Presents research on creativity and talent development, features biographical studies of scientists, writers, artists, musicians, and other creatively gifted people that show the patterns their lives have followed, and offers advice for parents and educators on how to enhance and stimulate creativity in children.

Winner of the Jake Harwood Outstanding Book Award (2022). What, exactly, is understanding? And how do people create, maintain, and manipulate states of understanding via communication? This book addresses these questions, drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in cognitive science, communication, psychology, and pragmatics. Rejecting classic descriptions of communication as "sending and receiving messages," this book proposes a novel perspective that depicts communication as a process in which interactants construct, test, and refine mental modes of a joint experience on the basis of the meme states (mental representations) activated by stimuli in social interactions. It explains how this process, when successful, results in interactants' mental models aligning, or becoming entrained--in other words, in creating a state of understanding. This framework is grounded in a set of foundational observations about evolved human cognition that highlight people's intrinsic social orientation, predisposition toward efficiency, and use of predictive interference-making. These principles are also used to explain how codified systems ("codes") emerge in extended or repeated interactions in which people endeavor to create understanding. Integrating and synthesizing research across disciplines, this book offers communication scholars and students a theoretical framework that will transform the way they see understanding, communication, and social connection.

A proven program for enhancing students' thinking and comprehension abilities Visible Thinking is a research-based approach to teaching thinking, begun at Harvard's Project Zero, that develops students' thinking dispositions, while at the same time deepening their understanding of the topics they study. Rather than a set of fixed lessons, Visible Thinking is a varied collection of practices, including thinking routines?small sets of questions or a short sequence of steps?as well as the documentation of student thinking. Using this process thinking becomes visible as the students' different viewpoints are expressed, documented, discussed and reflected upon. Helps direct student thinking and structure classroom discussion Can be applied with students at all grade levels and in all content areas Includes easy-to-implement classroom strategies The book also comes with a DVD of video clips featuring Visible Thinking in practice in different classrooms.

An I Weigh Book Club Pick “I have been a fan of Henry’s work for a long time and I’m excited for more people to see it.” —Jameela Jamil From the creator of Drawings of Dogs, a warmly illustrated and thoughtful examination of empathy and the necessity of being kinder The kindness we owe one another goes far beyond the everyday gestures of feeding someone else's parking meter--although it's important not to downplay those small acts. Kindness can also mean much more. In this timely, insightful guide, Henry James Garrett lays out the case for developing a strong, courageous, moral kindness, one that will help you fight cruelty and make the world a more empathetic place. So, how could a book possibly make you kinder? It would need to answer two questions: • Why are you kind at all? and, • Why aren't you kinder? In these pages, building on his academic studies in metaethics and using his signature-sweet animal cartoons, Henry James Garrett sets out to do just that, exploring the sources and the limitations of human empathy and the many ways, big and small, that we can work toward being our best and kindest selves for the people around us and the society we need to build.

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

The Owner’s Manual for Your Life! Founded in the twentieth century by the late spiritual teacher Ra Uru Hu, Human Design is often called the “new Astrology,” and the “intersection of science and spirituality.” Your Human Design chart is formulated by taking your birth date, time, and location and extrapolating specific personality traits and life paths from this convergence. A Human Design chart offers an astonishingly accurate guide to your personality, as well as direction and counsel on how each individual can deal with challenges in their life. Previously, Human Design charts have been notoriously difficult to interpret and decipher, usually taking a dedicated expert to read and translate them into plain English. At least, that used to be the case—until now. In Understanding Human Design: The Science of Discovering Who You Really Are, author Karen Curry walks you through the sometimes complex and intimidating Human Design chart with simple, direct language. You will learn about each level of Human Design, from the most basic elements of the chart to the deeper, more nuanced insights Human Design offers, all in an approachable and interesting way. Understand how every line, intersection, and symbol correlates to a personality trait that can directly affect your life with an experienced guide by your side. Your personal Human Design Chart can reveal your strengths, your weaknesses, and perhaps most importantly, your potential. Prepare for repetitive difficulties that you might encounter throughout your life, and embrace the opportunity to grow as you understand your personal Human Design strategy. With author Karen Curry’s assistance and knowledge, you have a path to overcome these difficulties simply by following the directions set out in your Human Design chart, the “owner’s manual” to your life.