Book+Talk+Selections

toc =**21st Century Thinking**= // [|Imagine]: How Creativity Works // by John Lehrer "The profound mysteries of creative thought have long intimidated the world's finest brains. How do you measure the imagination? How do you quantify an epiphany? These daunting questions led researchers to neglect the subject for hundreds of years. In Jonah Lehrer's ambitious and enthralling new book, we go in search of the epiphany. Shattering the myth of creative 'types', Lehrer shows how new research is deepening our understanding of the human imagination. Creativity is not a 'gift' that only some possess. It's a term for a variety of distinct thought processes that we can all learn to use more effectively. Some acts of imagination are best done sipping espresso in a crowded cafe, while others require long walks in a quiet park. Lehrer helps us fit our creative strategies to the task at hand. The journey begins with the fluttering of neurons in the prefrontal cortex, before moving out to consider how this new science can also make neighbourhoods more vibrant, companies more productive and schools more effective. We'll learn about Bob Dylan's writing habits and the drug addiction of poets. We'll see why Elizabethan England experienced a creative explosion, and how Pixar designed its office space to get the most out of its talent. Collapsing the layers separating the neuron from the finished symphony, Imagine reveals the deep inventiveness of the human mind and its essential role in our increasingly complex world."

//[|A Whole New Mind]// by Daniel Pink "Abundance, Asia, and automation." Try saying that phrase five times quickly, because if you don't take these words into serious consideration, there is a good chance that sooner or later your career will suffer because of one of those forces. Pink, best-selling author of //Free Agent Nation// (2001) and also former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore, has crafted a profound read packed with an abundance of references to books, seminars, Web sites, and such to guide your adjustment to expanding your right brain if you plan to survive and prosper in the Western world. According to Pink, the keys to success are in developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning. Pink compares this upcoming "Conceptual Age" to past periods of intense change, such as the Industrial Revolution and the Renaissance, as a way of emphasizing its importance. //Ed Dwyer// //Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved// //--This text refers to the [|Hardcover] edition.//
 * From [|Booklist]**

//[|Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People]// by Michele M. Root-Bernstein, and Robert S. Root-Bernstein Operating on the arguable assumption that creative thinking is essentially pre-verbal, intuitive and emotional, the Root-Bernsteins (Honey, Mud, Maggots, and Other Medical Marvels) outline 13 "tools" that help translate spontaneous imaginative experiences into specific media, such as painting, music, scientific experiments and poetry. Among the techniques they identify and describe are "imaging," "abstracting," "body thinking" and "empathizing." Although there is considerable overlap between categories (for example, in the sections on "analogizing" and on "recognizing patterns"), the Root-Bernsteins succeed in defining each category's uniqueness. Freely acknowledging that they are not asserting anything startlingly novel, the authors present an impressive number of firsthand accounts of the creative process, from Albert Einstein and Merce Cunningham to Oliver Sacks and Charles Ives. Some may have trouble accepting the premise that all creative thinking--whether for poetic composition or scientific experiment, and regardless of the thinker's native culture or language--is "universally" categorizable, but the authors make a strong case for a view that is becoming increasingly popular. They conclude with a list of suggestions for how to transform education from the elementary level up so that it is better suited to our demanding, multidimensional culture. (Jan.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. //--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.//
 * From Publishers Weekly**

//[|The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything]// by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica From Publishers Weekly Robinson (//Out of Our Minds//), renowned in the areas of creativity development, innovation and human resources, tackles the challenge of determining and pursuing work that is aligned with individual talents and passions to achieve well-being and success. The element is what he identifies as the point where the activities individuals enjoy and are naturally good at come together. Offering a wide range of stories about the creative journeys of different people with diverse paths to the element—including Paul McCartney, //The Alchemist// author Paulo Coelho, and Vidal Sassoon as well as lesser-known examples—he demonstrates a rich vision of human ability and creativity. Covering such topics as the power of creativity, circles of influence, and attitude and aptitude, the author emphasizes the importance of nurturing talent along with developing an understanding of how talent expresses itself differently in every individual. Robinson emphasizes the importance of mentors and reforming and transforming education, making a convincing argument bolstered by solid strategies for honing creativity. Motivating and persuasive, this entertaining and inspiring book will appeal to a wide audience. //(Jan.)//

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. //--This text refers to the [|Hardcover] edition.//

=**Change Process**= //[|A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change]// by Douglas Thomas and John Seely "The twenty-first century is a world in constant change. In A New Culture of Learning, Doug Thomas and John Seely Brown pursue an understanding of how the forces of change, and emerging waves of interest associated with these forces, inspire and invite us to imagine a future of learning that is as powerful as it is optimistic. Typically, when we think of culture, we think of an existing, stable entity that changes and evolves over long periods of time. In A New Culture, Thomas and Brown explore a second sense of culture, one that responds to its surroundings organically. It not only adapts, it integrates change into its process as one of its environmental variables. By exploring play, innovation, and the cultivation of the imagination as cornerstones of learning, the authors create a vision of learning for the future that is achievable, scalable and one that grows along with the technology that fosters it and the people who engage with it. The result is a new form of culture in which knowledge is seen as fluid and evolving, the personal is both enhanced and refined in relation to the collective, and the ability to manage, negotiate and participate in the world is governed by the play of the imagination."

//[|Leading in a Culture of Change]// by Michael Fullan Business, nonprofit, and public sector leaders are facing new and daunting challenges?rapid-paced developments in technology, sudden shifts in the marketplace, and crisis and contention in the public arena. If they are to survive in this chaotic environment, leaders must develop the skills they need to lead effectively no matter how fast the world around them is changing. Leading in a Culture of Change offers new and seasoned leaders' insights into the dynamics of change and presents a unique and imaginative approach for navigating the intricacies of the change process. Author Michael Fullan-an internationally acclaimed expert in organizational change-shows how leaders in all types of organizations can accomplish their goals and become exceptional leaders. He draws on the most current ideas and theories on the topic of effective leadership, incorporates case examples of large scale transformation, and reveals a remarkable convergence of powerful themes or, as he calls them, the five core competencies. By integrating the five core competencies-attending to a broader moral purpose, keeping on top of the change process, cultivating relationships, sharing knowledge, and setting a vision and context for creating coherence in organizations-leaders will be empowered to deal with complex change. They will be transformed into exceptional leaders who consistently mobilize their compatriots to do important and difficult work under conditions of constant change. The Author Michael Fullan, Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, is recognized as an international authority on educational reform. He is engaged in training, consulting, and evaluation of change projects around the world. His books have been published in many languages. He is coauthor of What's Worth Fighting For trilogy, author of The Changes Forces trilogy, and author of The New Meaning of Educational Change, Third Edition. //--This text refers to the [|Hardcover] edition.//
 * From the Inside Flap**

//[|The Six Secrets of Change]// by Michael Fullan "Explores essential lessons for business and public sector leaders for thriving in today's complex environment. Fullen draws on his acclaimed work in bringing about large-scale and substantial change in education reform in both public school systems and universities, as well as engaging in major change initiatives internationally. This book is filled with lessons that are insightful, actionable, and concisely communicable."

//[|Leading Change in Your School]// by Douglas B. Reeves Using real examples of elementary and secondary schools that have moved change from rhetoric to reality, a giant in the field of school leadership explains how teachers and administrators everywhere can make sure change efforts lead to better results. Whether your school needs to improve literacy, inspire great teaching, increase attendance, reduce dropout rates, reform grading, or reach any other accountability, let Douglas Reeves equip you with what you need to succeed.
 * Book Description**

=**Data-Informed Decision Making**= //[|Data Teams: The Big Picture: Looking at Data Teams Through a Collaborative Lens]// by Elle Allison, Laura Besser, Lauren Campsen and Juan Cordova "A Data Team is an organized group of teachers and administrators that monitors data, analyzes strengths and obstacles, establishes goals, selects instructional strategies, and evaluates results for individual students. Data Teams are the polar opposite of the old system that was euphemistically called, Wait to Fail where teachers took little or no action until the student failed. This is an anthology covering the major subsets of Data Team functions written by experts in those subsets."

//[|Asking the Right Questions: Techniques for Collaboration and School Change]// by Edie L. Holcomb In this second edition, Edie Holcomb builds upon the framework she presented in the first edition and offers school leaders a greater understanding of the essential aspects of school change. Simple and straightforward, Holcomb provides a common language to bridge a variety of models and facilitate collaborative work across schools, districts, and state agencies. She is highly regarded for her ability to link research and practice on issues related to instructional leadership and school and district change-including standards-based curriculum, instruction, assessment, supervision, and accountability. She has taught at all grade levels, served as a building principal and central office administrator, and assisted districts as an external facilitator for accreditation and implementation of school reform designs. As associate director of the National Center for Effective Schools, she developed a training program for site-based teams and provided technical support for implementation of school improvement efforts throughout the United States and in Canada, Guam, St. Lucia, and Hong Kong. She developed a comprehensive standards-based learning system for the staff and 47,000 students of the Seattle, Washington, city district and has supervised K–12 clusters of schools and evaluated principals.
 * Product Description**
 * A valuable resource updated to meet today’s demands!**
 * About the Author**
 * Edie L. Holcomb** is executive director of curriculum and instructional services for Kenosha Unified School District No. 1 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She has experienced the challenges of improving student achievement from many perspectives:
 * From classroom teacher to university professor
 * From gifted education coordinator to mainstream teacher of children with multiple disabilities
 * From school- and district-level administration to national and international consulting
 * From small rural districts to the challenges of urban education

//[|Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement, Second Edition]// by Mike Schmoker How do you know if your school is improving? Do you know what really works in reading programs. . . in writing. . . in math. . . in science? How do we measure what works? What about teaching to the test--or to the vast array of standards being mandated? How do we effectively use cooperative learning--and direct instruction--and alternative assessment? How do we sustain school reform? How do we get results--and measure them in terms of student achievement? In this expanded 2nd edition, Mike Schmoker answers these and other questions by focusing on student learning. By (1) setting goals, (2) working collaboratively, and (3) keeping track of student-achievement data from many sources, teachers and administrators can surpass the community's expectations and facilitate great improvements in student learning. Through hundreds of up-to-date examples from real schools and districts, Schmoker shows how to achieve--and celebrate--both short- and long-term success. Here's one example: Bessemer Elementary school in Pueblo, Colorado, has an 80-percent minority population. Between 1997 and 1998, the number of students performing at or above standard in reading rose from 12 to 64 percent; in writing, they went from 2 to 48 percent. Weekly, standards-focused, team meetings made the difference. As Schmoker says, "We cannot afford to overlook the rich opportunity that schools have to make a difference." This second edition of Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement includes the following: - a Foreword by Michael Fullan.
 * Product Description**

=**Professional Learning Communities**= //[|Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Communities at Work]//by Rebecca DuFour, Richard Dufour, Thomas Many, and Robert Eaker "As educators, we know what it takes to ensure high levels of learning for every child. Compelling, conclusive research proves professional learning communities create the collaborative culture and structures needed to transform our schools into places where all students and educators can succeed. Our problem is not a lack of understanding about what to do, but rather how to turn what we know into daily practice. Learning by Doing bridges this gap, providing the proven practices and practical tools needed to move an organization from theory to action. Like the bunny in The Velveteen Rabbit, my copy has become real its tattered cover, numerous highlights, and earmarked pages demonstrates that it does not sit on my bookcase, but instead lives where I work each day. It has truly been an indispensable resource. In their second edition, the authors have not merely updated the original, but have expanded and refined their recommendations, including greater clarity on the roles of site and district educators, the potential obstacles to becoming a PLC, and the proven solutions to overcome these setbacks. No matter your role in education, if you want to improve the learning for your students, you need this book." --Mike Mattos, coauthor, Pyramid Response to Intervention

//[|Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn]// by Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, Gayle Karhanek, and Richard Dufour //Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn// examines the question, What happens when, despite our best efforts in the classroom, a student does not learn?A professional learning community creates a school-wide system of interventions that provides all students with additional time and support when they experience difficulty in their learning. The authors describe the systems of interventions, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School's Pyramid of Interventions, created by a high school, a middle school, and two elementary schools. The authors also discuss the logistical barriers these schools faced and their strategies for overcoming them.
 * Product Description**

//[|Results Now: How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning]// by Michael J. Schmoker According to author Mike Schmoker, there is a yawning gap between the most well-known essential practices and the reality of most classrooms. This gap persists despite the hard, often heroic work done by many teachers and administrators. Schmoker believes that teachers and administrators may know what the best practices are, but they aren’t using them or reinforcing them consistently. He asserts that our schools are protected by a buffer—a protective barrier that prevents scrutiny of instruction by outsiders. The buffer exists within the school as well. Teachers often know only what is going on in their classrooms—and they may be completely in the dark about what other teachers in the school are doing. Even principals, says Schmoker, don’t have a clear view of the daily practices of teaching and learning in their schools. Schmoker suggests that we need to get beyond this buffer to confront the truth about what is happening in classrooms, and to allow teachers to learn from each other and to be supervised properly. He outlines a plan that focuses on the importance of consistent curriculum, authentic literacy education, and professional learning communities for teachers. What will students get out of this new approach? Learning for life. Schmoker argues passionately that students become learners for life when they have more opportunities to engage in strategic reading, writing with explicit guidance, and argument and discussion. Through strong teamwork, true leadership, and authentic learning, schools and their students can reach new heights. Results Now is a rally cry for educators to focus on what counts. If they do, Schmoker promises, the entire school community can count on unprecedented achievements.
 * Product Description**

//[|The Five Discipline of PLC Leaders]// by Timothy D. Kanold Just as it takes discipline to successfully run a marathon or to master a musical instrument, effective leadership in a professional learning community (PLC) requires practice, patience, and skill. PLC leaders at all levels face multiple paradoxes: they must lead by serving, engage stakeholders through strategic disengagement, allow autonomy within defined boundaries, and inspire others through their own humility. In The Five Disciplines of PLC Leaders, Timothy D. Kanold offers a focused framework that will help educators maintain balance and consistent vision as they strengthen the paradoxical skills of PLC leadership. This framework provides the following five key practices, or disciplines: 1. The discipline of vision and values strengthens understanding of personal vision and the ability to forge a coherent, compelling vision with other stakeholders. It ensures that a PLC s mission, vision, values, and goals are in alignment. 2. The discipline of accountability and celebration forms the bridge between the development of a vision and the implementation of a plan. Through practice in this discipline, a PLC leader is able to stay focused on goals and accountability while acknowledging and celebrating achievements along the way. 3. The discipline of service and sharing addresses one of the core components of an effective PLC: leadership requires personal accountability to the shared vision and the integrity of other community members. This discipline strengthens communication, social connections, and relationships between all stakeholders. 4. The discipline of reflection and balance helps a PLC leader manage time and energy. It develops a leader s ability to discern when to take charge in high-energy activities and when to withdraw, fostering engagement and ownership in others. 5. The discipline of inspiration and influence builds a deep awareness of the future impact of today s actions. This discipline is a vital part of the process of turning a group into a team that has a lasting influence on a PLC and its students.
 * Product Description**

=**Technology Literacy**= //[|The World is Open:] How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education// by Chris Bonk "Web-based technology has opened up education around the world to the point where anyone can learn anything from anyone else at any time. To help educators and others understand what's possible, Curt Bonk employs his groundbreaking "WE-ALL-LEARN" model to outline ten key technology and learning trends, demonstrating how technology has transformed educational opportunities for learners of every age in every corner of the globe. The book is filled with inspiring stories of ordinary learners as well as interviews with technology and education leaders that reveal the power of this new way of learning."

//[|Supporting Content Area Literacy with Technology: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners]// by William G. Brozo, Kathleen Puckett To make content area learning more engaging and meaningful for all students Kathy and Bill present teachers with a basic framework for pairing literacy strategies with readily available classroom technology. Drawing on concepts of universal design, and flexible curriculum access, the authors explore legislation authorizing the use of technology for learners with diverse abilities and offer teachers tools to make technology work in their classroom. Their evidence-based procedures, explicit instruction strategies, and authentic activities guide teachers in integrating curriculum with English/language arts, social studies, science, and math to reduce the barriers to learning and improve student achievement. Kathy and Bill's friendly advice and suggestions for technology adaptations for reading strategies are the just the support teachers need to turn their classroom into a powerful learning community that fosters reading comprehension and content learning for all students. Learn how to use technology as a tool for providing literacy strategy supports with Supporting Content Area Literacy with Technology! *Demonstrates how instructional technology can become the media for teaching and learning literacy strategies in all subject areas. *Helps teachers to plan flexible strategies to meet a wide range of student abilities with explicit instruction examples. *Guides teachers in developing skills in both content area teaching and effective use of instructional and assistive technology. *Provides teachers of subject areas tools for meeting the content learning needs of all students. *Focuses attention on the importance of helping all students, including those with disabilities, meet content standards. *Takes advantage of the interactive nature of instructional technology for motivating students to become more engaged and thoughtful learners. *Features "Questions of Study" to aide facilitators in further discussion and learning for book club study groups. *Presents classroom examples of content literacy and technology within a content area (Social Studies, Language Arts, Science, and Math); including sample text, application of content strategies for readiness, interactive comprehension, and extending new learning with a technology example derived from the sample text.
 * Product Description**

//[|Redefining Literacy 2.0]//, by David Warlick Warlick steps into the future of technology and its impending effect on education in Redefining Literacy 2.0. Our future is unpredictable as technology advances exponentially, so the question is, how do we prepare our children? The author's opening chapter proposes a new direction for educators - to seek to integrate literacy rather than technology. Warlick defines new basic skills as the 3E's - expose what is true, employ the information, and express ideas compellingly. Subsequent chapters detail ways for students to effectively manipulate technology to achieve these skills. This little book is filled with straightforward and practical ideas that will inspire teachers, media specialists, technology directors, and principals to envision and utilize future technology with students. All the extras the author has provided, including key Web resources, appendices with further reading, action items that follow each chapter, as well as the Wiki Web page filled with additional resources, make this an indispensable tool that can and will be consulted over and over again. Highly Recommended. Theresa Metter, Media Specialist, Valley View High School, Germantown, Ohio --Library Media Connection
 * Review**