet (if not merge). In Schroeder's thesis the basic stuff of the Universe is information: "But when we look below the surface, we discover a world made of a mix of identical particles that are actually waves and then realize that the waves are massless expressions of information. Physics has exposed the metaphysical basis of existence." (p. 173)

Schroeder stops short of saying that the Creator and the Created are one thing, but he does seem to support the basic underlying unity of everything in the Universe -- call it God or a force or what-have-you.

One thing that I didn't like was the author's tendency to gush over how wonderfully complex the human body and brain are. To me this is anthropocentric thinking -- he assumes that human beings are smart enough to assess the complexities of reality. I can't help wondering if the perceived complexity is just a reflection of the limitations of our little animal brains.

Its pretty much just a book full of short stories, poems, and a few plays.

I learned so much with this book, it's so interesting. It offers a great selection of authors and writings, well-organized, easy to use and to understand. The delivery and the condition of the book were excellent. I'm very please with this buy.

A great book if you love literature. If I were stuck on a deserted island, and could only take one book, I would instinctively choose Poe or Whitman. In reality, I would probably choose this book since it covers so much in such a small package. Well, this book and a pen. I wont be able to yell at the authors if I can't write in the margins. :)

they made me buy it! but it was a lot cheaper at amazon than at the bookstore. the book was in good shape but it wasnt that great of a book. =D

I have taught English 102 this semester (Fall 06) using this text and find it both professor and student friendly. I love the organization, the division of genres, critical thinking approaches, etc. The interspersing of photographs, art, and the culturally diverse offerings in terms of literary examples make for an experience that is memorable all around.

It is a book that fosters independent thinking, out-of-the-box thinking. It encourages writing about literature in such a way that students don't feel this to be an impossible task. In short, it empowers students, both those who have an idea to go onward to upper division work in literature and/or writing and those students who thought that compostion classes were a "necessary evil."

It is a book that begs to be opened and used. My students tell me this is one they will not sell back at the end of the semester, but will keep in their personal libraries. THAT is saying something.

I think that the appeal of this book would be enhanced by a slightly lower price, but that is the only serious drawback.

I live in Germany now and being an American, I think that educating my 3 boys in English is essential. Well, my 12 year old grades only 1s in English and Math. Not because he was taught in school because I started with the comprehension curriculums at the age of 3.

This is an excellent comprehensive book for each corresponding grade level. Though some parents will find, as I have, that their homeschool child is more advanced than they would be in public school. My children grades 4th, 3rd and 1st, are finding each of their books a little too easy, so be sure to supplement each compresive curriculum book with some additional books. For example, the "Skill Sharpeners" is an excellent series of books.

I am very please with this book I use in homeschooling my daughter. I use other supposedly complect curriculium, but they do not include science and social studies. Also this Comprehensive Curriculumn is more colorful and my child is eager to do her school work.
Shipping of this product was prompt and in wonderful condition. Thankyou

We bought this book for our grandson and after giving it to him he was excited about the variety of subjects in it. I especially liked the clear pages that had easy to understand instructions and an uncluttered format. Easy to use in "units" by taking out one page from each subject area and stapling together. Then, leave the book at home and take the 'unit' on a trip. Also, a good idea is to copy the answer pages to keep in a safe place in case they get lost from the book.

Nice visual supports. Reading passages are at the grade level reported. I teach Specific Learning Disabled English Language Learners in Middle School and these books are the best supports. 95% of my students are able to complete the activities independently. Great tools for fostering literal and inferential comprehension as well as basic math skills.

Book is full of wonderful information and advise. There is lots of medical information in addition to great examples on how to implement the recommendations. I liked it so much, I bought a copy for my son's teacher. She writes notes in it and it will be passed onto his teacher for next year.

I purchased this book for my son's last two teachers and they said it helped them a lot. I will buy it again for his next teacher!

I have recommended to our entire elementary school staff to read this book and take to heart the simple yet meaningful adaptations teachers can make to help these special ed. students feel more successful in the school setting. This book will help the general education teacher to know more about Asperger Syndrome and understand students with this syndrome. Very specific information--very helpful!!

This book is a great primer for parents and staff just learning about Asperger Syndrome. It was too basic for me as a professional who works with Asperger's Syndrome. It may be a good resource for professionals to give to parents to help them work with the schools.

I am a classroom teacher (third grade) and a graduate student researching Asperger's. I have been looking for a guide for the classrom teacher that fully incorporates all of the needed information to help these kids succeed in the classroom - I FOUND IT!! - This book is just the best - it is written in language easy to relate to as a teacher. It is in-depth -covering all areas of concern - including classroom and curriculum accomodations, yet brief enough to read in a week or so. I will keep it on my desk as a "go to" book. If you are teaching a child with AS - you need this book.

Everything was great. Book is in excellent condition and it was shipped very fast.

The product was as expected and in good condition. Shipped quickly and received with no problems.

This book was recommended to me by a classmate who has been an art teacher for 7 years. Her copy is tattered, wrinkled and obviously well used and well loved. I ordered it to help me brainstorm units and organize my new classroom.

A lot of the 125 student projects are pretty corny but provide jumping off points for creating your own fabulous lessons. I really like some of the interdisciplinary connections Hume lists and think they will help me in collaborating with the general ed teachers in my school.

Hume also lists several educational games that can be purchased or created by you for an art classroom - what a wonderful idea for substitute days!

I was very disapointed with this book. All of the pages are photocopied in black and white. There is very low resolution on the images and an art book in black and white is worthless for most aspects of class. There were a few projects that were appropriate but it was hardly worth the investment.

This book came at the perfect time. I am a first year art teacher at a K-8 school. I was looking for activities to keep my 7th and 8th graders interested and this book is providing so much more. The information is very helpful for me as well as a resource for the classroom teachers I work with.