education-theory

This is a superb book that opened my eyes to how to teach better. Very learner-centered, it nevertheless talks to the teacher-centered instructor, giving valuable tips on how to improve classroom presentations. The best tip is that the adjustments we make to assist non-native speakers of English in our science classrooms also help ALL students. Read it, heed it, if you are a college science teacher. Your students will thank you.

I read this book for one of my English classes in college, and I was surprised at how easy to read it was! Unlike most of my college textbooks, it did not include a lot of technical jargon or confusing terms. The book is really useful for teachers of all disciplines. It has practical applications of writing in the classroom, including both expository and creative. I strongly encourage anyone entering the teaching profession or already in it to read this book and use its ideas in the classrooms.

The word "learning" has become very prominent in contemporary education terminology. Official policy document issued by organizations like UNESCO, or even European Union and US goverment publications have gradually replaced the words "education" or "training" with "learning". This fact has created some confusion among educators, curriculum design experts, and of course students. That is why a book such as "The theory and practice of learning" can be of great help to all of us who are involved in the process of education. It is a clear written comprehensive book that examines globally all aspects of the learning process (theory and practice). The book presents not only the views and opinions of the writers but it also demonstrates the most important features from theories of great educationalists who have influenced our society. I believe that reading this book will definetely help to understand the current trends in education. Congratulations!

This book is a stunning display of sheer intellectual and literary prowess! The authors have created a rollicking, sensual experience out of what is really a very boring topic. The plot twists and turns in unexpected places, but invariably comes back to the same dull old subject of grading papers. A true masterpiece that you'll find riveting.

In his introduction, Pinar suggests younger people working in the field of curriculum probably need this introduction to the work of Macdonald, which he claims anticipated or coincided with major shifts in curriculum theorizing in the decade of the eighties. If I am any representative of those "younger scholars," nobody needs to be told how important the work of Macdonald is or has been. Instead, I would suspect there are a lot of people celebrating the advent of this monograph, because Bradley has done a great job selecting some of the key essays of his father, and we now have at our fingertips some of the most unfluential and significant theoretical work in curriculum of the century. It is remarkable to note how Macdonald did the Foucault thing to the field before most of us (including perhaps Macdonald) knew of Foucault (See "The School as a Double Agent," 1971). And it is inspiring to see that our current work has the history it does. We all should rejoice that we can now quote and reference Macdonald that much more easily, and that we can have a nice collection all in one volume. I especially recommend we all re-read his article, "A Transcendental Developmental Ideology of Education," originally published in Heightened Consciousness, Cultural Revolution, and Curriculum Theory, W. Pinar, ed. (Berkeley: McCutchan), 1974. Pinar recently wrote that that title now makes him wince. But the Macdonald chapter and others still merit reading, either in the original volume or in a new compendium. Interested in multicultural education? You will enjoy "Living Democratically in Schools: Cultural Pluralism," (1977). Cultural Studies? Reflect on "The Quality of Everyday Life in Schools," (1975). Lesson Planning? Try "A Vision of a Humane School," (1971) (I shared this one with my methods class today.) I had to rethink a conference paper after reconsidering "Theory, Practice and the Hermeneutic Circle," (1981). They're all here, and more. "Hurry! Hurry! that train's a-comin'," to quote Ellington. You'll want to board this book.

I know about 70 consultants that have studied this book during one or two years, and their words about it are always the same: terrific, essential, the more important book, actual, and so... Almir Campos.

Guy Brousseau articles covered in this book comprise one of the very significant contributions in this second half of the century to mathematics education. It is an important contribution towards the formulation of a theory to explore the 'phenomena that occur during the teaching of mathematics'. This selection of papers will go a long way to help non-french speaking readers to approach not only Brousseau's work, but also the now wide and deep body of contributions of the French school of 'didactique des mathématiques' to mathematics education as a well-established research discipline. The articles included cover some of the main concepts that Brousseau has dealt with durig the period 1970-1990. The conceptions of didactical situation, milieu, and different types of didactical contracts are shown and a careful reading will help to reveal some of the complex background from which these ideas developed. This is by no means easy reading, but then the subject might be one of the most intriguing and, simultaneously,underestimated and oversimplified areas of educational research. Brousseau's work does not offer easy, run-of-the mill recipes to solve questions of learning mathematics. Instead it gives serious indications and contributions of a way toward meaningful research. This is a remarkable contribution even for those who do not share the philosophy underlying some of 'didactique des mathématiques' theories. The editors have done good work, the preludes to each chapter constitute by themselves a learned commented introduction to some of the notions and important points in the area.They are a welcome overview to help to put Brouseau's work in perspective.

The main theme of this book is that a teacher's presentation must be consistent with one and only one interpretation - the correct one for the concept you're trying to teach. If there is more than one interpretation, then some students will learn the incorrect one making re-teaching a necessity.

This guy saw that some student's mis-interpretations were justified given the teacher's presentation. Intuitively this makes sense but Engelmann goes further and shows how good presentations should be constructed. In doing so the author becomes an advocate of the student by showing how teachers can do their jobs better.

As you might expect, this may not be the most popular approach around education circles. But if you're a parent and you want your kid taught, aside from local politics and national popular trends, this is where you need to be. The movement behind all this is called Direct Instruction and take it from me: it works.

I taught my 4 year old to read with his other book (Teach Your Child to Read In 100 Easy Lessons) which arises from the theory in this text. During this process I knew where my kid was at performance-wise and what to do next.

The co-author, Douglas Carnine, has authored methods texts that are phenominal - one for reading and one for math. A language methods text is sorely needed before these movement creaters retire.

The art of instruction is becoming a technology. One hundred years from now smart people will be teaching with Engelmann's methods. The chaff in current theory will be gone and student performance will be so advanced you won't know it by today's standards.

This text is comparable to Alan Cooper's "About Face: Essentials of User Interface Design." Some designers stand far above the rest. I recommend you take a look.

Although the primary audience is people involved in teacher training, this is a valuable book for anyone who works with adults. It is centered around a constructivist philosophy of adult learning that builds on Jean Piaget's theories of child development: We learn best when the learning is relevant to our lives, and we are able to have hands-on opportunities to practice and integrate new concepts. Activities are thoughtful and practical, and also very respectful toward the people who work with young children. This would be a valuable addition to any trainer's library.

Anyone interested in economics, but afraid to tackle it due to it's abstract reasoning and theories needs to pick up Jean Baptiste Say's "Treatise on Political Economy". Say, a free market liberal, was an admirer of Adam Smith, but was also critical of his views on the Labor Theory of Value. Say, an ardent republican, and participator in the French Revolution, was also an admirer of Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson with whom he corresponded.

Say believes government policy should stimulate frugality, risk taking, and investment. Say provides a very complelling arguement against excessive regulation, unequal privilege, high taxes, and corporations. Say,although a free marketeer, does not see pure benevolence in corporations, he see them for what they are: chartered privelged companies with government favor. This favor imperils economic freedom and destroys individual risk taking. Say advocated the abolition of monopolies, trade restrictions, and subsidies to corporations.

Say also shows his Enlightenment ideals of public spirit and the diffusion of knowledge. He relates the proper role for government as the propmotion of public schools, academies, libraries, canals, roads , bridges and military defense. Say although a thorough liberatrian, was not a worshipper of social darwinism. Say feared huge concentrations of wealth, luxury, and privilege as destructive to a free economy and republcan values.

If you love freedom and republican government, this is a classic.