Philosophy and theory of education Books

Book SynopsisTHIS BOOK describes seven faculty members and a graduate student at one university, who systematically engaged in a conversation about their experiences in urban education over a three-year period. Authors used stand-point epistemology; their own social locations, as visas of credibility for their border crossings to urban schools. Through their stories, a rare, communal bond developed. Characterized by caring and critique, this bonding both challenged and informed traditional notions of scholarship en solo. In the end, both urban schools and collaboration were more than conceptual places the authors had traveled, they were liberating states of mind. It is hoped that this work will be a model for future teacher educators to learn and grow by in their collective and united quest for social justice in their immediate urban and institutional surroundings.Table of ContentsIntroduction: ""and so it all began..."" A PARADIGM SHIFT. Thinking About Collaboration, Change, and Aesthetics, Suzanne SooHoo. Dispelling the Myth of Moral Bankruptcy in American Urban Youth, Donald N. Cardinal. Exception to the Perception, Dolores Gaunty-Porter. RETHINKING CURRICULUM. Community Matters, Tom Wilson. The Curriculum of the Self: Critical Self-Knowing as Critical Pedagogy, Jeff Sapp. UNIVERSITY FACULTY IN THE SCHOOLS. Reworking Urban Educational Leadership through Naming and Narrative Inquiry, Penny S. Bryan. Crossing Cultural Borders into the Inner City, Suzanne SooHoo. STUDENT VOICES. Gatekeepers, Jan Osborn. Expect the Unexpected: A Practitioner's View of Urban Teaching, Susie Weston-Barajas. Can We Talk... about Collaboration? SOE Book Group. Author Index. Subject Index.

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Book SynopsisKuyper on the Divine Purpose for Education. Among Abraham Kuyper's many accomplishments was his founding of the Free University of Amsterdam, where he also served as president and professor of theology. This collection of essays and speeches presents Kuyper's theology and philosophy of education, and his understanding of the divine purpose of scholarship for human culture. Included are convocation addresses given at the Free University, parliamentary speeches, newspaper articles, and other talks and essays on the topic of education. Much of the material deals with issues still being debated today including the roles of the family and state in education, moral instruction, Christian education, and vouchers.

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Book SynopsisThe Latin word “Docilitas” in the title of this book means the willingness and capacity we have of being able to learn something we did not know. It has not the same connotation as “learning,” which is what happens to us when we are taught something. Docility also means our recognition that we do not know many things, that we need the help of others, wiser than we are, to learn most of what we know, though we can discover a few things by or own experience. This book contains some sixteen chapters, each of which was given to an audience in some college or university setting. They consider what it is to teach, what to read, reading places, libraries, and class rooms. They look upon the duties of a teacher or professor as mostly a delight, because the truth should delight us. In Another Sort of Learning, the subject of what a student “owes” his teacher came up. Here, we look at the other side of the question, what does a teacher or professor “do”? But a professor cannot teach unless there is someone willing to be taught, someone willing to recognize that he needs guidance and help. Yet, the end of teaching is not just the “transfer” of what is in the mind of the professor to the mind of the student. It is when both, student and teacher, behold, reflect on, and see the same truth of things that are. This common “seeing” is the read adventure in which student and teacher share something neither “owns.” Knowledge and truth are free, but each requires our different insights and approaches so that we can finally realize what “teaching” and “being taught” mean to us.Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Introduction Knowledge Is Not “Owned” Chapter 1 Patron Saint of Teachers Chapter 2 Intellectual Resources Chapter 3 On Teaching Chapter 4 Why Professors Need Students and Other Fables Chapter 5 Questions Proper to the University Chapter 6 The Reading Room Chapter 7 On the Highest Good Chapter 8 Reading without Learning Chapter 9 What Makes “Liberal” Education “Liberal”? Chapter 10 Aquinas and the Life of the Mind Chapter 11 What Must I Read to Be Saved? Chapter 12 Seneca on Personal Libraries Chapter 13 On the Uselessness of Philosophers Chapter 14 But What Is a Book? Chapter 15 On Learning from Not Having Learned Chapter 16 Docilitas Conclusion “On Fixing Our Gaze” Appendix Fifteen Books To Be Taught By

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Book SynopsisIn What Happened to Notre Dame? (St. Augustine’s Press, 2009), Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus at Notre Dame Law School, traced that university’s loss of Catholic identity to the Land O’Lakes Declaration of 1967 in which Notre Dame and other “Catholic” universities declared their independence from the Church. In fact they substituted for the positive guidance of the Magisterium a counterfeit orthodoxy of political correctness, money, and secular prestige. This book, Right or Wrong, is a compilation of columns Professor Rice wrote for the campus newspaper, The Observer, from 1970 through 2010. Those bi-weekly columns are concise, readable, and practical. They offered the students an access to the authentic teachings of the Church that they might not otherwise get in the politically correct “Catholic” university of Land O’Lakes. Those columns present those teachings, not as abstractions, but as practical guides to real-life issues. Drawing upon his wide experience in constitutional law, jurisprudence, tort, and other areas, Professor Rice tells it like it is on a wide range of issues, including abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, pornography, clergy sex abuse, feminism, marriage, bioethics, the death penalty, just war principles, the War on Terror, “Catholic” politicians, etc., etc. He describes Land O’Lakes as a “suicide pact” that has made “Catholic” universities subservient to government, corporate donors, foundations, and the secular educational establishment. Professor Rice, however, goes beyond criticism. He offers a very practical way for Notre Dame to recover its Catholic identity. And he urges that we pray, especially through the intercession of Notre Dame, Our Lady, for her University and for our country.

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Book SynopsisCollecting data on behavior, academic skills, and IEP goals is an essential step in showing student progress—but it can also be a complicated, time-consuming process. Take the worry and stress out of data collection with this ultra-practical resource, packed with the tools you need to organize, manage, and monitor critical information on your students’ progress. You’ll discover proven, stress-free data collection techniques used by real teachers, with strategies and shortcuts developed through the author’s extensive teaching and consulting work. You’ll also get first-person classroom examples, quizzes, definitions of key terms, and a complete package of reproducible forms and tools. An essential resource for special educators, general educators, and paraprofessionals, this toolkit will help you become a “classroom detective” who collects the right data, analyzes it skillfully, and uses it to solve each student’s challenges.

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Book SynopsisLove, Justice, and Education by William H. Schubert brings to life key ideas in the work of John Dewey and their relevance for the world today. He does this by imagining continuation of highly evocative article that Dewey published in the ""New York Times"" in 1933. Dewey wrote from the posture of having visited Utopia. Schubert begins each of thirty short chapters with a phrase or sentence from Dewey's article, in response to which a continuous flow of Utopians consider what is necessary for educational and social reform among Earthlings. Schubert encourages the Utopians, who have studied Earthling practices and literatures, to recommend from their experience what Earthlings need for educational and social reform and how they can address obstacles to that reform. The Utopians speak to myriad implications of Dewey's report by drawing upon a wide range of philosophical, literary, and educational ideas - including many of Dewey's other writings. Their central message is that loving relationships and empathic dedication to social justice are necessary for educational reform that responds wholeheartedly to learner needs and interests. True to Dewey's original position, such education must be built upon social reform that works to overcome acquisitive society based on greed: the principal impediment to realizing human potential, democratic society, and educational relationships that enhance it. To overcome the debilitating acquisitiveness that plagues Earth is the challenge for educators and all human beings who seek to involve the young in composing their lives and cultivating a world of integrity, beauty, justice, love, and continuously evolving capacities of humanity.Table of ContentsPrologue. Improvising Riffs on Dewey and the Utopian; 1. No Schools at All; 2. Gatherings; 3. Assembly Places; 4. Homelike Ambience; 5. Resources; 6. Parents and Peers; 7. All as Teachers and Learners; 8. Learning Community for Children; 9. Sharing of Gifts; 10. Responsibility for Cooperation; 11. Life, Not Objectives; 12. Toward Worthwhile Lives; 13. Purpose Engrained in Activities; 14. Discovery of Aptitudes and Development of Capacities; 15. Inevitability of Learning; 16. Analogy to Babies; 17. Creating Attitudes, Not Acquiring and Storing; 18. Resisting Acquisitive Society; 19. Overcome Acquisitiveness; 20. Cultivating Positive Capacities to Liberate; 21. Enjoyment Now, Not Deferred; 22. Always "Is" with Faith in "To Be"; 23. All-Around Development; 24. Sense of Positive Power; 25. Elimination of Fear; 26. Confi dence, Eagerness, and Faith in Human Capacity; 27. Faith in the Environment; 28. Worthwhile Activities; 29. The "Right Way"; 30. From Love to Justice, "For Goodness Sake!"; Epilogue: Riffs of Hopes and Dreams; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisLove, Justice, and Education by William H. Schubert brings to life key ideas in the work of John Dewey and their relevance for the world today. He does this by imagining continuation of highly evocative article that Dewey published in the ""New York Times"" in 1933. Dewey wrote from the posture of having visited Utopia. Schubert begins each of thirty short chapters with a phrase or sentence from Dewey's article, in response to which a continuous flow of Utopians consider what is necessary for educational and social reform among Earthlings. Schubert encourages the Utopians, who have studied Earthling practices and literatures, to recommend from their experience what Earthlings need for educational and social reform and how they can address obstacles to that reform. The Utopians speak to myriad implications of Dewey's report by drawing upon a wide range of philosophical, literary, and educational ideas - including many of Dewey's other writings. Their central message is that loving relationships and empathic dedication to social justice are necessary for educational reform that responds wholeheartedly to learner needs and interests. True to Dewey's original position, such education must be built upon social reform that works to overcome acquisitive society based on greed: the principal impediment to realizing human potential, democratic society, and educational relationships that enhance it. To overcome the debilitating acquisitiveness that plagues Earth is the challenge for educators and all human beings who seek to involve the young in composing their lives and cultivating a world of integrity, beauty, justice, love, and continuously evolving capacities of humanity.Table of ContentsPrologue. Improvising Riffs on Dewey and the Utopian; 1. No Schools at All; 2. Gatherings; 3. Assembly Places; 4. Homelike Ambience; 5. Resources; 6. Parents and Peers; 7. All as Teachers and Learners; 8. Learning Community for Children; 9. Sharing of Gifts; 10. Responsibility for Cooperation; 11. Life, Not Objectives; 12. Toward Worthwhile Lives; 13. Purpose Engrained in Activities; 14. Discovery of Aptitudes and Development of Capacities; 15. Inevitability of Learning; 16. Analogy to Babies; 17. Creating Attitudes, Not Acquiring and Storing; 18. Resisting Acquisitive Society; 19. Overcome Acquisitiveness; 20. Cultivating Positive Capacities to Liberate; 21. Enjoyment Now, Not Deferred; 22. Always "Is" with Faith in "To Be"; 23. All-Around Development; 24. Sense of Positive Power; 25. Elimination of Fear; 26. Confi dence, Eagerness, and Faith in Human Capacity; 27. Faith in the Environment; 28. Worthwhile Activities; 29. The "Right Way"; 30. From Love to Justice, "For Goodness Sake!"; Epilogue: Riffs of Hopes and Dreams; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisWhile many people talk about the Constructivist philosophy, there has not been a publication that provides a detailed description of what a Constructivist classroom sounds like and looks like. This book fills that void by examining the philosophy, translating it into teaching strategies, and providing over forty examples. These examples come from the elementary level up to and including the collegiate level, and include all content areas. These examples show how the Constructivist educator uses the linguistic mode, the visual mode, and the kinesthetic mode to create a class environment in which the Constructivist philosophy flourishes. Examples of student work are provided; the book also includes chapters on note-taking, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), action research, and other Constructivist resources. Written in user-friendly form, this book presents a concrete and step by step approach for translating the Constructivist philosophy into classroom practice. This book is intended for every Constructivist researcher, practitioner, and teacher-educator. The researcher and teacher-educator will benefit from topics such as the history of Constructivist thought, the principles of Constructivism and action research. This book is more than a list of recipes, and this will be beneficial to the practitioner. Starting with the principles of Constructivism, and bridging to four basic teaching strategies, the practitioner is guided on how to use different learning modes and ""meta-strategies"" to create a true Constructivist practice. An educator's life is made up of one's philosophy, teaching principles, daily strategies, resources, and research tools. This book provides an in-depth look, from the Constructivist perspective, at each one of these components. In every sense of the word, this book is truly ""comprehensive.

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Book SynopsisRobert Scholes’s now classic Rise and Fall of English was a stinging indictment of the discipline of English literature in the United States. In English after the Fall, Scholes moves from identifying where the discipline has failed to providing concrete solutions that will help restore vitality and relevance to the discipline.With the self-assurance of a master essayist, Scholes explores the reasons for the fallen status of English and suggests a way forward. Arguing that the fall of English as a field of study is due, at least in part, to the narrow view of “literature” that prevails in English departments, Scholes charts how the historical rise of English as a field of study during the early twentieth century led to the domination of modernist notions of verbal art, ultimately restricting English studies to a narrow cannon of approved texts.After tracing the various meanings attached to the word “literature” since the Renaissance, Scholes argues that the concept of it that currently shapes the work of English departments excludes both powerful sacred documents (from the Declaration of Independence to the Bible) and pleasurable, profane works that involve the performance of roles like those of clown and teacher in many media (including popular musicals, opera, and film)—and that both sorts of works should be studied in English courses. English after the Fall is a bold manifesto for the replacement of literature with what Scholes calls textuality—an expansive and ecumenical notion of what we read and write—as the primary object of English instruction. This concise and persuasive work is destined to become required reading for anyone who cares about the future of the humanities.

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Book SynopsisIn Value-Added Measures in Education, economist and education researcher Douglas N. Harris takes on one of the most hotly debated topics in education. Drawing on his extensive work with schools and districts, he sets out to help educators and policy makers understand this innovative approach to assessment. Written in straightforward language and illustrated with actual student achievement data, this essential volume shows how value-added measurement can help schools make better use of their data and discusses the strengths and limitations of this approach.

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Book SynopsisThis timely book brings together a remarkable group of authors who examine the federal role in education policy and reform during the past fifty years. As Frederick M. Hess and Andrew P. Kelly note in their introduction, the book represents a determined effort to move beyond familiar and predictable debates and instead to focus on a number of questions that deserve careful and sustained attention: “What have we learned from the last half-century of federal involvement, especially the last decade or two of significant federal activity? What have we learned about which goals Uncle Sam is well-suited to pursue? What have we learned about how federal efforts play out and about the limits of what federal activity can effectively accomplish?” These questions are of heightened importance at a time when the federal role in education has expanded so dramatically—and when federal education policy is being so vigourously debated. This book—with a diverse and dynamic lineup of leading figures in education research, policy, politics, and innovation—is an indispensable contribution to our current reconsideration of education policy.

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Book SynopsisThis ambitious book grows out of the realisation that a convergence of economic, demographic, and political forces in the early twenty-first century requires a fundamental re-examination of the financing of American higher education. The authors identify and address basic issues and trends that cut across the sectors of higher education, focusing on such questions as how much higher education the country needs for individual opportunity and for economic viability in the future; how responsibility for paying for it is currently allocated; and how financing higher education should be addressed in the future.

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Book SynopsisStrategic Inquiry is an innovative model for promoting teacher collaboration around identifying specific “learning gaps” that keep struggling students from succeeding. Gaps may include anything from the proper use of commas and conjunctions to concepts such as “slope” in math. The authors argue that addressing these critical learning gaps can lead to big changes in student success, in teachers’ sense of efficacy, and in school culture. The strategic inquiry model has been implemented in schools and districts around the country, including New York City, where it was rigorously evaluated with impressive results. As Common Core standards raise the bar for student learning ever higher, this proven approach promises to build teachers’ capacity for closing the gap between where struggling students are and where they need to be.Table of ContentsCONTENTSForeword by Michael Fullan vii Introduction 1Part I Vision, Model, and Outcomes91 How Strategic Inquiry Works 112 How Strategic Inquiry Pays Off 29Part II Strategic Inquiry in Action 513 Moving Students to Succeed 534 Moving Instructional Systems to Improve Success 695 Moving Colleagues Toward a School Inquiry Culture 83Part III System Support of Inquiry-Based Reform1096 Developing a District System of Inquiry-Based Improvement 1117 Bringing Leader Certification Programs on Board 131 Conclusion 151 Appendixes 153Notes 165Acknowledgments 175About the Authors 179Index 181

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Book SynopsisIn this landmark volume, Greg J. Duncan and Richard J. Murnane lay out a meticulously researched case showing how - in a time of spiraling inequality - strategically targeted interventions and supports can help schools significantly improve the life chances of low-income children.The authors offer a brilliant synthesis of recent research on inequality and its effects on families, children, and schools. They describe the interplay of social and economic factors that has made it increasingly hard for schools to counteract the effects of inequality and that has created a widening wedge between low- and high-income students.Restoring Opportunity provides detailed portraits of proven initiatives that are transforming the lives of low-income children from prekindergarten through high school. All of these programmes are research-tested and have demonstrated sustained effectiveness over time and at significant scale. Together, they offer a powerful vision of what good instruction in effective schools can look like. The authors conclude by outlining the elements of a new agenda for education reform.Restoring Opportunity is a crowning contribution from these two leading economists in the field of education and a passionate call to action on behalf of the young people on whom our nation’s future depends.Trade ReviewDuncan and Murnane provide a no-nonsense view of the growing educational gap between the haves and the have-nots in America. They also scour the landscape to find promising solutions that provide hope for better outcomes in the future. This is a thoughtful book that should be read with the care it merits." Joel Klein, CEO of Amplify, and former chancellor, New York City Department of Education"This thorough examination of our public school system provides a clear picture of some of the toughest challenges - particularly those facing low-income students - and the directions in which we need to go to fix them. This book should be on the desk of every educator and policy maker in America so we can begin to change the odds for all of America’s children." Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO, Harlem Children’s ZoneTable of ContentsCONTENTS 1 A Fading Dream 1 2 DivergingDestinies 7 3 Family Income and School Success 23 4 Challenges in the Classroom 35 5 Promising Prekindergarten Programs 53 6 Elementary Schools That Work 71 7 High Schools That Improve Life Chances 85 8 Programs That Support Families 109 9 Restoring Opportunity 123Notes 145Acknowledgments 173About the Authors 177Index 179

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Book SynopsisWhy do so many promising ideas generated by education research fail to penetrate the world of classroom practise?In From the Ivory Tower to the Schoolhouse, education historian Jack Schneider seeks to answer this familiar and vexing question by turning it on its head. He looks at four well-known ideas that emerged from the world of scholarship - Bloom's taxonomy, multiple intelligences, the project method, and Direct Instruction - and asks what we can learn from their success in influencing teachers.Schneider identifies four key factors that help bridge the gap between research and practise: perceived significance, philosophical compatibility, occupational realism, and transportability. Through the examination of counterexamples - similar ideas of equal promise that lacked these four qualities and did not translate into practise - Schneider shows the complexity of the relationship between theory and practise in education and suggests how that tenuous connection might be strengthened to help innovations and new insights gain traction in our schools.Table of ContentsCONTENTS FOREWARD vii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER ONE“I Have Heard the Phrase Quite a Bit” 15Bloom’s Taxonomy CHAPTER TWOTheory of Many Uses 51Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences CHAPTER THREE“Wholehearted Purposeful Activity” 79The Project Method CHAPTER FOURLessons of Last Resort 109Direct Instruction CHAPTER FIVE“Less of an Impact on the Educational World” 141Ideas Without a Foothold CONCLUSIONWhat Do We Know and What Might We Do? 183 EPILOGUEA Consensus Agenda 209 NOTES 211 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 247 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 249 INDEX 251

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Book SynopsisIn this groundbreaking book, Eric Toshalis explores student resistance through a variety of perspectives, arguing that oppositional behaviors can be not only instructive butproductive. All too often treated as a matter of compliance, student resistance can also be understood as a form of engagement, as young people confront and negotiate newidentities in the classroom environment. The focus of teachers’ efforts, Toshalis says, should not be about “managing” adolescents but about learning how to read their behavior and respond to it in developmentally productive, culturally responsive, and democratically enriching ways.Noting that the research literature is scattered across fields, Toshalis draws on four domains of inquiry: theoretical, psychological, political, and pedagogical. The result is a resource that can help teachers address this pervasive classroom challenge in ways that enhance student agency, motivation, engagement, and academic achievement.The coauthor of Understanding Youth: Adolescent Development for Educators (Harvard Education Press, 2006), Toshalis blends accessible explanations of theory and research with vignettes of interactions among educators and students. In Make Me!, Toshalis helps teachers perceive possibility, rather than pathology, in student resistance.Table of ContentsCONTENTSCHAPTER 1 Why Examine Resistance? 1PART I UNDERSTANDING RESISTANCE THEORETICALLY Vignette: Determined 17CHAPTER 2 "Making Trouble Makes It Worse" Theories of Social Reproduction 19CHAPTER 3 "You're Not the Boss of Me" Resistance Theory 41PART II UNDERSTANDING RESISTANCE PSYCHOLOGICALLYVignette: School Is Not His Thing 91CHAPTER 4 "This Should Be Different" Cognition and Imagination at the Foundation of Resistance 63CHAPTER 5 "Why Should I Try?" The Motivations That Drive Opposition 93Vignette: Super Busy 121CHAPTER 6 "What? I Wasn't Listening" The Passive No of Disengagement 123Vignette: I'm Done 147CHAPTER 7 "That's Not Fair!" Why Indignation Is Better Than Resignation 149PART III UNDERSTANDING RESISTANCE POLITICALLY Vignette: Sick of It 173CHAPTER 8 "I'm Not Skipping Class--You Are" Socioeconomic Reasons for Resisting School 175Vignette: It's Not About the Pencil 201CHAPTER 9 "You Don't Even Know Me" Identity and Opposition in the Classroom 203Vignette: Be Respectful 221CHAPTER 10 "Don't Make Me Assimilate" Authenticity, Resistance, and Racism 223PART IVUNDERSTANDING RESISTANCE PEDAGOGICALLYVignette: Back Off! 251CHAPTER 11 "How Was I Supposed to Know?" Misreading Students' Relational Needs 253Vignette: Panther Points 275CHAPTER 12 "Is It My Fault?" How We Provoke Resistance in the Classroom 277CHAPTER 13 Conclusion Resistance Is Hope 299Notes 311Acknowledgments 341About the Author 345Index 347

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Book SynopsisInternationalizing the Academy is the first book to offer a detailed look at efforts to bring ambitious and expanding portfolios of international programs to US campuses. Gilbert W. Merkx and Riall W. Nolan, leading figures in the burgeoning internationalhigher education sector, provide a thorough examination of how numerous “internationalizing” efforts are being implemented and promoted on a strikingly wide range of campuses.At the heart of the volume are accounts by eight of the nation’s most experienced senior international officers that explore crucial aspects of their work: the strategic visions for international education that they helped develop on their own campuses; how they worked on behalf of those evolving visions with key stakeholders, including the administration and faculty; and the main lessons that they learned in the course of creating these programs.The result is a singular—and uniquely useful—resource for leaders and policy makers in the higher education field that comes at a time when colleges and universities are urgently scaling up their international ventures. Internationalizing the Academy is an essential account of a dynamic, centrally important development on campuses throughout the United States.

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Book SynopsisThis book describes how different nations have defined the core competencies and skills that young people will need in order to thrive in the twenty-first-century, and how those nations have fashioned educational policies and curricula meant to promote those skills. The book examines six countries—Chile, China, India, Mexico, Singapore, and the United States—exploring how each one defines, supports, and cultivates those competencies that students will need in order to succeed in the current century.Teaching and Learning for the Twenty-First Century appears at a time of heightened attention to comparative studies of national education systems, and to international student assessments such as those that have come out of PISA (the Program for International Student Assessment), led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. This book’s crucial contribution to the burgeoning field of international education arises out of its special attention to first principles—and thus to first questions: As Reimers and Chung explain, “much can be gained by an explicit investigation of the intended purposes of education, in what they attempt to teach students, and in the related questions of why those purposes and how they are achieved.”These questions are crucial to education practice and reform at a time when educators (and the students they serve) face unique, pressing challenges. The book’s detailed attention to such questions signals its indispensable value for policy makers, scholars, and education leaders today.

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Book SynopsisEducators and policy makers confront challenging questions of ethics, justice, and equity on a regular basis. Should teachers retain a struggling student if it means she will most certainly drop out? Should an assignment plan favor middle-class families if it means strengthening the school system for all? These everyday dilemmas are both utterly ordinary and immensely challenging, yet there are few opportunities and resources to help educators think through the ethical issues at stake.Drawing on research and methods developed in the Justice in Schools project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dilemmas of Educational Ethics introduces a new interdisciplinary approach to achieving practical wisdom in education, one that honors the complexities inherent in educational decision making and encourages open discussion of the values and principles we should collectively be trying to realize in educational policy and practice.At the heart of the book are six richly described, realistic accounts of ethical dilemmas that have arisen in education in recent years, paired with responses written by noted philosophers, empirical researchers, policy makers, and practitioners, including Pedro Noguera, Howard Gardner, Mary Pattillo, Andres A. Alonso, Jamie Ahlberg, Toby N. Romer, and Michael J. Petrilli.The editors illustrate how readers can use and adapt these cases and commentaries in schools and other settings in order to reach a difficult decision, deepen their own understanding, or to build teams around shared values.

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Book SynopsisThis much-needed volume is an edited collection of primary sources that document the history of bilingual education in U.S. public schools during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Part I of the volume examines the development of dual-language programs for immigrants, colonized Mexicans, and Native Americans during the nineteenth century. Part II considers the attacks on bilingual education during the Progressive-era drive for an English-only curriculum and during the First World War. Part III explores the resurgence of bilingual activities, particularly among Spanish speakers and Native Americans, during the interwar period and details the rise of the federal government’s involvement in bilingual instruction during the post-WWII decades. Part IV of the volume examines the recent campaigns against bilingual education and explores dual-language practices in today’s classrooms. A compilation of school reports, letters, government documents, and other primary sources, this volume provides rich insights into the history of this very contentious educational policy and practice and will be of great interest to historians and language scholars, as well as to educational practitioners and policymakers.

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Book SynopsisAs the title of this book suggests, how we understand, perceive and experience democracy may have a significant effect on how we actually engage in, and with, democracy. Within the educational context, this is a key concern, and forms the basis of the research presented in this volume within a critical, comparative analysis. The Global Doing Democracy Research Project (GDDRP), which currently has some 70 scholars in over 20 countries examining how educators do democracy, provides the framework in which diverse scholars explore a host of concerns related to democracy and democratic education, including the impact of neoliberalism, political literacy, critical engagement, teaching and learning for and about democracy, social justice, and the meaning of power/power relations within the educational context. Ultimately, the contributors of this book collectively ask: can there be democracy without a critically engaged education, and, importantly, what role do educators play in this context and process? Why many educators in diverse contexts believe that they are unable, dissuaded and/or prevented from doing thick democratic education is problematised in this book but the authors also seek to illustrate that, despite the challenges, barriers and concerns about doing democracy in education, something can, and should, be done to develop, cultivate and ingratiate schools and society with more meaningful democratic practices and processes. This book breaks new ground by using a similar empirical methodology within a number of international contexts to gage the democratic sentiments and actions of educators, which raises a host of questions about epistemology, teacher education, policy development, pedagogy, institutional cultures, conscientisation, and the potential for transformational change in education.

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Book SynopsisMathematics and Science education have both grown in fertile directions in different geographic regions. Yet, the mainstream discourse in international handbooks does not lend voice to developments in cognition, curriculum, teacher development, assessment, policy and implementation of mathematics and science in many countries. Paradoxically, in spite of advances in information technology and the “flat earth” syndrome, old distinctions and biases between different groups of researcher’s persist. In addition limited accessibility to conferences and journals also contribute to this problem. The International Sourcebooks in Mathematics and Science Education focus on under-represented regions of the world and provides a platform for researchers to showcase their research and development in areas within mathematics and science education. The First Sourcebook on Asian Research in Mathematics Education: China, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and India provides the first synthesised treatment of mathematics education that has both developed and is now prominently emerging in the Asian and South Asian world. The book is organised in sections coordinated by leaders in mathematics education in these countries and editorial teams for each country affiliated with them. The purpose of unique sourcebook is to both consolidate and survey the established body of research in these countries with findings that have influenced ongoing research agendas and informed practices in Europe, North America (and other countries) in addition to serving as a platform to showcase existing research that has shaped teacher education, curricula and policy in these Asian countries. The book will serve as a standard reference for mathematics education researchers, policy makers, practitioners and students both in and outside Asia, and complement the Nordic and NCTM perspectives.

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Book SynopsisMathematics and Science education have both grown in fertile directions in different geographic regions. Yet, the mainstream discourse in international handbooks does not lend voice to developments in cognition, curriculum, teacher development, assessment, policy and implementation of mathematics and science in many countries. Paradoxically, in spite of advances in information technology and the “flat earth” syndrome, old distinctions and biases between different groups of researcher’s persist. In addition limited accessibility to conferences and journals also contribute to this problem. The International Sourcebooks in Mathematics and Science Education focus on under-represented regions of the world and provides a platform for researchers to showcase their research and development in areas within mathematics and science education. The First Sourcebook on Asian Research in Mathematics Education: China, Korea, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and India provides the first synthesised treatment of mathematics education that has both developed and is now prominently emerging in the Asian and South Asian world. The book is organised in sections coordinated by leaders in mathematics education in these countries and editorial teams for each country affiliated with them. The purpose of unique sourcebook is to both consolidate and survey the established body of research in these countries with findings that have influenced ongoing research agendas and informed practices in Europe, North America (and other countries) in addition to serving as a platform to showcase existing research that has shaped teacher education, curricula and policy in these Asian countries. The book will serve as a standard reference for mathematics education researchers, policy makers, practitioners and students both in and outside Asia, and complement the Nordic and NCTM perspectives.

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Book SynopsisWith awareness of both the opportunities and challenges presented by globalisation, there is a growing trend among colleges and universities across the country to commit goals and resources to the concept of internationalising their campuses. This can occur in a number of different ways but a common thread involves exploring the concept of global citizenship and finding ways to embed this concept in undergraduate curricula. For faculty, this may call for moving out of a presumed comfort zone in the traditional classroom and determining new approaches to teaching a generation of students who will live and work in a more global context. A method for accomplishing this work that is growing in popularity involves offering short-term, faculty-led field courses to international settings. In fact, today more college students are participating in such short-term study abroad opportunities than the more traditional semester and/or yearlong programs. Faculty and administrators who want to capitalise on short-term, study abroad programs as a means for internationalising their campuses need practical resources to help them realise this challenging but important goal. They not only need support in developing the course curricula and logistics, but also in constructing authentic means for assessing the multi-faceted learning that occurs. Short-term international programs, when carefully planned and executed, engage the participants (both students and faculty) in unique learning experiences that can involve service, research, and critical analysis of what it truly means to be a global citizen. Such work helps define the somewhat nebulous but worthy goals of internationalising campuses and fostering global citizenship. The authors of this text are professional educators with deep experience in global education and curriculum development. They offer a valuable resource for the development, execution and assessment of faculty-led international field courses that is at once theoretical, practical and motivational. Whether readers are considering offering an international field program for the first time and need guidance; are veteran field course leaders who would like to take their work to the next level; or are administrators attempting to encourage and provide needed support for faculty-led international programs, this book will prove invaluable.

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Book SynopsisWith awareness of both the opportunities and challenges presented by globalisation, there is a growing trend among colleges and universities across the country to commit goals and resources to the concept of internationalising their campuses. This can occur in a number of different ways but a common thread involves exploring the concept of global citizenship and finding ways to embed this concept in undergraduate curricula. For faculty, this may call for moving out of a presumed comfort zone in the traditional classroom and determining new approaches to teaching a generation of students who will live and work in a more global context. A method for accomplishing this work that is growing in popularity involves offering short-term, faculty-led field courses to international settings. In fact, today more college students are participating in such short-term study abroad opportunities than the more traditional semester and/or yearlong programs. Faculty and administrators who want to capitalise on short-term, study abroad programs as a means for internationalising their campuses need practical resources to help them realise this challenging but important goal. They not only need support in developing the course curricula and logistics, but also in constructing authentic means for assessing the multi-faceted learning that occurs. Short-term international programs, when carefully planned and executed, engage the participants (both students and faculty) in unique learning experiences that can involve service, research, and critical analysis of what it truly means to be a global citizen. Such work helps define the somewhat nebulous but worthy goals of internationalising campuses and fostering global citizenship. The authors of this text are professional educators with deep experience in global education and curriculum development. They offer a valuable resource for the development, execution and assessment of faculty-led international field courses that is at once theoretical, practical and motivational. Whether readers are considering offering an international field program for the first time and need guidance; are veteran field course leaders who would like to take their work to the next level; or are administrators attempting to encourage and provide needed support for faculty-led international programs, this book will prove invaluable.

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Book SynopsisChallenges of work-life balance in the academy stem from policies and practices which remain from the time when higher education was populated mostly by married White male faculty. Those faculty were successful in their academic work because they depended upon the support of their wives to manage many of the not-work aspects of their lives. Imagine a tweedy middle-aged white man, coming home from the university to greet his wife and children and eat the dinner she’s prepared for him, and then disappearing into his study for the rest of the evening with his pipe to write and think great thoughts. If that professor ever existed, he is now emeritus.Juggling Flaming Chainsaws is the first book in a new series with Information Age Publishing on these challenges of managing academic work and not-work. It uses the methodology of autoethnography to introduce the work-life issues faced by scholars in educational leadership. While the experiences of scholars in this volume are echoed across other fields in higher education, educational leadership is unique because of its emphasis on preparing people for leadership roles within higher education and for preK-12 schools. Authors include people at different places on their career and life course trajectory, people who are partnered and single, gay and straight, with children and without, caring for elders, and managing illness. They hail from different geographic areas of the nation, different ethnic backgrounds, and different types of institutions. What all have in common is commitment to engaging with this topic, to reflecting deeply upon their own experience, and to sharing that experience with the rest of us.

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Book SynopsisThis book originates from a collaborative research initiative to examine how various societies in the Asia-Pacific Region construct moral and civic education, and to what extent these systems achieve the democratic objective of creating socially responsible citizens. In many western societies there is at least a rhetorical tendency to separate the moral and civic dimensions of citizenship education, and in some cases to exclude the moral dimension from the discourse of preparing citizens.However, as cross-societal dialogues and research about citizenship education have increased in the past two decades, scholars have identified differences in the emphasis put on the moral dimension of citizenship education across the Asia-Pacific region. In many predominantly Confucian, Islamic and Buddhist societies, for example, the emphasis on the moral dimension of citizenship education is explicit, and in some cases, central. While awareness of a divide, or perhaps more appropriately a continuum in the role of moral versus civic education in democratic societies has been recognized for some time, to our knowledge this book marks the first effort of this scope to address the issue of the moral/civic divide in citizenship education. Thus, through a cross-cultural dialogue across societies in the Asia-Pacific Region, this book addresses the issue of whether elements of both civic and moral education can be effectively joined to create a “socially responsible” citizen.

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Book SynopsisThis book originates from a collaborative research initiative to examine how various societies in the Asia-Pacific Region construct moral and civic education, and to what extent these systems achieve the democratic objective of creating socially responsible citizens. In many western societies there is at least a rhetorical tendency to separate the moral and civic dimensions of citizenship education, and in some cases to exclude the moral dimension from the discourse of preparing citizens.However, as cross-societal dialogues and research about citizenship education have increased in the past two decades, scholars have identified differences in the emphasis put on the moral dimension of citizenship education across the Asia-Pacific region. In many predominantly Confucian, Islamic and Buddhist societies, for example, the emphasis on the moral dimension of citizenship education is explicit, and in some cases, central. While awareness of a divide, or perhaps more appropriately a continuum in the role of moral versus civic education in democratic societies has been recognized for some time, to our knowledge this book marks the first effort of this scope to address the issue of the moral/civic divide in citizenship education. Thus, through a cross-cultural dialogue across societies in the Asia-Pacific Region, this book addresses the issue of whether elements of both civic and moral education can be effectively joined to create a “socially responsible” citizen.

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Book SynopsisThe "Boy Crisis" is cited often in educational and news reports due to the consistent reading achievement gap for boys and the statistics paint a dismal picture of boys in school. Politicians and researchers often focus on boys' low scores on reading achievement tests and compare these scores to the girls' scores with little consideration for the actual reading lives of boys. As a result, adolescent boys' vernacular reading is most often misunderstood. This book documents my journey as a mother of three boys and teacher of adolescents, as I attempt to articulate both the in-school and out-of-school experiences of boys. The book describes my attempts at creating a more complete picture of the reading lives and experiences of adolescent boys by describing three boys and their reading experiences in their natural contexts. It provides a rich description, revealing disconnects between school literacy practices and boys' vernacular literacy practices. In this book, parents, administrators, and teachers will find discover the complexity of boys as readers, challenging educators to pursue effective practice and curricular decisions which go beyond the quick fixes for "the boy problem" so often seen in response to low test scores. This book provides parents, administrators, and teachers with an in-depth description of three boy readers. What emerges is a description of the complexity of boys as readers, challenging educators to pursue effective practice and curricular decisions which go beyond the quick fixes for "the boy problem" so often seen in response to low test scores. Teachers interested in mentoring boy readers will find this book helpful. This book can also be used with pre-service and in-service teachers, in undergraduate and graduate courses, and in professional development.

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Book SynopsisThe "Boy Crisis" is cited often in educational and news reports due to the consistent reading achievement gap for boys and the statistics paint a dismal picture of boys in school. Politicians and researchers often focus on boys' low scores on reading achievement tests and compare these scores to the girls' scores with little consideration for the actual reading lives of boys. As a result, adolescent boys' vernacular reading is most often misunderstood. This book documents my journey as a mother of three boys and teacher of adolescents, as I attempt to articulate both the in-school and out-of-school experiences of boys. The book describes my attempts at creating a more complete picture of the reading lives and experiences of adolescent boys by describing three boys and their reading experiences in their natural contexts. It provides a rich description, revealing disconnects between school literacy practices and boys' vernacular literacy practices. In this book, parents, administrators, and teachers will find discover the complexity of boys as readers, challenging educators to pursue effective practice and curricular decisions which go beyond the quick fixes for "the boy problem" so often seen in response to low test scores. This book provides parents, administrators, and teachers with an in-depth description of three boy readers. What emerges is a description of the complexity of boys as readers, challenging educators to pursue effective practice and curricular decisions which go beyond the quick fixes for "the boy problem" so often seen in response to low test scores. Teachers interested in mentoring boy readers will find this book helpful. This book can also be used with pre-service and in-service teachers, in undergraduate and graduate courses, and in professional development.

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Book SynopsisThrough rapid developments in commerce, transportation and communication, people once separated by space, language and politics are now interwoven into a complex global system (Friedman, 2005). With the rise of new technology, local populations, businesses and states are better equipped to participate and act in a thriving international environment. Rising instability in the Middle East is immediately reported to oil and gas brokers in the U.S. Within seconds cable channels, iPods, social networking sites, and cell phones are relaying how protests in Egypt and Libya give hope to citizens around the world yearning for freedom. As events like 9/11 and the 2008 Financial Crisis have demonstrated, there is no retreating from the interconnectedness of the global system. As societies strive to empower citizens with the skills, understandings and dispositions needed to operate in an interconnected global age, teachers are being encouraged to help students use technologies to develop new knowledge and foster cross cultural understandings.As pressures mount for society to equip today’s youth with both the global and digital understandings necessary to confront the challenges of the 21st century, a more thorough analysis must be undertaken to examine the role of technology on student learning (Peters, 2009). This work will highlight the complex, contested, and contingent ways new technologies are being used by today’s youth in a digital and global age. This text will present audiences with in-demand research that investigates the ways in which student use of technology mediates and complicates their learning about the world, its people, and global issues.

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Book SynopsisThrough rapid developments in commerce, transportation and communication, people once separated by space, language and politics are now interwoven into a complex global system (Friedman, 2005). With the rise of new technology, local populations, businesses and states are better equipped to participate and act in a thriving international environment. Rising instability in the Middle East is immediately reported to oil and gas brokers in the U.S. Within seconds cable channels, iPods, social networking sites, and cell phones are relaying how protests in Egypt and Libya give hope to citizens around the world yearning for freedom. As events like 9/11 and the 2008 Financial Crisis have demonstrated, there is no retreating from the interconnectedness of the global system. As societies strive to empower citizens with the skills, understandings and dispositions needed to operate in an interconnected global age, teachers are being encouraged to help students use technologies to develop new knowledge and foster cross cultural understandings.As pressures mount for society to equip today’s youth with both the global and digital understandings necessary to confront the challenges of the 21st century, a more thorough analysis must be undertaken to examine the role of technology on student learning (Peters, 2009). This work will highlight the complex, contested, and contingent ways new technologies are being used by today’s youth in a digital and global age. This text will present audiences with in-demand research that investigates the ways in which student use of technology mediates and complicates their learning about the world, its people, and global issues.

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Book Synopsis2012 marks ten years of No Child Left Behind and the U.S. federal government's official designation of what qualifies as ""scientifically based research"" (SBR) in education. Combined, these two policies have resulted in a narrowing of education via standardisation and high stakes testing (Au, 2007) as well as the curtailment of forms of inquiry that are deemed legitimate for examining education (Wright, 2006). While there has been much debate about the benefits and limitations of the NCLB legislation (e.g., Au, 2010) and SBR (e.g., Eisenhart & Towne, 2003), critical researchers have held strong to their position: The reductionistic narrowing of education curricula and educational research cannot solve the present and historical inequities in society and education (Shields, 2012). Contrarily, reductionism (via standardisation and/or methodological prescription) exacerbates the challenges we face because it effectively erases the epistemological, ontological, and axiological diversity necessary for disrupting hegemonic social structures that lie at the root of human suffering (Kincheloe, 2004). Not only has NCLB proven incapable of overcoming inequalities, but there seems to be sufficient evidence to suggest it was never really intended to eliminate poverty and human suffering. That is, it seems NCLB, despite its lofty title and public discourse, is actually designed to advance the agenda of handing public education over to for-profit corporations to manage and privatise thereby intensifying the capitalist class' war on those who rely on a wage to survive (Malott, 2010). In the present ethos, reductionism upholds and retrenches the status quo (i.e. the basic structures of power), and it puts at risk education and educational research as means of working toward social justice (Biesta, 2007). Because social justice can be interpreted in multiple ways, we might note that we understand critical social justice as oriented toward action and social change. Thus, critical education and research may have potential to contribute to a number of social justice imperatives, such as: redistributing land from the neo-colonising settler-state to Indigenous peoples, halting exploitative labour relations and hazardous working conditions for wage-earners, and engaging in reparations with formerly enslaved communities.

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Book Synopsis2012 marks ten years of No Child Left Behind and the U.S. federal government's official designation of what qualifies as ""scientifically based research"" (SBR) in education. Combined, these two policies have resulted in a narrowing of education via standardisation and high stakes testing (Au, 2007) as well as the curtailment of forms of inquiry that are deemed legitimate for examining education (Wright, 2006). While there has been much debate about the benefits and limitations of the NCLB legislation (e.g., Au, 2010) and SBR (e.g., Eisenhart & Towne, 2003), critical researchers have held strong to their position: The reductionistic narrowing of education curricula and educational research cannot solve the present and historical inequities in society and education (Shields, 2012). Contrarily, reductionism (via standardisation and/or methodological prescription) exacerbates the challenges we face because it effectively erases the epistemological, ontological, and axiological diversity necessary for disrupting hegemonic social structures that lie at the root of human suffering (Kincheloe, 2004). Not only has NCLB proven incapable of overcoming inequalities, but there seems to be sufficient evidence to suggest it was never really intended to eliminate poverty and human suffering. That is, it seems NCLB, despite its lofty title and public discourse, is actually designed to advance the agenda of handing public education over to for-profit corporations to manage and privatise thereby intensifying the capitalist class' war on those who rely on a wage to survive (Malott, 2010). In the present ethos, reductionism upholds and retrenches the status quo (i.e. the basic structures of power), and it puts at risk education and educational research as means of working toward social justice (Biesta, 2007). Because social justice can be interpreted in multiple ways, we might note that we understand critical social justice as oriented toward action and social change. Thus, critical education and research may have potential to contribute to a number of social justice imperatives, such as: redistributing land from the neo-colonising settler-state to Indigenous peoples, halting exploitative labour relations and hazardous working conditions for wage-earners, and engaging in reparations with formerly enslaved communities.

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Book SynopsisWhat is the purpose of public education? What is the value of taxpayer supported public schools? Who is invited to answer these questions? Except among policymakers, few publicly answer or debate these questions. Instead, the neoliberal forces of competition and deregulation seem to be driving education decision-making. The formal education system is seen as a tool for personal and national economic growth. Much of the education policy debate is centred on how to attain academic success as measured by standardised high stakes tests and evaluations. But, how to educate children and youth is a second order question. The first question must be ‘what is the purpose of schooling, and is it limited to the presumed answer that it is to prepare workers so our nations can sustain economic superiority?’ Students, parents, teachers, business people, artists, retirees, First Nations people, military veteran, and religious professionals are not typically invited to answer these questions – despite their stake in educational outcomes. Twenty-four such people, including professional educational policy makers and scholars, offer their thoughts in these essays from the US and Canada. The intended audience for this volume includes all who are concerned with the future of public schools in both nations.

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Book SynopsisWhat is the purpose of public education? What is the value of taxpayer supported public schools? Who is invited to answer these questions? Except among policymakers, few publicly answer or debate these questions. Instead, the neoliberal forces of competition and deregulation seem to be driving education decision-making. The formal education system is seen as a tool for personal and national economic growth. Much of the education policy debate is centred on how to attain academic success as measured by standardised high stakes tests and evaluations. But, how to educate children and youth is a second order question. The first question must be ‘what is the purpose of schooling, and is it limited to the presumed answer that it is to prepare workers so our nations can sustain economic superiority?’ Students, parents, teachers, business people, artists, retirees, First Nations people, military veteran, and religious professionals are not typically invited to answer these questions – despite their stake in educational outcomes. Twenty-four such people, including professional educational policy makers and scholars, offer their thoughts in these essays from the US and Canada. The intended audience for this volume includes all who are concerned with the future of public schools in both nations.

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Book SynopsisTeaching is not merely a technical process- it is one that requires creative and inspirational thinking, not only on the part of students but for teachers themselves as artful, reflective beings. The purpose of this book is to provide educators with creative experiences which unlock their imaginative potential so they can re-envision their curriculum to promote active learning, culturally relevant pedagogy, and differentiated instruction. This book guides the reader through a series of experiences intended to tap into the right side of the brain, and provide educators opportunities to re-imagine their existing curriculum in new ways. Through this re-imaging (or re-envisioning) of the creative potential within themselves, teachers can redesign their curricula in ways that best meet the needs of their learners, schools, and communities. This book emphasises creativity in teaching as a collaborative effort. The experiences and ideas presented in this book are intended to inspire small groups or whole communities (including schools) to work together and support each other in their creative efforts. Creativity does not just exist for individuals in isolated contemplation but resides instead in the relational work that community members create together toward a shared vision. In order to encourage imaginative students who will have the capacities to see the world, not merely as it is, but as it could be, we need to encourage teachers to tap into their creative imaginative capacities to teach as well. Such work cannot be performed in isolation. Creative social change requires that we imagine together that which we cannot do alone.

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Book SynopsisTeaching is not merely a technical process- it is one that requires creative and inspirational thinking, not only on the part of students but for teachers themselves as artful, reflective beings. The purpose of this book is to provide educators with creative experiences which unlock their imaginative potential so they can re-envision their curriculum to promote active learning, culturally relevant pedagogy, and differentiated instruction. This book guides the reader through a series of experiences intended to tap into the right side of the brain, and provide educators opportunities to re-imagine their existing curriculum in new ways. Through this re-imaging (or re-envisioning) of the creative potential within themselves, teachers can redesign their curricula in ways that best meet the needs of their learners, schools, and communities. This book emphasises creativity in teaching as a collaborative effort. The experiences and ideas presented in this book are intended to inspire small groups or whole communities (including schools) to work together and support each other in their creative efforts. Creativity does not just exist for individuals in isolated contemplation but resides instead in the relational work that community members create together toward a shared vision. In order to encourage imaginative students who will have the capacities to see the world, not merely as it is, but as it could be, we need to encourage teachers to tap into their creative imaginative capacities to teach as well. Such work cannot be performed in isolation. Creative social change requires that we imagine together that which we cannot do alone.

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Book SynopsisToo often teachers and students doubt their own abilities to forge collective work and dynamic critical learning in the midst of education reform practices that limit their opportunities to do so. This doubt can be heightened for elementary school teachers or even their students who are led to believe that they are not capable of engaging critically with their education and their world. The Problem-Solution Project erases this doubt through merging service-learning, critical pedagogy, and constructivism. This approach to teaching and learning is designed to empower teachers and students while they meet curriculum standards and actively contribute to the transformation of their world.Unique to this collection are the reported experiences of teacher educators who implement Problem-Solution Projects in their courses; preservice teachers’ reflections on cohort-driven Problem-Solution Projects; and first-year and veteran teachers stories featuring Problem-Solution Projects initiated by their PK-5 students.Features include: Describes how Problem-Solution Projects advance service-learning and critical pedagogy. Discussion of how Problem-Solution Projects build on curriculum standards but resists standardization of implementation and repressive education reforms. First-hand accounts of teachers implementing Problem-Solution Projects. Detailed description of the steps and outcomes of doing Problem-Solution Projects with preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and elementary students. . Examples of Problem-Solution Projects across courses, subjects, disciplines, and contexts. Readers will find worthwhile the theoretical connections and the practical applications. Service-learning, urban education, multicultural education and teacher education, teacher preparation practitioners will find this text beneficial. The main audience: teacher educators across disciplines, pre- and in-service teachers working in elementary (PK-5) settings.

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Book SynopsisToo often teachers and students doubt their own abilities to forge collective work and dynamic critical learning in the midst of education reform practices that limit their opportunities to do so. This doubt can be heightened for elementary school teachers or even their students who are led to believe that they are not capable of engaging critically with their education and their world. The Problem-Solution Project erases this doubt through merging service-learning, critical pedagogy, and constructivism. This approach to teaching and learning is designed to empower teachers and students while they meet curriculum standards and actively contribute to the transformation of their world.Unique to this collection are the reported experiences of teacher educators who implement Problem-Solution Projects in their courses; preservice teachers’ reflections on cohort-driven Problem-Solution Projects; and first-year and veteran teachers stories featuring Problem-Solution Projects initiated by their PK-5 students.Features include: Describes how Problem-Solution Projects advance service-learning and critical pedagogy. Discussion of how Problem-Solution Projects build on curriculum standards but resists standardization of implementation and repressive education reforms. First-hand accounts of teachers implementing Problem-Solution Projects. Detailed description of the steps and outcomes of doing Problem-Solution Projects with preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and elementary students. . Examples of Problem-Solution Projects across courses, subjects, disciplines, and contexts. Readers will find worthwhile the theoretical connections and the practical applications. Service-learning, urban education, multicultural education and teacher education, teacher preparation practitioners will find this text beneficial. The main audience: teacher educators across disciplines, pre- and in-service teachers working in elementary (PK-5) settings.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisGlobalization has a profound effect on the mission and goals of education worldwide. One of its most visible manifestations is the worldwide endorsement of the idea of “education for global citizenship,” which has been enthusiastically supported by national governments, politicians, and policy-makers across different nations. Increasingly, the educational institutions feel under pressure to respond to globalization forces by preparing students to engage competitively and successfully with this new realm, lest their nations be left in the dust. What is the role of international schools in implementing the idea of “education for global citizenship”? How do these schools create a culturally unbiased global curriculum when the adopted models have been developed by Western societies and at the very least are replete with (Western) cultural values, traditions, and biases?This collection of essays attempts to grapple with these complex issues, while highlighting that culture and politics closely intertwine with schooling and curriculum as parents, administrators, teachers, and students of different backgrounds and interests negotiate definitions of self and each other to construct knowledge in particular contexts. The goal is to examine the complexity of factors that drive the global demand for “education for global citizenship” and de-construct the contested nature of “global citizenship” by examining how the phenomenon is understood, interpreted, and modified in different cultural settings. The authors provide not only a thick description of their cases, but also a critical assessment of various attempts to initiate and implement educational reforms aimed at the development of globally-minded citizens in various national settings.

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Book SynopsisGlobalization has a profound effect on the mission and goals of education worldwide. One of its most visible manifestations is the worldwide endorsement of the idea of “education for global citizenship,” which has been enthusiastically supported by national governments, politicians, and policy-makers across different nations. Increasingly, the educational institutions feel under pressure to respond to globalization forces by preparing students to engage competitively and successfully with this new realm, lest their nations be left in the dust. What is the role of international schools in implementing the idea of “education for global citizenship”? How do these schools create a culturally unbiased global curriculum when the adopted models have been developed by Western societies and at the very least are replete with (Western) cultural values, traditions, and biases?This collection of essays attempts to grapple with these complex issues, while highlighting that culture and politics closely intertwine with schooling and curriculum as parents, administrators, teachers, and students of different backgrounds and interests negotiate definitions of self and each other to construct knowledge in particular contexts. The goal is to examine the complexity of factors that drive the global demand for “education for global citizenship” and de-construct the contested nature of “global citizenship” by examining how the phenomenon is understood, interpreted, and modified in different cultural settings. The authors provide not only a thick description of their cases, but also a critical assessment of various attempts to initiate and implement educational reforms aimed at the development of globally-minded citizens in various national settings.

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Book SynopsisWhile social identity challenges probably confront all school administrators, the authors focus on a doubly marginalized leadership population—Black female principals—whose experiences are rarely tapped. Based on lessons from this study and the literature reviewed, the authors think that leadership preparation programs should give prospective administrators opportunities to gain knowledge and develop skills relevant to navigating their leadership identities.In the age of accountability, and with the pressures placed on the education system to ensure the success of all students, school leaders are under constant scrutiny. The appearance, speech, body language, and interactions of principals with students, parents, teachers, and community members are dissected. Stretching to satisfy expectations, many principals find themselves trying to conform to a predefined image. Work pressures like these prove immeasurably intense for many Black women. Society has subscribed to certain beliefs about different groups, and these beliefs affect the roles, responsibilities, and identities of the individuals. They can have a positive or negative influence.Many principals have created professional identities that they have fine-tuned and learned to steer. Trial and error has helped them learn identity-fitting techniques, while other principals may still be learning how to effectively manage people, address supporters and nonsupporters, and be politically savvy. Regardless of how they develop their identity, principals work toward inventing and branding themselves, fulfilling public identities (e.g., caregiver) and trying out new identities, such as commander-and-chief. Black female principals must navigate their identities as bicultural beings with different stakeholder groups and within work spaces that are traditionally geared to monocultural White males.

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