Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It


James M. Lang - 2020
    The logical response is to ban electronics in class. But acclaimed educator James M. Lang argues that this solution obscures a deeper problem: how we teach is often at odds with how students learn. Classrooms are designed to force students into long periods of intense focus, but emerging science reveals that the brain is wired for distraction. We learn best when able to actively seek and synthesize new information.In Distracted, Lang rethinks the practice of teaching, revealing how educators can structure their classrooms less as distraction-free zones and more as environments where they can actively cultivate their students' attention.Brimming with ideas and grounded in new research, Distracted offers an innovative plan for the most important lesson of all: how to learn.

Grading from the Inside Out: Bringing Accuracy to Student Assessment Through a Standards-Based Mindset


Tom Schimmer - 2016
    While the transition to standards-based practices may be challenging, it is essential for effective instruction and assessment. In this practical guide, the author outlines specific steps your team can take to transform grading and reporting schoolwide. Each chapter includes examples of grading dilemmas, vignettes from teachers and administrators, and ideas for bringing parents on board with change.

And Still We Rise:: The Trials and Triumphs of Twelve Gifted Inner-City Students


Miles Corwin - 2000
    Sitting alongside them in classrooms where bullets were known to rip through windows, Corwin chronicled their amazing odyssey as they faced the greatest challenges of their academic lives. And Still We Rise is an unforgettable story of transcending obstacles that would dash the hopes of any but the most exceptional spirits.

Plan Your Year: Homeschool Planning for Purpose and Peace


Pam Barnhill - 2014
    It’s about expanding horizons and forging new paths. Regardless of the curriculum you choose or the dynamics of your family life, the book helps you break free from old paradigms about education put on you by the state, your family, and that supermom in your homeschool group. Plan Your Year walks through the process by first looking at what’s right for your unique family, then leads you through a series of ten manageable, yet effective steps, to get you from thinking about your upcoming year to having a plan you can be proud of (and that will actually get done!)The book includes a link to where you can purchase the bonus material, including over forty planning forms to help you create a workable plan for your year, two inspiring audio interviews to give you a peek into the planning process of other homeschooling moms. The book also contains links to three videos to help you get off to a good start.Success breeds success. A good plan will help you build a successful homeschool vision and carry it out in the day-to-day. It’s time to Plan Your Year- now you know just where to begin.

Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino's Masterpiece


Jason Bailey - 2013
    The New York Times called it a "triumphant, cleverly disorienting journey," and thirty-one-year-old Quentin Tarantino, with just three feature films to his name, became a sensation: the next great American director. Nearly twenty years later, those who proclaimed Pulp Fiction an instant classic have been proven irrefutably right. In Pulp Fiction: The Complete Story of Quentin Tarantino's Masterpiece, film expert Jason Bailey explores why Pulp Fiction is such a brilliant and influential film. He discusses how the movie was revolutionary in its use of dialogue ("You can get a steak here, daddy-o," "Correct-amundo"), time structure, and cinematography--and how it completely transformed the industry and artistry of independent cinema. He examines Tarantino's influences, illuminates the film's pop culture references, and describes its phenomenal legacy. Unforgettable characters like Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Vincent Vega (John Travolta), Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), and Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) are scrutinized from all-new angles, and memorable scenes--Christopher Walken's gold watch monologue, Vince's explanation of French cuisine--are analyzed and celebrated. Much like the contents of Marcellus Wallace's briefcase, Pulp Fiction is mysterious and spectacular. Illustrated throughout with original art inspired by the film, with sidebars and special features on everything from casting close calls to deleted scenes, this is the most comprehensive, in-depth book on Pulp Fiction ever published.

The 5-Hour School Week: An Inspirational Guide to Leaving the Classroom to Embrace Learning in a Way You Never Imagined


Kaleena Amuchastegui - 2018
    Outdated, overcrowded schools are taking up our children’s time and taking away from valuable life experiences. There’s a better way to learn—and The 5-Hour School Week is how we hacked homeschool so we could enjoy our life and our kids!When Aaron and Kaleena Amuchastegui took their kids out of school to travel the globe and educate them through experiences, their children became more engaged, self-aware, curious, and passionate about learning. Now, they share their inspiring successes and practical advice to give you the tools you need to create your own unconventional education plan, no matter what your budget, walking you through topics like:Teaching kids to love learningProviding a social educationIncorporating travel into lessonsEmphasizing practical skillsAnd moreThis isn’t your mom’s homeschooling. This is an innovative, eclectic approach to education that will revolutionize your family’s life.

Cold-Blooded Kindness: Neuroquirks of a Codependent Killer, or Just Give Me a Shot at Loving You, Dear, and Other Reflections on Helping That Hurts


Barbara Oakley - 2011
    At her rural homestead an adopted pony mingled with llamas, goats, emus, and dozens of other creatures, familiar and exotic. But Carole’s expressed desire to help others extended beyond the animals she took in. It extended beyond her meager resources, even beyond the children she insisted she loved, yet sometimes left neglected in a surreal world of danger. Finally, in the remote reaches of Utah’s Great Basin, Carole Alden shot and killed her husband. Dragging his heavy body from the house, she headed for a makeshift grave. Was the murder self-defense? Premeditated? Or was something else altogether at hand? In this searing exploration of deadly codependency, the author takes the reader on a spellbinding voyage of discovery that examines the questions: Are some people naturally too caring? Is caring sometimes a mask for darker motives? Can science help us understand how our concerns for others can hurt everything we hold dear? This gripping story brings extraordinary insight to our deepest questions. Is kindness always the right answer? Is kindness always what it seems?

Teacher: One woman's struggle to keep the heart in teaching


Gabbie Stroud - 2018
    She very eloquently shows us why and how education needs to change...Teacher made me laugh and cry. I loved it!' - Kathy Margolis, former teacher and activist.Watching children learn is a beautiful and extraordinary experience. Their bodies transform, reflecting inner changes. Teeth fall out. Knees scab. Freckles multiply. Throughout the year they grow in endless ways and I can almost see their self-esteem rising, their confidence soaring, their small bodies now empowered. Given wings.They fall in love with learning.It is a kind of magic, a kind of loving, a kind of art.It is teaching.Just teaching.Just what I do.What I did.Past tense.In 2014, Gabrielle Stroud was a very dedicated teacher with over a decade of experience. Months later, she resigned in frustration and despair when she realised that the Naplan-test education model was stopping her from doing the very thing she was best at: teaching individual children according to their needs and talents. Her ground-breaking essay 'Teaching Australia' in the Feb 2016 Griffith Review outlined her experiences and provoked a huge response from former and current teachers around the world. That essay lifted the lid on a scandal that is yet to properly break - that our education system is unfair to our children and destroying their teachers. In a powerful memoir inspired by her original essay, Gabrielle tells the full story: how she came to teaching, what makes a great teacher, what our kids need from their teachers, and what it was that finally broke her. A brilliant and heart-breaking memoir that cuts to the heart of a vital matter of national importance.

Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation


Vicki Abeles - 2015
    In Race to Nowhere, Vicki Abeles identified a widespread problem in our nation’s schools: as students race against each other to have constantly higher grades, better test scores, and more AP courses than their classmates, they are irreparably damaging their mental and physical health. Now Abeles taps into this same grassroots community across the nation to find the solutions in Beyond Measure, which publishes simultaneously with the release of her new documentary. Pulling from powerful anecdotes and convincing new research, Abeles presents inspirational, quantifiable success stories and shows how anyone—students, parents, and educators—can effect change. Teachers who cut students’ workload see scores rise; kids discover their own motivation once parents relieve the pressure to perform; schools that institute later start times have well-rested students who are able to learn more efficiently; and schools that emphasize depth over test prep find students more attentive, inventive, and ready to thrive. It’s no secret that our education system is broken, and Beyond Measure inspires parents, educators, and students to take practical steps to fix it—starting today. In so doing, it empowers all of us to redefine learning and success, and to discover the true, untapped potential awaiting our children, not just in college, but in life.

Embedded Formative Assessment - practical strategies and tools for K-12 teachers


Dylan Wiliam - 2011
    Dylan Wiliam faces this challenge head-on by making a case for the important role of formative assessment in increasing teacher quality and student learning. While there are many possible ways in which we could seek to develop the practice of serving teachers, attention to minute-by-minute and day-to-day formative assessment is likely to have the biggest impact on student outcomes. Wiliam s view of formative assessment differs from the popular view in that he regards formative assessment as a process rather than a tool.Wiliam outlines what formative assessment is, and what it is not, and presents the five key strategies of formative assessment:1. Clarifying, sharing, and understanding learning intentions and criteria for success2. Engineering effective classroom discussions, activities, and learning tasks that elicit evidence of learning3. Providing feedback that moves learning forward4. Activating learners as instructional resources for one another5. Activating learners as owners of their own learningThe book presents a summary of the research evidence that shows the impact of each strategy and offers a number of practical techniques that teachers have used to incorporate the strategy into their regular classroom practice.

A Field Guide for the Hero's Journey


Jeff Sandefer - 2012
    Perhaps you’re afraid that if you try, you’ll fail. The startling truth is this: Just about anyone can do great things, can live a life that’s remarkable, purposeful, excellent, and yes, even heroic. If you want to be a hero, you can be. How? That’s what this book is all about. Will you choose to do it? Will you decide to journey heroically, instead of spending your life merely marking time? If so, this is the book for you. Welcome to your heroic journey.

Financial Literacy for Managers


Richard A. Lambert - 2012
    Financial statements are a critical source of the information you need.In direct and simple terms, Richard A. Lambert, Miller-Sherrerd Professor of Accounting at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, demystifies financial statements and concepts and shows you how you can apply this information to make better business decisions for long-term profit. You will learn to use and interpret financial data; find out what we can learn from Pepsi, Krispy Kreme, General Motors, and other companies; learn how to evaluate investment strategies; and apply your financial know-how to develop a coherent business strategy.

Adventures on 'The Way': 1100 miles on the Camino de Santiago


Graeme Harvey - 2018
    Nominated for running book of the year in The Running Awards 2019.

Driven: The Never-Give-Up Roadmap to Massive Success


Manny Khoshbin - 2018
    

LinkedIn Riches: How to Leverage the World's Largest Professional Network to Enhance Your Brand, Generate Leads and Increase Revenue!


John Nemo - 2014
    I did it all by myself, and I did it all inside a tiny niche. This isn't some get-rich-quick scheme or "push a button and make money" type approach. Rather, it's about understanding how to enhance your personal brand, how to leverage LinkedIn's built-in advantages and how to apply the specific type of selling psychology that generates nonstop leads and customers when done correctly. The simple formula I’ll teach you works in any niche, takes just a few minutes a day to apply and drives targeted, ready-to-buy prospects to your virtual front door. It doesn’t matter what your experience level is when it comes to LinkedIn – literally anyone can do this! Find out RIGHT NOW just how easy it is! Inside This Book You’ll Discover: - How to ensure your LinkedIn profile ranks #1 in your niche or industry - How to instantly locate your ideal prospects on LinkedIn no matter what industry you’re in - How to engage your ideal prospects on LinkedIn by creating instant likability and trust - How to create content on LinkedIn that establishes your credibility and attracts your ideal prospects - How to turn LinkedIn Groups into your own personal ATM Machine - How to move new LinkedIn connections from prospects to paying customers as quickly as possible ABOUT THE AUTHOR JOHN NEMO is a former Associated Press Reporter, Award-Winning PR Director and Social Media Consultant who generated more than $135,000 in revenue for his business in just 90 days using LinkedIn. He is the creator of www.LinkedInRiches.com, an online training course that helps brands, businesses and individuals leverage LinkedIn to generate more sales leads, add new clients and increase revenue. In addition to public speaking, live trainings and presentations, Nemo also offers 1-on-1 coaching and consulting services to clients worldwide in a variety of business development, marketing and lead generation areas. The author of five previous books, John Nemo has written for nearly 150 different national and regional publications over the past 20 years, including Sports Illustrated online, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Chicago Sun-Times and The Arizona Republic. He lives near St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife, Sara, their three sons and Rosie the dog.