5 books that changed how I teach

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares five impactful books for educators, each offering valuable insights for improving teaching practices. The first book emphasizes the need for change in education, addressing technological disruption and the disconnect between schools and real-world needs. The second book explores Universal Design for Learning and blended learning as solutions to learner variability. Other recommended titles focus on designing effective lessons with essential questions, enhancing critical thinking skills, and integrating technology to amplify student voice and make thinking visible. These books are practical guides for modernizing teaching in today’s fast-evolving educational landscape.

Takeaways

• 😀 'A Brief History of the Future of Education' emphasizes the need for education to adapt to societal changes driven by AI and machine learning, calling for a shift in traditional mindsets to meet the needs of today's learners.
• 😀 The book stresses the importance of technology in education and argues that the disconnect between school and the real world is a major cause of student disengagement.
• 😀 'UDL and Blended Learning' highlights the need for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to address learner variability, and argues that blended learning is essential to implement UDL effectively.
• 😀 The authors of 'UDL and Blended Learning' advocate for a mindset that anticipates diverse student needs, offering choice and accessibility in the learning process.
• 😀 'Essential Questions' by McTighe and Wiggins introduces the concept of backwards design in lesson planning, focusing on enduring understanding and the creation of open-ended, intellectually stimulating questions.
• 😀 The book clarifies that essential questions are not limited to any specific subject or age group and can be used across disciplines to enhance critical thinking skills.
• 😀 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible' teaches educators how to incorporate thinking routines to cultivate critical thinking skills in students, emphasizing the teachability of critical thinking.
• 😀 This book emphasizes that critical thinking can be broken down into small, manageable routines that are easy to implement in the classroom.
• 😀 'The Google Infused Classroom' by Clark and Average explores how to integrate technology into education, focusing on using technology to make student thinking visible rather than focusing on specific tech tools.
• 😀 The book emphasizes impactful instructional strategies and step-by-step processes for using technology to amplify student voice and thinking in the classroom, making it a must-read for teachers looking to integrate tech meaningfully.

Q & A

What is the central theme of 'A Brief History of the Future of Education' by Ian Jukes and Ryan Schaaf?

The central theme of the book is how societal changes, driven by technological advancements like machine learning and artificial intelligence, are disrupting education. It calls for educational reform to adapt to the changing world, emphasizing the need for incorporating technology into teaching.

How does 'A Brief History of the Future of Education' suggest addressing the disconnect between school and the real world?

The book highlights that the disconnect between school and the real world is a major cause of student disengagement. It suggests that integrating technology into education and changing traditional mindsets is crucial to bridging this gap.

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how is it connected to blended learning?

UDL is an approach to education that emphasizes offering students choice, providing multiple ways to access content, and ensuring accessibility for all. The book argues that UDL can only be effectively implemented through blended learning, which combines traditional teaching methods with technology-based learning tools.

What makes 'UDL and Blended Learning' by Katie Novak and Catelyn Tucker different from other educational reform books?

'UDL and Blended Learning' is focused not just on why educational change is needed but on how to implement these changes. It offers practical strategies for applying UDL and blended learning in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of addressing learner variability.

What is the main concept behind 'Essential Questions' by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins?

The main concept of 'Essential Questions' is that effective education should focus on enduring understandings and critical thinking, which can be cultivated through open-ended, intellectually stimulating questions. The book advocates for using essential questions in any subject area and with any age group.

How does the concept of backwards design in education work according to 'Essential Questions'?

Backwards design focuses on planning lessons starting with the desired learning outcomes or assessments, and then working backward to determine the necessary activities. This approach is intended to ensure that the learning experience aligns with the end goals, particularly enduring understandings.

What is the primary goal of using thinking routines, as discussed in 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible'?

The primary goal of thinking routines is to break down critical thinking into manageable parts, enabling students to practice and improve their thinking skills. The book emphasizes that these routines can be easily learned, remembered, and applied in the classroom.

How does 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible' influence teaching practices?

The book has had a significant impact on teaching by providing concrete, step-by-step guidance on how to implement thinking routines in the classroom. These routines help students develop critical thinking by making their thinking processes visible and structured.

What role does technology play in 'The Google Infused Classroom' by Holly Clark and Tanya Averbeck?

'The Google Infused Classroom' emphasizes using technology to amplify student voice and make their thinking visible. It suggests specific technology tools and routines that can help integrate technology meaningfully into education to enhance student learning and engagement.

What key connection does 'The Google Infused Classroom' have with 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible'?

Both books share the idea of making student thinking visible. 'The Google Infused Classroom' extends this idea by integrating technology tools, while 'The Power of Making Thinking Visible' focuses more on the thinking routines that can be applied without technology. The two complement each other by combining critical thinking with digital tools.