ACEL Books of the Week

The Purposes of Education
The Purposes of Education
The Purposes of Education

A Conversation Between John Hattie and Steen Nepper Larsen

By John Hattie, Steen Nepper Larsen

What are the purposes of education and what is the relationship between educational research and policy? Using the twin lenses of Visible Learning and educational philosophy these are among the many fascinating topics discussed in extended conversations between John Hattie and Steen Nepper Larsen. This wide-ranging, and informative book offers fundamental propositions about the nature of Education. It maps out in fascinating detail a coming together of Hattie’s empirical data and world-famous Visible Learning paradigm with the rich heritage of educational philosophy. As well as exploring the inevitable questions of the purpose of education and the development of students in a learning society.

Part clash of cultures, part meeting of minds, always fascinating and illuminating, this intriguing book will inspire teachers, students and parents at all levels of the educational system – from kindergarten through school to university.

Conversations include:

What is the purpose of education?

Does educational data speak for itself?

What is the role of the teacher?

Is learning a visible phenomenon?

Is it important to teach and learn specific subjects?

What is the role of Neuroscience research?

What is the relationship between educational research and educational politics?

What is the role of the state in education?

272 Pages | Pbk | Published May 2020
30.00
The Communication Effect
The Communication Effect
The Communication Effect :
How to Enhance Learning by Building Ideas and Bridging Information Gaps

Jeff Zwiers


The "communication effect" is what happens when we saturate our classrooms with authentic communication, which occurs when students use language to build up ideas and do meaningful things. For starters, authentic communication deepens and increases language development, learning of content concepts and skills, rigor and engagement, empathy and understanding of others' perspectives, agency and ownership of core ideas across disciplines, and social and emotional skills for building strong relationships. And these are just the starters.

With The Communication Effect, Dr. Jeff Zwiers challenges teachers in Grades 3 and up to focus less on breadth and more on depth by grounding instruction and assessment in authentic (rather than pseudo-) communication. This book provides:

Ideas for cultivating classroom cultures in which authentic communication thrives Clear descriptions and examples of the three features of authentic communication: 1. building up key ideas (claims and concepts); 2. clarifying terms and supporting ideas; and 3. creating and filling information gaps Over 175 suggestions for using the three features of authentic communication to enhance twenty commonly used instructional activities across disciplines Additional examples of not-so-commonly-used activities that embody the three features Suggestions for improving four different types of teacher creativity needed to design effective lessons, activities, and assessments that maximize authentic communication
Our students deserve to get the most out of each minute of each lesson. Authentic communication can help. As you read The Communication Effect and apply its ideas, you will see how much better equipped and inspired your students are to grow into the amazing and gifted people that they were meant to become.

208 Pages | Pbk
Discounted member price: 41.00
42.00
You could save: 2.4%
Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement
Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement
Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement

By: Victoria L. Bernhardt

Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement provides a new definition of school improvement, away from a singular focus on compliance, toward a true commitment to excellence. This book is a call to action. It is about inspiring schools and school districts to commit to continuous school improvement by providing a framework that will result in improving teaching for every teacher and learning for every student through the comprehensive use of data. A culmination of over 30 years of doing the hard work in schools and districts both nationally and internationally, Data Analysis for Continuous School Improvement shares new, evidence-based learnings about how to analyze, report, communicate, and use multiple measures of data. The updated edition provides a wealth of tools, protocols, timelines, examples, and strategies that will help schools and districts become genuine learning organizations.

Industry Reviews

"I have experienced the transformational, team empowering breakthrough of going full circle with the 'Continuous School Improvement Framework' using the 4th Edition's updated tools and information. Commitment to the comprehensive framework and wealth of ideas as outlined in the book is key to: building data literacy, developing the team's clear, shared vision for success, tracking the progress of all students in alignment with curriculum expectations, and monitoring the effectiveness of programs and processes for sustained learning and improvement."

--Helene Boudreau, Educator, Ontario, Canada

"Schools today are being held accountable for every child's learning. As education leaders, we must learn how to design and implement a data-driven instructional system to facilitate sustained, measurable learning on the part of all students. This book is an excellent resource to assist school improvement teams in this effort."

Reviewed by Diane E. Reed, associate professor and director, Graduate Educational Leadership Program, St. Fisher College, Rochester N.Y. Full review published in School Administrator magazine, June 2018.

PBK | 414 Pages | Routledge
Discounted member price: 60.00
65.00
You could save: 7.7%
The Essential 55
The Essential 55
The Essential 55

By: Ron Clark

Now in paperback, Ron Clark's New York Times bestseller that's changing America one child at a time!

The runaway bestseller that's a must-have for every parent and teacher. How many authors would travel coast to coast on a bus to get their book into as many hands as possible? Not many. But that's just what Ron Clark, author ofThe Essential 55, did to keep his book and message in the public eye. And it worked. After hisOprah appearance, sales skyrocketed: we've sold more than 850,000 copies in six months! The book sat tenaciously on theNew York Times bestseller list for 11 weeks. Ron Clark was featured on theToday show, and in the Chicago Tribune, Good Housekeeping, and the New YorkDaily News--not to mention the calls we've received from teachers and parents who want to get their hands on Ron's guidelines for teaching children.

Now in paperback, The Essential 55 will be the perfect book for parents and teachers to slip into their own backpacks, to read on the train or at lunch, and to highlight the sections that resonate for them. And with an author who is truly a partner in getting his message to the masses, we just can't lose.

PBK | 224 Pages | Corwin
23.00
Blended Learning in Action
Blended Learning in Action
Blended Learning in Action: A Practical Guide Toward Sustainable Change

Authors - Catlin Tucker, Tiffany Wycoff and Jason Green

Blended Learning in Action supports teachers, teacher leaders, and schools as they shift to a blended learning model. Blended learning has several advantages over traditional instruction if technology is used to effectively engage students in active learning both inside the classroom and online. Blended learning allows for more communication and collaboration both synchronously and asynchronously, creates more opportunities for students to drive their own learning, provides teachers with more time to work one-on-one or in small groups to differentiate and personalize learning while providing more timely feedback. This transition to blended learning requires a fundamentally new approach to learning as well as a new skillset for both teachers and school leaders. The shift from traditional instruction to a blended model is a delicate process with many moving parts, which requires all stakeholders in a school community work together.

This book demystifies blended learning for teachers and schools looking for alternatives to a traditional approach to teaching. The educational landscape is changing, but teachers and schools need practical resources to help them navigate these changes so that they are exciting, not scary. This book includes research, examples, anecdotes, and resources gathered from the authors' work as well as interviews with teachers and school leaders using different blended models.
Discounted member price: 64.00
66.00
You could save: 3.0%