Education: Teaching Technology, Making Better Writers, and Developing a Professional Portfoilio

New books for current and future teachers!

A Teacher's Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom (BOOK): by Karen S. Ivers

“Straightforward methods to integrate technology in the classroom are introduced in this title.”–Curriculum Connections/Supplement to School Library Journal

“Knowing that it is difficult to incorporate technology effectively, let alone keep up with the trends, Karen S. Ivers offers advice in A Teacher's Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom.”–Christian School Teacher

Another Kind of Public Education: Race, Schools, the Media, and Democratic Possibilities (BOOK): by Patricia Hill Collins

“Patricia Hill Collins skillfully melds high theory with everyday practice. This is a timely book as we stand on the precipice of new national leadership and a call for a recommitment to public service and active participation in our democracy. This book is both a treat and a treasure.”—Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Professor in Urban Education, University of Wisconsin, author of The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children

Basic Tools for Beginning Writers: How to Teach All the Skills Beginning Writers Need: From Alphabet Recognition and Spelling to Strategies for Self (BOOK): by Schultze, Betty

Basic Tools for Beginning Writers recognizes that story and image are good ways to introduce students to concepts. The making of a simple word such as "go" is told as a story, the combining of onsets with rhymes seen as a slide, and the learning of the alphabet is shown as a rap or jive. Game formats designed to stimulate learning incorporate all aspects of language—talk, phonemes, words, and sentences. Throughout the book, teachers will find "Making It Simpler" and "Increasing the Challenge" sections to help adapt activities to the needs of both struggling and more accomplished students.

Developing and Presenting a Professional Portfolio in Early Childhood Education (BOOK): by Nancy W. Wiltz

It demonstrates how to collect items for a professional Early Childhood Education portfolio and how to create/compile them in a professional manner in a binder for presentation upon graduation to obtain employment. As portfolios are sometimes started in Intro to ECE and compiled throughout the program, or introduced in a Curriculum course, or in a Student Teaching or capstone course, there are several points of entry for this supplement. Wiltz instructs the student what items to collect for the portfolio, how to compile/construct/label it, and then how to talk about it/present it.

Effective Teacher Induction & Mentoring: Assessing the Evidence (BOOK): by Michael Strong

''The most comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of induction programs and their consequences. The book synthesizes the relevant research in a manner that is accessible, straightforward, and useful.'' --SirReadaLot.org, March 2009

''Finally, the information we have needed regarding support for new teachers is in one book. Well written, based on scientific research, and extremely important to the teaching profession, this book is a must-read.''-- Ed Pultorak, Former ATE President, Southern Illinois University Carbondale


''Dr. Michael Strong offers a detailed and well-balanced appraisal of the empirical evidence on the impact of teacher mentoring and induction programs. This is a 'must-read' for anyone who is interested in this topic.''-- Rodney T. Ogawa, Professor of Education, UCSC, Santa Cruz, California

Evidence-Based Interventions for Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges (BOOK): edited by Richard J. Morris and Nancy Mather

This book assembles into one volume summaries of school-based intervention research that relates to those who deal on a regular basis with the growing body of students having high-incidence learning disabilities and/or behavior disorders: special educators, school psychologists, and clinical child psychologists. Chapter authors begin with an overview of their topic followed by a brief section on historical perspectives before moving on to the main section – a critical discussion of empirically based intervention procedures. In those instances where evidence-based prescriptions can legitimately be made, authors discuss best practices and the conditions (e.g., classroom environment, teacher expertise) under which these practices are most effective. A final section deals with policy issues.