Brief reviews for October 2007
Avergon, Diana J. & Avergon, Eugene B. (2006).
Naturally Occurring Art: Cross-Curricular Lesson Plans Grades 7-
Fort Atkinson, WI: Nasco.
Naturally Occurring Art by Diane and Eugene Avergon is an
excellent lesson plan resource focused on grades 7 through 12, although
several of the lessons could easily be adapted for grades K through 6
for age appropriate results. This thematic compilation of 28 lesson
plans is on durable card stock in a sturdy clear envelope making it
convenient to use in the classroom setting. The lessons revolve around
natural forms and explore mixed media, painting, and drawing in 2-D
forms of art.
Each lesson is clearly outlined including Focus, Objectives,
Resources, Materials, and Procedures, and could be used effectively to
create cross-curricular connections between contents (such as art and
science). No specific directions are given on how the art making lesson
could be incorporated into mainstream content areas, but the lessons
presented include ideas relating to the solar system, land forms and
oceans, and things related to nature.
If you are a teacher in any content area and would like to
incorporate art or are an art teacher looking for new art lesson ideas,
this set would serve you well. The lesson plans are easy to read and
give clear visual examples. No national art standards or content area
related standards are stated as part of these lesson plans. I believe
these authors have not included standards because they vary for each
state, however they could have attempted to add national standards at
least for art to give each lesson a measure of credibility. Teachers
who use this resource would likely know their state and national
standards which they can apply in the lesson.
This set is an easy, usable resource for those classroom teachers
looking for quick access to art activities for their students.
Reviewed by Dr. Heidi C. Mullins, Assistant Professor of Art and Art
Education, Eastern Washington University
Ben-Hur, Meir (2006).
Concept-Rich Mathematics Instruction: Building a Strong Foundation
for Reasoning and Problem Solving.
Alexandria, Virginia: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
When searching for effective methods of mathematics instruction,
teachers are often looking for something that will assist them in
practically addressing the needs of students who struggle to grasp
mathematical concepts. More than likely all math teachers have
expressed the following sentiments at one time or another: "When my
students left yesterday, I thought they knew how to divide fractions;
but none of them accurately completed their homework;" or "They could
do the practice problems, but when they got to the word problems, they
didnŐt have a clue what to do."
In Concept-Rich Mathematics Instruction, Meir Ben-Hur offers
practical insights that address these and other problems often
expressed by math teachers. Beginning with a discussion of why students
need to have a conceptual understanding of math lessons, Ben-Hur
explores the differences between direct and mediated learning
experiences. He introduces what he refers to as Concept-Rich
Instruction, which is characterized by the importance of developing
cognitive processes within
students. Further, Concept-Rich Instruction promotes reflective
the part of both the student and the teacher.
Ben-Hur suggests that as teachers think reflectively about student
errors, they better understand student misconceptions and adjust
instruction accordingly. By adequately identifying these specific
misconceptions (e.g., there are no numbers smaller than zero or
algebraic misunderstandings related to the nature of rational numbers),
math teachers can better meet the diverse needs of their students. The
book provides authentic interactions between students and teachers
engaged in various math lessons, providing the reader with a clear
understanding of Concept-Rich Instruction.
Ben-Hur offers specific strategies that promote metacognition and
higher order thinking. Teachers who wrestle with how to integrate word
problems will find practical suggestions for helping their students
develop the thinking skills needed to independently solve such
problems. The book concludes with a discussion of process-oriented
assessments in a variety of formats, which includes journaling, self-
assessments, portfolios, and even the often controversial issue of
homework. Upper elementary, middle school, and high school teachers
will greatly benefit from carefully examining Concept-Rich
Reviewed by Kathy Evans and Jessica Lester, The University of
Coggins, Debra; Kravin, Drew; Coates, Grace Dávila & Carroll,
Maria Dreux (2007).
English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Price: $61.95(hardcover); $27.95(paperback)
ISBN: 9781412937597(hardcover); 9781412937603(paperback)
The population of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools
continues to grow as educators struggle to provide appropriate and
effective mathematics instruction for students from linguistically
diverse backgrounds. Some educators understand mathematics to be a
"universal language" and do not provide ELLs adequate instructional
support in accessing mathematical content and building language skills
(Khisty & Morales, 2004). Other teachers receive little training on
how to teach ELLs, especially in mathematics, and simply do not have
the requisite skills to meet the academic and linguistic needs of
second language learners (Téllez & Waxman, 2006). In light of
these challenges facing ELLs and their mathematics teachers, English
Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom offers educators
helpful tools for improving classroom practice with second language
What makes this text so valuable for classroom teachers is its level
of specificity. Instead of offering broad suggestions for instructing
ELLs, such as "activate prior knowledge" or "create an interactive
classroom environment," the authors describe specific instructional
strategies that simultaneously teach content and develop language and
are appropriate for use with both elementary and secondary students.
Additionally, the text addresses the use of the instructional
strategies with ELLs of varied English proficiency levels. The first
chapter, "Developing Conversational Language" and the second chapter,
"Developing Academic Language," highlight the importance of
communication for ELLs in the mathematics classroom. Chapters three
through six focus on scaffolding, concrete materials, visual learning
and questioning strategies, and the last chapter, "Comprehensible
Input" helps teachers combine multiple strategies to provide ELLs
mathematics instruction that is both rigorous and accessible. Each of
the seven chapters includes a teacher-friendly overview of the
scholarly research that supports the instructional strategy, an example
from a real classroom complete with student work samples in which the
strategy was used, an analysis of the classroom example in terms of
mathematics content and language development, a list of practical
teacher tips for implementing the instructional strategy, and finally,
a thorough description of the instructional strategy. The chapters end
with questions that encourage teachers to reflect on prior practice and
to plan for implementation of the instructional strategies with second
While Coggins, Kravin, Coates, and Carroll premise the book by
stating that the use of the primary language is the best way for ELLs
to build mathematical concepts and skills, the authors concede the
reality of U.S. classrooms in which most ELLs are taught by teachers
who are not proficient in the students' home languages and cannot
utilize the primary language for mathematics instruction. The book is
intended for teachers working in settings such as self-contained
classrooms, departmentalized mathematics classrooms or in programs
specifically geared to language learners, and although the book is not
presented as an exhaustive source on teaching mathematics to second
language learners, the contents offer help to all types of teachers.
Pre-service teachers will appreciate the explicit connections between
theory and practice, novice in-service teachers will benefit from the
specific classroom examples that encourage appropriate implementation,
and the reflective questions will afford more experienced teachers the
opportunity to analyze and improve upon practice. One area in which
the authors could provide increased guidance to teachers is in the
delivery of culturally relevant mathematics instruction. While the
authors note at the outset the importance of "identifying cultural
connections" (p. ix) in mathematics instruction with ELLs, specifics on
the process of creating meaningful cultural connections would be
helpful as embedded pieces of the classroom examples.
This text presents a toolbox of strategies for teachers who wish to
empower ELLs to master mathematical concepts and skills while also
developing English language in meaningful contexts. The included
overviews of research allow teachers to make informed instructional
decisions in their work with ELLs, and the classroom examples detail
the process through which the instructional strategies are
appropriately implemented. The accessible and specific nature of this
text makes it a valuable resource for teachers who serve language
learners in the mathematics classroom.
Khisty, L. L., & Morales, H. Jr. (2004). Discourse matters: Equity,
access, and Latinos' learning mathematics. Retrieved March 21,
2007, from http://www.icme-
Téllez, K., & Waxman, H. C. (2006). Preparing quality teachers for
English Language Learners: An overview of the critical issues. In K.
Téllez & H. C. Waxman (Eds.), Improving educator quality for
English Language Learners: Research, policies, and practices (pp. 1-
22). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Reviewed by Brooke Kandel-Cisco, Research assistant & doctoral student,
Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on literacy instruction
for middle school second language learners and the professional
development of teachers who work with English language learners.
Fletcher, Ralph (2006).
Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices.
Portland, Maine: Stenhouse
When I was in fourth grade, I wrote a mildly violent story about two
hardened criminals who break into the Michigan Space and Science
Center, steal some moon rocks and other precious artifacts, and make
their escape by commandeering a moon rover from one of the exhibits.
The bulk of the narrative is devoted to a lengthy car chase with
police, marked by lots of gun fighting, crazy stunt driving and general
mayhem. Ultimately, it doesn't end well for the protagonists, who go
out in a proverbial blaze of glory. Mrs. Shafer, my language arts
teacher that year, indulged my fascination with action movie
conventions by letting me write, illustrate and publish "The Hijacked
Center" for a storybook-making project, and politely based her grading
on my ability to write a coherent narrative, if not an entirely
believable one. I'm still not sure where I got the idea that a moon
rover could outrun a police cruiser, but it did make for some
In eighth grade, instead of forcing me to write ten decontextualized
sentences to demonstrate my mastery of each week's vocabulary words, my
English teacher Dr. Cameron gave me free rein to weave my new words
into brief narrative sketches, most of which ended up substantially
longer than ten sentences and featured plotlines borrowed from Stephen
King and The Twilight Zone. I was lucky enough to have her for
English again in ninth grade, where I had the opportunity to select any
topic I desired for the end of the year research project. I chose to
write about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a decision Dr.
Cameron supported with a smile and which resulted in one of my most
self-actualizing writing experiences prior to college. I tracked down
every reference to Rocky Horror that I could find in a decade's
run of the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, and even had
my first experience placing a special order at the local bookstore to
obtain an out-of-print copy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Book (Henkin, 1979). I went well beyond the minimum of five sources
and handwrote the final copy of my research paper in my very first all-
night writing frenzy, accompanied by the Rocky Horror audience
participation album spinning on my turntable over and over again. I
still have that paper, which was well-received incidentally, along with
most of the short stories I wrote for Dr. Cameron, and I've never
forgotten the lines she wrote in my yearbook: "When you're as famous as
Stephen King, I'll say I remember him when…"
At the heart of Ralph Fletcher's Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their
Voices lies the provocative notion that writing instruction isn't
about teaching writing; it's about teaching writers, and upon this
central premise Fletcher bases all of his ideas about how to nurture
boys in the "dangerous, supervised sport" (p. 49) of writing. Some of
my own teachers, like Mrs. Shafer and Dr. Cameron, seemed to have
accepted that premise long ago, but reading Fletcher's book made me
appreciate how progressive those teachers were, and, unfortunately, how
atypical my formative experiences as a boy writer were. In contrast to
Fletcher's popular Craft Lessons books, Boy Writers does
not offer readers a nuts and bolts methods book of lesson plans and
writing prompts. Rather, Fletcher aims for something more ambitious: a
paradigm shift in the way we relate to young writers, boys in
particular. While classroom teachers should find Fletcher's advice
especially thought-provoking and useful, Boy Writers is written
for a broader audience, including parents, teacher educators, literacy
advocates and perhaps even policy makers and boys themselves, anyone
with an interest in helping young men and boys become enthusiastic and
In a series of quick, concise chapters, Boy Writers covers a
broad spectrum of issues revolving around boys' underachievement in and
disengagement from writing, including teachers' frequent reluctance to
embrace the kinds of writing that many boys are most eager to craft and
the overly judgmental atmosphere that often pervades the writing
classroom, with its meticulous focus on exact spelling, perfect
mechanics and near-calligraphic handwriting. In advocating that
teachers offer more opportunities for boys to write about topics and in
genres of personal interest and that they spend more time collaborating
closely with boys to discover what they're passionate about and how
they've chosen to express those passions in their writing, Fletcher
asks teachers to keep one question in mind at all times when conceiving
writing assignments or activities, "will this serve my goal of creating
lifelong writers?" (p. 166). While Boy Writers is firmly engaged
with the mainstream of recent publications on boys and literacy
(readers familiar with the literature will quickly recognize Fletcher's
common cause with the work of Tom Newkirk, Michael Gurian, Jeff Wilhelm
and Michael Smith), the emphasis Fletcher places on the power of
choice, pleasure and close mentorship in fostering motivation to write
results in a conceptual framework for writing instruction that should
prove beneficial for all students.
Fletcher's determination to give his book "a boy flavor" (p. 7) by
including a rich selection of anecdotes, interviews and samples of
boys' writing makes for an engaging and personal read. Boy
Writers is grounded in empirical research into boys' writing habits
and motivations for writing (a useful home writing survey instrument is
included as an appendix, and interview transcripts throughout model a
protocol for talking with students about writing), although literacy
researchers looking for guidance in studying boys' writing may be
frustrated that Fletcher does not lay out his methods and data more
explicitly. However, as Fletcher notes early on, "the issue feels
abstract until you start thinking in terms of actual boys and their
experiences expressing themselves through written words," (p. 14) and
by privileging the words and images of actual boys throughout the book,
Fletcher succeeds in reclaiming boys' voices for educators to hear. As
a former boy writer, I appreciated Fletcher's validation of the
approaches taken by the teachers who created memorably engaging
environments for me to explore and lay claim to my own writing voice.
As a current teacher educator, I am glad that Fletcher has not only
added his powerful voice to the chorus advocating for more student-
centered literacy instruction, but more importantly that he has also
provided in Boy Writers a principled way to think about how to
transform classrooms to achieve that end.
Henkin, B. (1979). The Rocky Horror Picture Show book. New York:
Reviewed by Sean Kottke, Faculty of Reading/Language Arts, The Robert
B. Miller College, Binda School of Education.
Harvey, Stephanie & Goudvis, Anne (2007)
Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance
Understanding. Second edition.
Portland, Maine: Stenhouse
The process of reading is not a half sleep, but, in
the highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle; that the reader
is to do something for himself, must be on the alert, must himself or
herself construct indeed the poem, argument, history, metaphysical
essay- the text furnishing the hints, the clue, the start of frame-
work. — Walt Whitman
In the current educational landscape, there is a great deal of scrutiny
and emphasis placed on the instruction of reading. Many educators
wrestle with the process of teaching reading comprehension and how to
effectively instruct their students to become active readers.
Strategies That Work (second edition) is a "must read" for
beginning or veteran teachers, pre-service teachers, reading
specialists, administrators, and parents who desire to assist students
as they juggle their way into becoming thoughtful and independent
As reading practitioners, the authors have spent the last twenty
years applying research in their classroom practice. Their passion for
writing about reading comprehension reflects their varied backgrounds
as classroom teacher, special education teacher, staff developer, and
adjunct professor. In 1999, they co-authored Strategies That
Work and now seven years later have written a second edition which
reflects new reading research and what they have learned about reading
comprehension instruction in the last seven years.
A new theme threading its way throughout the book is called active
literacy. Typically, a teacher who promotes active literacy within his
or her classroom will actively engage students in reading, writing,
talking, listening, and investigating across the curriculum (p. 2). In
addition to the theme of active literacy, the authors also emphasize
the role of background knowledge and its role in activating the
student's ability to comprehend the thinking and reading done in the
classroom. Twenty new lessons have been added with most emphasizing the
relationship of activating background knowledge to all of the
comprehension strategies described in the book.
According to Harvey and Goudvis, the purpose of comprehension
instruction is to teach strategies as tools which can be used in many
circumstances and with a variety of texts. Thus, Strategies That
Work is a practical resource packed with a repertoire of reading
strategies and ideas that can immediately be incorporated in the
classroom. The authors have succinctly written specific steps
describing how to incorporate the reading strategies into classroom
instruction. Harvey and Goudvis provide examples of students' written
and spoken work as well as examples of classroom vignettes which model
how reading strategies might be used in a real classroom setting.
The new edition is organized into four sections:
Part I explains the meaning of comprehension and the principles that
guide reading instruction. There is a review of recent research and a
new section on assessments. In addition, a new chapter, "Tools for
Active Literacy: The Nuts and Bolts of Comprehension Instruction,"
expands ways to engage students in interactive literacy through think-
alouds, read-alouds, guided discussions, and authentic written
- Part II is practical in nature. Chapters are organized by
strategies such as monitoring, activating background knowledge,
questioning, visualizing and inferring, determining the importance in
expository text, and summarizing and synthesizing information. Each
chapter includes lessons and practices which highlight the use of
strategies to strengthen the teaching of reading comprehension. The
authors have included learning goals at the end of each strategy
chapter which are helpful for assessing students' learning. They also
include examples of student work and suggestions for
- Part III is a new section in which the authors share practical ways
to integrate comprehension and content instruction across the
curriculum. Included in this section are chapters on social studies and
science textbook reading and topic study research. The last chapter is
devoted to teaching students specific strategies for test reading.
Educators will find the hints and suggestions helpful as they prepare
their students for standardized assessments.
- Part IV, "Resources that Support Strategy Instruction" is brimming
with a plethora of resources intended to augment the instruction of
reading. Most educators and parents will find the thirty-three page
list of great books for teaching literacy extremely helpful. In
addition, a list of magazines and newspapers (grades 2-12), websites,
and professional journals that review children's books will be
instrumental in helping teachers design their reading instruction. The
authors have included an index as well as a reference for many
children's books and adult resources.
Overall, Strategies That Work (second edition) is a well
written, well organized, practical anthology of reading strategies,
comprehension lessons, assessments, and resources. The authors' purpose
in writing the second edition is to expand the breadth and depth of
reading instruction through strategies which help increase student
engagement in reading across the curriculum. Readers who are familiar
with the first edition will note the addition of new chapters as well
as the revised chapters which have been rewritten to reflect new
stories and research. Although one can read through the entire book,
Harvey and Goudvis encourage readers to pick and choose chapters which
most fit their needs. Many of the lessons presented in the book
represent a wide range of grade levels and can be easily adapted.
As a veteran teacher of twenty plus years, this reader highly
recommends Strategies That Work (second edition) to anyone
working with students in the area of reading. The authors have
synthesized reading research into practical instruction which teachers
can easily implement to help their students become active readers,
capable of thinking critically across the curriculum.
Whitman, W. (1871). Democratic Vistas. Paragraph 129.
Retrieved 9/20/07 from http://www.bartleby.com/2
Reviewed by Patricia L. Burgess, University of the Pacific, Benerd
School of Education.
Hillocks, Jr., George (2007).
Narrative Writing: Learning a New Model for Teaching.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Csikszentmihalyi (1990) writes:
First of all, writing
gives the mind a disciplined means of expression. It allows one to
record events and experiences so that they can be easily recalled, and
relived in the future. It is a way to analyze and understand
experiences, a self-communication that brings order to them (p. 131).
Despite this potentially empowering definition of writing, one is left
to question: How does writing give the mind a disciplined means of
expression, how does one record events and experiences, and how does
one write to analyze and understand experience? What does this theory
of writing look like in practice?
Drawing on more than twenty years of teaching in diverse urban
environments, George Hillocks, Jr. in Narrative Writing: Learning a
New Model for Teaching seeks to answer these questions as he
outlines a method for teaching narrative writing. He focuses on
procedural knowledge in order to "engage students in thinking
creatively and critically in meaningful contexts" (p. 13). To do this
work, Hillocks provides a research-based approach using narrative
classroom teaching examples from his experiences with the Master of
Arts Teaching English Program at the University of Chicago, student
work, and quantitative data that is presented in Appendix A, "An
Assessment of Teaching Narrative in Inner-City Schools." The book is
organized in such a way that the reader enters into one of Hillocks
classrooms and follows the flow of instruction as students and teachers
work together to produce narrative writing that gives the mind a
disciplined means of expression, ways to record events and experiences,
and ways to analyze and understand those experiences.
Hillocks focuses his definition of high quality narrative writing on
three components – specificity, style, and elaboration. Each
chapter presents lessons that aim to help students establish procedural
knowledge about these three components. Using object analysis, mentor
texts, and teacher writing, the lessons move from large group to small
group to individual work as students develop a more complex
understanding of the components. By incorporating the three components
and the methods used to teach the components, teachers will be able to
extend narrative writing to more sophisticated levels that will
challenge middle and high school writers from all backgrounds.
Hillocks derives his notions about elaboration from story grammar
theory that "include[s] a statement of setting or ongoing action and an
episode consisting of an initiating event … an internal response
… some attempt by the protagonist to achieve the goal … a
consequence indicating whether the goal was achieved …, and a
reaction(s) to the consequence" (p. 15-16). In one of his numerous
reproducible graphic organizers, Hillocks provides a way to guide
students through this process of achieving the integral components of
elaboration in narratives thereby achieving a disciplined and complex
means of expression. Hillocks' focus on elaboration presents a more
refined and structured view of narrative writing and sets the
foundation for his ideas about specificity and style.
In this book, Hillocks addresses a common myth in writing
classrooms: in order to attain a high level of concrete details, many
adjectives are needed. Hillocks debunks this myth by counting the
adjectives in passages from Toni Morrison and Charles Dickens where he
finds that an overwhelming amount of the detail provided by these
authors is accomplished through the use of verbs and nouns, not a heavy
reliance on adjectives. For Hillocks, specificity is a more complex
syntactical approach than simply adding lots of adjectives.
Accordingly, Hillocks defines specificity as "the quality of
concreteness, or specificity, deriv[ing] from the imagery produced
largely by nouns and verbs and the function words that hold them
together" (p. 21). Therefore, Hillocks departs from descriptive
adjectives towards an active specificity in which detail, figurative
language, dialogue, thoughts, feelings, and sensations work together to
produce a concrete narrative. Focusing on nouns and verbs instead of
adjectives allows for students to record events and experiences with
the vivacity of the lived moment. The focus of specificity moves away
from a heavy reliance on adjectives to how sentences and passages are
syntactically constructed to achieve concrete and action-packed
Helping students to polish their own writing style can sometimes be
a difficult task. As middle and high school students mature and
navigate the world, narrative writing "is a way to examine the stories
of [their] lives" (p. 1). In keeping with his detailed methods of
teaching elaborate narrative structure and specificity, Hillocks
provides methods that help students to develop a "forcefulness of
language and syntax and control over various stylistic devices,
including arresting openings and endings and the effective use of
humor, suspense, and so forth – aspects of writing that reveal
the writer's voice" (p. 25). In other words, Hillocks teaches students
how to use language to construct a unique writer's voice. To do this
work, Hillocks employs mentor texts to explore "how the works of
professional writers are constructed" (p. 1). Using mentor texts that
display a range of styles, students are furnished with a collection of
avenues to help them develop their own styles and voices.
Using the components – specificity, style, and elaboration
– Hillocks offers a comprehensive rubric (p. 27-29) to be used
not only "to evaluate student writing, before, during, and after a unit
on writing" (p. 15) but also to help teachers "plan what lessons to
include from day to day, set the objectives for each lesson, develop a
concrete notion of what we need to teach toward in each lesson, and
reflect upon the effects of each lesson" (p. 15). Therefore, Hillocks
advocates a reflective teaching process where teachers "must critically
examine the goals, means, and effects of their teaching and be prepared
to revise the goals and means of the teaching process even as it is in
progress" (p. 139). The classroom teaching narratives presented
throughout the book illustrate what this process looks like and how
teachers cultivate a procedural reflective knowledge about the teaching
of writing. The teachers presented in the book constantly question
their instructional decisions as they deepen their knowledge about the
students and their writing. Hillocks couples the narrative examples of
reflective teaching alongside reproducible handouts and checklists that
delineate such a process, thereby making the synchronous process of
planning, teaching, and evaluating as transparent as possible and
easily implemented in any classroom.
Hillocks writes, "My students and I would argue that the kinds of
activities described in the ensuing chapters result in flow experience
for teacher and students alike and result in gains in writing…"
(p. 13). Indeed, Hillocks puts Csikszentmihalyi's (1990) theory into
practice as he outlines the procedural knowledge that allows for
students with differing ability levels and backgrounds to expand the
writing skills that "give the mind a disciplined means of expression"
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990, p. 131) by recording the events and
experiences in order to analyze and understand them. The sense of flow
is not just for student learning. Hillocks' emphasis on reflexive
teaching, the simultaneous weaving of planning, teaching, and
evaluation, also benefits the teacher by providing a disciplined way to
think about the teaching of narrative writing.
Hillocks' book is an elaborate, specific, and stylistic method for
teaching writing to students of differing ability levels as well as
various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In addition to providing
readers with methods to teach narrative writing, Hillocks supplies
teachers with methods that can be extended to other areas of writing
instruction. Hillocks' book produces a smart amalgamation of writing
theory and practice that will create a sense of flow in any classroom.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal
experience. New York: Harper Perennial.
Reviewed by Susan Nordstrom, a doctoral student in the Language and
Literacy Education Department at The University of Georgia
Johnson, Susan Moore (2004 [paperback dated 2007]).
Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Price: $24.95(hardcover); $17.95(paperback)
ISBN: 978-0-7879-8764-0(hardcover); 978-0-7879-8764-0(paperback)
In 1999, Susan Moore Johnson and a group of Harvard Education
doctoral students instigated the Project on the Next Generation of
Teachers with research questions about motivation, priorities and
experiences of the new teachers. The study centered on fifty first- and
second-year Massachusetts teachers who entered teaching via various
paths. The study group included new teachers from traditional teacher
education programs, individuals from a fast-track alternative
certification program and teachers from charter schools who were not
required to hold state licenses. The sample also varied by race,
gender, ethnicity and career stage (first career vs. mid-career
entrants). In interviewing, the research group explored the teachers'
experiences from an organizational perspective to develop implications
for how to organize schools so that teachers can succeed and thrive.
Understanding how the mindset and culture of the generation of new
teachers varies from the generation of retiring teachers is essential
to this campus organization.
Finders and Keepers examines issues such as career pathways,
salary schedules and incentive pay. Factors contributing to the success
of novice teachers include the relationship with the principal; the
professional culture of the school; appropriate teaching assignments
with instructional leadership, curriculum support, and adequate
supplies and equipment; focused induction; making better matches in
hiring; and deliberate mentoring. Schools that are successful in
keeping new teachers purposefully engage new teachers in the practices
and professional culture of the school. These schools are organized to
achieve clear purposes and to use time and resources efficiently. The
schools have a compelling mission that focuses on student learning. The
new teachers became in engaged in a joint professional enterprise that
affirms their contribution.
This book is a valuable resource for school administrators in
examining hiring and induction practices, as well as understanding the
expectations of the new generation of teachers. It is a valuable
resource for policy-makers in developing new policies or restructuring
old ones to support schools in finding and keeping excellent teachers.
The strength of the book comes from the examination of the mindset and
expectations of new teachers compared to the culture of what has been
the norm for over 40 years in U.S. schools. It is not a definitive
guide in finding and keeping teachers, but the structure is the story
of what happened to the teachers in the study and factors that may have
contributed to the attrition, retention or migration of that teacher.
The "ideal" situations described in the hiring and induction process
are logical, but are far from the reality of what happens in today's
schools. I have found myself pondering how I could encourage the
implementation of such processes in some high-need schools.
Finders and Keepers is well-written and thought-provoking. It
is not a book of answers. The issue of finding and keeping excellent
teachers can no longer be one of getting teachers to fit into the
outdated mold, but revising the mold to take advantage of the talents
and cultural mindset of the next generation of teachers.
Reviewed by Lee Ann Dumas, the director of Educator Excellence for the
Texas Education Agency. This office just awarded $13M in grants to
almost 500 campuses in Texas to implement teacher mentoring and
Settlage, John & Southerland, Sherry A. (2007).
Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting
New York: Routledge.
In a guest editorial that Okhee Lee (1997) wrote for The Journal
of Research in Science Teaching she posed three questions for
science educators to answer. The questions were:
First, what is the nature of science in the science community, and how
is this issue related to students from diverse cultures and languages?
Second, what is the norm of instructional practices in science
classrooms, and how is this related to students from diverse cultures
and languages? Finally, what are the ways to achieve scientific
literacy for all students, and what courses of action can science
educators take? (p. 219).
The answers to these questions come from John Settlage of University
of Connecticut and Sherry Southerland of Florida State University, both
Associate Professors of science education, exactly a decade later. In
their new book entitled, Teaching Science to Every Child; Using
Culture As a Starting Point Settlage and Southerland explain what
science looks like in the context of cultural diversity, how can we
teach science in a culturally sensitive fashion and what science
educators need to do to prepare future teachers to make science
learning more equitable while maintaining excellence.
The book is organized around a conceptual framework that provides
teachers and those who want to become teachers with a reformed-based
yet practical process of promoting excellence and equity in science
teaching. Teacher educators can greatly benefit from this book for
instilling dispositions critical to teaching science for all and
teaching for students' development of a scientific habit of mind.
However, school principles and practicing teachers will also find
something to benefit by reading this book.
The content and the presentation of the book connect everyone around
the central goal of making Science for All (AAAS, 1993) a
reality. The authors mesh their theoretical knowledge of pedagogical
approaches to science education with their extensive classroom
experiences to make the case for an all inclusive approach to science
teaching. The authors provide real examples and ideas not only to
assist science teachers to make science accessible to all students but
also help them teach science with a purpose.
The book presents three main themes; teaching science as inquiry,
accounting for diversity in science instruction, and continuous
professional development. The first three chapters of the book focus on
the purpose of science education and is an attempt to answer the
questions of "What does it mean to be scientifically literate?" and
"What does it mean to develop a scientific habit of mind?" in the
context of cultural, racial and linguistic diversity.
The authors move on to discuss various effective instructional
models that hold potential for reaching all students in the classroom
while maintaining rigor in reinforcing students' conceptual
understanding and their acquisition of scientific inquiry skills. They
draw upon their extensive classroom teaching experiences and their
expertise in research to convince the future generations of science
teachers that it is possible to make science learning culturally
relevant, accessible and challenging.
Not only does the book empower readers with the knowledge and
insight necessary to make a deep commitment to the teaching of science
for all but it also provides a set of practical examples that teachers
can use in their classrooms. At the end of each chapter there is a
"favorite lesson" section which embodies the principles of inclusive
science instruction that the authors discuss at the beginning of each
chapter. However, these activities are not included for you to
photocopy and use as it is in your classrooms, rather they are intended
to help you design your own lessons. The authors make explicit
connections to the National Science Education Standards throughout the
chapters. There are questions for reflection and discussion in each
chapter to help readers to construct their own ideas about science
teaching and learning. Also, the internet companion that can be found
on the publisher's website includes vignettes of an intern trying to
struggle in her own teaching with some of the ideas that the authors
The authors describe the characteristics of science as an enterprise
and the behaviors of those who practice science. They emphasize that
the learning of science is no longer a matter of acquisition of
established scientific facts and principles but rather as Lee (1997)
suggested it "involves cultivation of a scientific habit of mind that
is characterized by the values and attitudes shared and practiced in
the scientific community" (p. 220). Then they describe the
characteristics of a scientific habit of mind such as ability to make
observations, to question, to classify, to measure, to predict, to draw
inferences and to formulate logical argumentations based on evidence
(AAAS, 1993; Gallagher, 2006, Hurd, 1998; NRC, 1996).
Not only do they provide an elaborate discussion about the nature of
scientific knowledge and the characteristics of a scientific habit of
mind but they also guide the reader to find practical ways of helping
students to understand the nature of scientific knowledge and to
promote a scientific habit of mind in science classrooms. Settlage and
Southerland emphasize that it is important for someone who is planning
to teach science to know what those characteristics and behaviors are
so they can teach science as inquiry and scaffold instruction around
the goal of promoting a scientific habit of mind among all students.
The remaining chapters of the book focus on strategies for
integrating science with other subject matters, finding relevant
resources, classroom management and the infusion of technology in
science teaching and learning.
In closing, this book serves as an invaluable guide for the teachers
of science and science teacher educators who want to create a rigorous
learning environment that provides all students with positive and
equitable learning experiences in science classrooms.
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science
for all Americans. New York: Oxford.
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993).
Benchmarks for science literacy. New York: Oxford.
Gallagher, J. J. (2006). Teaching science for understanding: A
practical guide for middle and high school teachers. Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hal.
Hurd, P. D. (1998). Scientific literacy: New minds for a changing
world. Science Education, 82(3), 407-16.
Lee, O. (1997). Scientific literacy for all: What is it, and how can we
achieve it? Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34(3), 219-
National Research Council. (1996). National science education
standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Retrieved 9/10/07
Reviewed by Dr. Mehmet Aydeniz, Assistant Professor of Science
Education at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.