Throughout history, philosophers have attempted to unravel the mystery of life. People from many diverse traditions have been invited to sit face to face at the table of philosophy to engage in analytical and critical reflection in what Dr. John Morgan calls "the great questions of life." This book invites students to explore the meaning of life in an easy and understandable manner through the infamous character Professor Plotimus. The antics of Professor Plotimus make philosophy interesting, uncomplicated, and easy to grasp while deeply compelling . . . It allows our minds to wonder and listen to the wisdom of the ages that life has meaning and purpose if we only loosen the chains of dogma and venture out of our caves as we attempt to see life in a fresh way. --from the Preface by Linda Lewis Riccardi Adjunct Professor of Humanities and Philosophy, Reading Area Community College

Throughout history, philosophers have attempted to unravel the mystery of life. People from many diverse traditions have been invited to sit face to face at the table of philosophy to engage in analytical and critical reflection in what Dr. John Morgan calls "the great questions of life." This book invites students to explore the meaning of life in an easy and understandable manner through the infamous character Professor Plotimus. The antics of Professor Plotimus make philosophy interesting, uncomplicated, and easy to grasp while deeply compelling . . . It allows our minds to wonder and listen to the wisdom of the ages that life has meaning and purpose if we only loosen the chains of dogma and venture out of our caves as we attempt to see life in a fresh way. --from the Preface by Linda Lewis Riccardi Adjunct Professor of Humanities and Philosophy, Reading Area Community College

Shows teachers how to create intellectual environments that produce techinically competent students who are caring, secure, and activitely literate human beings

Differentiated instruction is a nice idea, but what happens when it comes to assessing and grading students? What's both fair and leads to real student learning? Fair Isn't Always Equal answers that question and much more. Rick Wormeli offers the latest research and common sense thinking that teachers and administrators seek when it comes to assessment and grading in differentiated classes. Filled with real examples and "gray" areas that middle and high school educators will easily recognize, Rick tackles important and sometimes controversial assessment and grading issues constructively. The book covers high-level concepts, ranging from "rationale for differentiating assessment and grading" to "understanding mastery" as well as the nitty-gritty details of grading and assessment, such as: whether to incorporate effort, attendance, and behavior into academic grades;whether to grade homework;setting up grade books and report cards to reflect differentiated practices;principles of successful assessment;how to create useful and fair test questions, including how to grade such prompts efficiently;whether to allow students to re-do assessments for full credit. This thorough and practical guide also includes a special section for teacher leaders that explores ways to support colleagues as they move toward successful assessment and grading practices for differentiated classrooms.

The authors of Make Just One Change argue that formulating one’s own questions is “the single most essential skill for learning”—and one that should be taught to all students. They also argue that it should be taught in the simplest way possible. Drawing on twenty years of experience, the authors present the Question Formulation Technique, a concise and powerful protocol that enables learners to produce their own questions, improve their questions, and strategize how to use them. Make Just One Change features the voices and experiences of teachers in classrooms across the country to illustrate the use of the Question Formulation Technique across grade levels and subject areas and with different kinds of learners.

Beat burnout with time-saving best practices for feedback For ELA teachers, the danger of burnout is all too real. Inundated with seemingly insurmountable piles of papers to read, respond to, and grade, many teachers often find themselves struggling to balance differentiated, individualized feedback with the one resource they are already overextended on—time. Matthew Johnson offers classroom-tested solutions that not only alleviate the feedback-burnout cycle, but also lead to significant growth for students. These time-saving strategies built on best practices for feedback help to improve relationships, ignite motivation, and increase student ownership of learning. Flash Feedback also takes teachers to the next level of strategic feedback by sharing: How to craft effective, efficient, and more memorable feedback Strategies for scaffolding students through the meta-cognitive work necessary for real revision A plan for how to create a culture of feedback, including lessons for how to train students in meaningful peer response Downloadable online tools for teacher and student use Moving beyond the theory of working smarter, not harder, Flash Feedback works deeper by developing practices for teacher efficiency that also boost effectiveness by increasing students’ self-efficacy, improving the clarity of our messages, and ultimately creating a classroom centered around meaningful feedback.

Sharing the stories of educators working in a diverse range of international contexts, Being a Teacher uses personal narratives to explore effective teaching and learning in global settings. Demonstrating how personal values influence pedagogical practice, and asking how practice can be improved, authors reflect on their experiences not just as teachers, but also as learners, to offer essential guidance for all prospective educational professionals. The book focuses on teacher narratives as a vehicle for consideration of teacher professionalism, and as a way of understanding issues which are important to teachers in different contexts. By sharing and analysing these narratives, the book discusses the increasing complexity of teaching as a profession, and considers the commonality within the narratives. Each chapter includes graphic representations of analysis and encourages its reader to reflect critically on central questions, thereby constructing their own narrative. Being a Teacher provides an in-depth and engaging insight into the education system at a global level, making it an essential read for anyone embarking on a teaching career within the international education market.