Ask the Teacher : A Practitioner's Guide to Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom

by Ryan, Mark

• ISBN13: 9780205370764
• ISBN10: 0205370764
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Summary

Using a straightforward and versatile question and answer approach, the Second Edition of Ask the Teacher speaks directly to the teacher candidate with a wealth of tips about educational issues in foundations, history, psychology, curriculum, methodology, classroom management, and family involvement.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
Acknowledgments	xvii
Unit 1 Corner Stones	1	(40)
The Competent and Caring Teacher	2	(1)
America's Schools Need an Educational Philosophy for a Democratic Society	3	(1)
What Early Schools Taught	4	(1)
How Public Education Began	5	(1)
How Teachers Stay Good	6	(1)
The Best Way to Teach a Class	7	(1)
Find a Nurturing Teacher	7	(1)
Mentors Help Students Succeed at High School	8	(1)
Why Are Some Teachers Better Than Others Are?	9	(1)
Is Your Child's Classroom Conducive to Learning?	10	(1)
Professional Development: Who Teaches the Teachers?	11	(1)
The Mesh of Theory and Practice in Professional Education	12	(1)
Programs for At-Risk Kids Do Pay Off	13	(1)
Quality of Charter Schools Depends on Many Factors	14	(1)
Are High Schools Getting Tougher?	15	(1)
Small-Scale Schools Offer a Consistently Better Education	16	(1)
School Size Is Crucial to a Child's Success	17	(1)
Small Classes Yield Big Results	18	(1)
Why Do Some Schools Just Work Well?	19	(1)
Changing Public Schools to Serve All Students	20	(1)
Girls Still Getting the Short End of the Educational Stick	21	(1)
Gender in Children's Literature: Cinderella or Cinderfella?	22	(1)
Students Will Rise to the Challenge	23	(1)
Being ``Politically Correct'' in School	24	(1)
How Schools Can Get More ``Bang for Their Buck''	25	(1)
Students Should Rate Their Professors	26	(1)
Four Requisites to Academic Accomplishment	26	(1)
Struggling Students Aren't Bad Students	27	(1)
Not All Students Work at the Same Pace	28	(1)
What Are Critical Thinking Skills?	29	(1)
Solving the Dropout Problem	30	(1)
Four Steps to Enhance Academic Achievement	31	(2)
Effort Is the Key to Success in School	33	(1)
A Poor Educational Choice: Grade Retention	34	(1)
Social Promotion or Being Held Back---Are These the Only Choices?	35	(1)
Nutrition Affects Intellectual Performance	36	(1)
The Future of Education Needn't Be Bleak	37	(4)
Unit 2 Culture to Culture	41	(28)
Schools Should Celebrate Ethnic Diversity	42	(1)
Ebonics Enters the Language Debate	43	(1)
Two-Way System Solves Bilingual Problem	44	(1)
Two-Way Bilingual Education Benefits All	45	(2)
Roots of Intolerance	47	(1)
Parents and Teachers Can Help All Students Succeed	48	(2)
Multicultural Education Is the Right Way to Go	50	(1)
Inclusive Schools See Diversity As a Strength	51	(1)
Some Kids Develop Skills Faster Than Others	52	(1)
School's Vision Begins with Educational Platform	53	(1)
Teaching the Bilingual Student	54	(1)
Multilingual Heritage	55	(1)
The United States: An English-Speaking Nation or a Multilingual Nation?	56	(1)
What Has to Happen for Standards to Work	57	(2)
What U.S. Schools Could Learn from Japan	59	(1)
How Can All Students Experience Success?	60	(1)
Fostering the Bilingual Child	61	(1)
Nurturing the Bilingual Child	62	(1)
Attracting Minority Students to Science and Math	63	(1)
Mathematics for the English as a Second Language Student	64	(5)
Unit 3 The Why and How of Classroom Psychology	69	(26)
There's More Than One Way to Be Smart	70	(1)
Bell Curve Isn't the Best Learning Indicator	71	(1)
Teachers Don't ``Give'' Grades	72	(1)
Does the Size of Your Brain Matter?	73	(2)
Brain Growth: A Second Bite of the Apple	75	(1)
Don't Abandon the Academic Ship	76	(1)
Mixed-Age Grouping Works	77	(1)
What Is Self-Esteem?	77	(1)
Help Your Child Beat Fear of School	78	(1)
College Athletes Don't Always Have It So Easy	79	(1)
Self-Esteem Is Everything	80	(1)
Kids Will Behave with Proper Motivation	81	(1)
Student Motivation	82	(1)
Understanding a Misunderstood Notion---Student Motivation	83	(1)
How to Set Up an Environment That Fosters Motivated Students	84	(1)
An Answer for Unsuccessful Learners---Cognitive Retraining	84	(1)
Learning Requires a Dual Investment: Time and Effort	85	(1)
Best Efforts Are More Important Than Being Exceptional	86	(1)
Teacher Expectations Are a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy	87	(1)
Prosocial Behavior: A Product of Positive Expectations	88	(1)
Sidelined Athletes Grumble about Grades	89	(1)
Grouping by IQ	90	(1)
The Fear of Making Mistakes	90	(1)
Educational Research and Common Knowledge	91	(4)
Unit 4 Discipline: Rules of the Road	95	(28)
Classroom Discipline That Really Works	96	(1)
The Disadvantages of Punishment in the Classroom	97	(1)
Punishments and Rewards: One and the Same?	98	(1)
Classroom Discipline	99	(1)
What Constitutes Appropriate Discipline?	100	(2)
Effective Classroom Discipline	102	(1)
Homework Helper	103	(1)
How to Cope with At-Risk Students	103	(1)
Negative Thoughts Lead to Poor Self-Image	104	(2)
Behavioral Standards in the Classroom	106	(1)
Tackling School Violence	106	(1)
Which Works Better---Punishment or Reward?	107	(1)
When a Teacher Should Call a Student's Home	108	(1)
There's Lots of Hope for Your Shy Child	109	(1)
How to Solve the ``Bully'' Problem	110	(1)
Is Spanking Ever a Good Idea?	111	(1)
Mutual Respect Is Key to Preventing Violence	112	(1)
The Gang Problem and a Solution	113	(1)
Changing Student Behavior	114	(1)
Dealing with Truancy	115	(1)
What Is Sexual Harassment?	116	(1)
How to Deal with Verbal Abuse in the Classroom	117	(1)
Sarcasm Has No Place in School	118	(1)
Teaching Children How to Behave	118	(1)
Habitual Tardiness Is a Symptom, Not the Problem	119	(1)
One-Size-Fits-All Dress Code Can Seem Like a Straightjacket	120	(3)
UNIT 5 Testing: Getting It Right	123	(14)
Performance Assessment	124	(1)
Best Tests	124	(1)
What to Do on the Day of an Exam	125	(1)
What Are Standardized Tests?	126	(1)
How to Prepare for Standardized Tests	127	(1)
Preparing for Short-Answer and Essay Tests	128	(1)
What Is Test Bias?	129	(1)
How to Test Children in Lower Grades	130	(1)
IQ Tests Are Only One Tool in Measuring Intelligence	131	(1)
Tests Should Measure Development, Not Limit a Student's Opportunities	132	(1)
A Formula for Success on Quizzes, Tests, and Exams	133	(1)
How to Prepare Your Child for a Test	134	(3)
UNIT 6 Curriculum: What to Teach	137	(20)
Slow Learners Deserve Full Curriculum	138	(1)
An Answer to the Diversity Gap in High Schools	139	(1)
Where in the World Is Geography?	140	(1)
What about Science?	141	(1)
Evolution Theory Has Roots in Science	141	(1)
Why Is Spelling So Hard?	142	(1)
Finding Out about the World around You	143	(1)
What's the Point of Reading Shakespeare?	143	(1)
The Arts Are Undervalued	144	(1)
What's Going On with Art Programs?	145	(1)
Does Pronunciation Matter?	146	(1)
Are Physical Education Programs Worth the Time, Effort, and Money?	147	(1)
Why Is Physical Education Taught in Secondary School?	147	(1)
Oral History Project	148	(1)
Students Learn a Lot on Field Trips	149	(1)
Television Has a Place in the Classroom	150	(1)
Economics Is a Vital Element of Citizenship Education	151	(1)
The Language of Mathematics	152	(1)
What Is a Portfolio?	153	(1)
The Evolution of Literacy	154	(3)
UNIT 7 Methodology: How to Teach	157	(30)
Collaboration Is a Formula for Better Education	158	(2)
Working in Groups Can Yield Positive Results	160	(1)
Cooperative Learning Leads to Results	161	(1)
The Essay Menu	162	(2)
A High School Design Flaw: Six Classes a Day, Five Days a Week	164	(1)
Replacing the Six-Period School Day	165	(2)
A Game Plan to Enhance Student Achievement	167	(1)
What Is Andragogy?	168	(1)
Experiences Affect How and What We Learn	169	(1)
Critical Thinking Skills in the Classroom	170	(1)
Children Learn Best from Self-Initiated Activities	171	(1)
Students Balk at Assignments	172	(1)
Getting Homework Done on Time	172	(1)
Mixed-Age Activities	173	(1)
How to Get Students to Turn In Their Homework	174	(1)
The Self-Directed Student	174	(1)
Teachers Should Distribute Lecture Notes	175	(1)
Real World Thinking and Problem Solving	175	(2)
Collaborative Skills: Teamwork That Lasts a Lifetime	177	(1)
Halting Grade Inflation	178	(1)
How to Teach Conventional Math Classes in a Short Period of Time	179	(2)
Using Portfolios to Assess Math Progress	181	(1)
Teaching Mathematics to Children	182	(1)
Types of Math Portfolio Assessment	183	(4)
UNIT 8 Learning to Read, Reading to Learn	187	(28)
Encourage Young Readers by Reading Aloud	188	(1)
Language Skills Are Key to Intellectual Development	189	(1)
Taking Steps toward Writing Good Essays	190	(1)
Revision Is an Important Part of an Assignment	191	(1)
Learn to Read, Then Read to Learn	192	(1)
Integrated Approach to Language Arts Pays Off	193	(2)
Newspapers in Class Encourage Reading	195	(1)
Like, How Come Kids, You Know, Can't Communicate?	196	(1)
The First Lesson in Reading Can Be an Experience	197	(1)
Helping Beginning Readers	198	(1)
Reading Starts with Identifying Sounds	198	(1)
Finding That Inner Voice to Make Reading Enjoyable	199	(1)
Help Your Child Love to Read	200	(1)
Mix of Teaching Strategies Is Key to Reading Success	201	(1)
Ways ``Poor Students'' Can Learn to Read	202	(1)
Learn Grammar without Drills	203	(1)
Five Ways to Become an Exemplary Listener	204	(1)
Q&A Sessions Need the Right Kind of Questions	205	(1)
Understanding the Textbook	206	(1)
How to Encourage Reading	207	(1)
Use This Trick to Get Your Child to Read	207	(1)
Helping Your Children Read at Home	208	(1)
Questions to Ask about School Reading Programs	209	(1)
Early Reading Builds a Lifetime Habit	209	(1)
Story Time Helps Kids Learn to Read	210	(1)
Reading and Writing Work Hand in Hand	211	(4)
UNIT 9 Inclusion and Service: Yes, That Means Everyone	215	(22)
Decisions That Concern Students with Disabilites	216	(1)
Ways to Test Students with Disabilities	217	(1)
Does Your Child Have a Learning Disability?	218	(1)
Teaching Special Education Students in the Regular Classroom---A Team Approach	219	(1)
Setting Up Learning Environments for Students with Attention Deficit Disorder	220	(1)
Will All Non-Gifted Students Please Raise Their Hands?	221	(1)
An Inclusive Educational Strategy: Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English	222	(1)
Having Friends at School	223	(1)
Dealing with Dyslexia	223	(1)
Dealing with ADD	224	(1)
What Is Service Learning?	225	(1)
Linking Students in the Classroom with Their Communities through Service Learning	226	(1)
Nurturing Children of Mixed Heritage	227	(2)
Extending the School Day	229	(1)
The Most Popular Class Is the One Least Taught	230	(1)
Oral History Project a Winner from First Question to Final Presentation	231	(1)
Let's Get Down to Cases	232	(1)
3 . . ., 2 . . ., 1 . . ., Action!	233	(4)
UNIT 10 Tools of the Trade	237	(28)
It's Important to Travel the Information Highway	238	(1)
Computers' Impact on Education	239	(1)
Why Every Student Isn't on the Information Highway	239	(2)
Computers in the Classroom	241	(1)
Why Computers Are Important	241	(1)
Getting Started on Computers	242	(1)
How to Distribute Computers on Campus	243	(1)
Are Computers Worth the Expense?	243	(2)
Technology in Today's Schools	245	(1)
Computer Age Changes Librarians' Roles	246	(1)
Learning on the Internet	247	(1)
The Best Kind of School Technology Plans	248	(1)
Technology Offers a Big Plus to the Instructional Process	249	(1)
The Potential of Distance Education	250	(1)
Is E-Mail Changing Scholarly Dialogue?	251	(1)
Online Classes Change the Concepts of Time and Space	252	(1)
How to Teach an Online Course	253	(1)
What Makes a Quality Educational Website Experience?	254	(1)
Quality Online Learning	255	(1)
Testing by E-mail	256	(1)
Andragogy Meets Online Education	257	(1)
Online Collaborative Learning	258	(1)
Collaborative Online Education	259	(1)
Online Access to Higher Education	260	(5)
UNIT 11 Parents and the School	265	(26)
Parents and Teacher Must Work Together	266	(1)
Your Child's Success Is a Joint Mission	267	(1)
Eliminating Drug Abuse Requires Team Approach	268	(1)
After-School Programs to Entertain Kids	269	(1)
How to Turn Students into Good Citizens	270	(1)
Communicating with Parents	271	(1)
How to Get Involved in School Reform	271	(2)
The Jump to Junior High or Middle School	273	(1)
Middle School Selection Is of Crucial Importance	273	(1)
Is PBS a National Treasure?	274	(1)
Reform Movements	275	(1)
How to Choose the Best Preschool	276	(1)
Preparing a Child for Kindergarten	277	(1)
Preschool Checklist	277	(1)
Appropriate Teacher Conferences	278	(1)
Appropriate Questions at an Open House	279	(1)
Unhappy with Your Teacher?	280	(1)
What to Expect from a Student Teacher	281	(1)
Classroom Visit May Help Concerned Parents	281	(2)
How Parents Should Deal with Teachers	283	(1)
Father's Involvement Is Very Significant	283	(1)
The Powerful Effect of a Father's Involvement on His Children's Education	284	(1)
Changing Schools Requires a Community Effort	285	(1)
Summer School Approach to Learning	286	(1)
School-to-Work Transition	286	(1)
Employability Skills	287	(1)
Six Steps to Better Grades	288	(3)
UNIT 12 Education: A Family Affair	291	(20)
Parents Are Their Child's Most Important Teachers	292	(1)
How to Help Your Child with Homework	293	(1)
Your Child's Self-Esteem	294	(1)
Helping Your Children with Homework	294	(1)
Parents Are Right to Limit TV	295	(1)
TV or Not TV, That Is the Question	296	(1)
Start Teaching Your Child about Nature Now	296	(2)
What about Homeschooling?	298	(1)
Helping the Unsuccessful Student	299	(1)
How to Help Your Child Overcome Social Inhibitions	300	(1)
Parents' Role in the Education of Their Children	300	(1)
New Learning Tools for Your Children	301	(1)
How Parents Can Help with Homework	302	(1)
Parent Involvement That Pays Off	303	(1)
Review Your Child's Work to Improve Performance	304	(1)
Families Involved in Classroom Learning Experiences	305	(1)
Specific Kinds of Family Involvement Really Work	306	(1)
Parents' Role in Science and Math Education	307	(1)
How to Tell Kids About the World of Work	308	(3)
Glossary	311	(2)
Index	313