Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Professional Development Resources










10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know by Jeff Anderson
“Whether writing a blog entry or a high-stakes test essay, fiction or nonfiction, short story or argumentation, students need to know certain things in order to write effectively. In 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know, Jeff Anderson focuses on developing the concepts and application of ten essential aspects of good writing--motion, models, focus, detail, form, frames, cohesion, energy, words, and clutter.” –Publisher.

Engaging the DisEngaged by Beth Charlton
“This book discusses how disengagement can affect the performance of all students and how it leads to students who are ‘doing school,’ rather than engaging in the process. It challenges educators to view students from the perspective of what they ‘can do’ rather than what they ‘can’t do.’ It recognizes the importance of acknowledging what each person brings to the learning situation and shares poignant moments of unanticipated learning and re-engagement.” –Publisher.

Enriching Comprehension with Visualization Strategies by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm
This book provides a wealth of enactment techniques that help students apply their social, physical, and intellectual selves to the books they read to help improve their comprehension. Includes a range of visualization strategies that teach students to picture scenes, events, settings, characters, and ideas. The accompanying DVD demonstrates visualization techniques at work in classrooms, as well as forms and PDFs.

Igniting A Passion For Reading by Steven L. Layne
“Steve Layne shows teachers practical ways to engage and inspire readers from kindergarten through high school, to develop readers who are not only motivated to read great books, but also love reading in its own right.” –Publisher.

iWrite: Using Blogs, Wikis, and Digital Stories in the English Classroom by Dana J. Wilber
In iWrite, Dana shows you how to guide students through the complexity of new literacies, including: how to discern between media; how to account for audience and voice; how to choose appropriate genre; and how to harness what they already know to be more successful in school. –Summary.

PowerPoint for Teachers by Ellen Finkelstein and Pavel Samsonov
This was written for teachers who want to use PowerPoint in the classroom to enhance your presentations, teach your students how to use the application, and create interactive educational projects. –Summary.

Successful Inclusion for Students with Autism by Sonla R. deBoer
Many students with autism spectrum disorders are being taught in mainstream classrooms for at least part of the school day, yet teachers receive little to no training on how to successfully include these children. Educators need a roadmap showing them how to set up an effective inclusion program for their students with autism. –Summary.

The Art of Slow Reading: Six Time-Honored Practices by Thomas Newkirk
“This book rests on a simple but powerful belief-that good readers practice the art of paying attention. Building on memoir, research, and many examples of classroom practice, Thomas Newkirk, recuperates six time-honored practices of reading-performance, memorization, centering, problem-finding, reading like a writer, and elaboration-to help readers engage in thoughtful, attentive reading.” –Publisher.

Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome: Fast Facts by Emily Burrows and Sheila Wagner
The purpose of this guide is to help educators become acquainted with identifying and meeting the needs of the student with Asperger's Syndrome. –Summary.

Unleashing the Potential of the Teenage Brain: 10 Powerful Ideas by Barry Corbin
Provides teachers with specific guidelines to establish an optimal learning environment for teenagers and offers case studies that illustrate how to translate theory into workable classroom practice. –Summary.