For general courses in Secondary and/or Middle School Methods. This constructivist-based book examines teaching at the secondary level through discussion of five key factors involved in its practice: Students, Content, Pedagogy, Philosophy, and Context—instilling in future teachers the constructivist idea that designing instruction must begin with consideration of the learner. The objective of the material is to help prospective teachers develop a set of skills, without oversimplifying the complexity of teaching. First chapters are on learning, student characteristics, cultural differences, and authentic learning—while material on learning outcomes, assessments, and lesson plans are in later chapters. Much of the content is devoted to the design of curriculum, teaching approaches, classroom management, and adaptation/differentiation of instruction for students with special needs of all types. Numerous examples drawn from high school lessons and units are presented through a common template that addresses strength/weaknesses, where/when/with whom it would be most effective, how to modify it to meet the needs of special learners, and what values and/or social relationships it promotes. In addition, a case study involving a multidisciplinary unit on Zimbabwe ties text-sanctioned practices to unit/lesson planning that meets state and local standards. For prospective secondary teachers.
Teaching as Decision Making No other book in my undergraduate studies better prepared me for the real world of teaching. Time and again I refer to this book to pull out an idea, reassure myself as to what I am doing in my classroom or guide myself through the tangled web of a secondary classroom. Its insight into the everyday world of teaching and how best to prepare our young people for the challenges of the real world has helped me to be a better educator. I recommend this book to anyone teaching in a secondary classroom. It is empowering to the real teachers of the real curriculum in America showing the reader that powerful decisions rest with the teacher in the trenches and not the curriculum guru at the publishing house.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
