Community, Diversity, and Conflict Among Schoolteachers

Community, Diversity, and Conflict Among Schoolteachers PDF Author: Betty Achinstein
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 9780807741740
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Get Book Here

Book Description
Using richly textured case studies of two very different schools, the author shows when teachers enact reforms in the name of community, what often emerges is conflict. Whether dealing with issues of teachers collaboration or how to meet the needs of a diverse student population, conflicts within professional communities reflect important differences of beliefs and practices. This book reframes conflict as constructive in building educational communities that learn and promote democratic values in schools.

Transforming Teamwork

Transforming Teamwork PDF Author: Diane P. Zimmerman
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1544319878
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 276

Get Book Here

Book Description
Discover how psychological safety, constructive conflict, and actionable learning create a powerful triple helix to transform teams! In this ground-breaking resource, three experts in the field of education and teamwork each present one of three strands that, when woven together, support teamwork and forge collaborative interactions into a transformative way of working. You’ll learn approaches, processes and tools to overcome common obstacles to team effectiveness such as feelings of futility, anxiety, and poor morale. Drawing on research and practical experience the authors identify strategies and tools that show how to: Build psychological safety, where teams work towards resilient interpersonal relationships Use constructive conflict as a powerful catalyst for team learning and transformation Inquire into problems of practice to transform capabilities and produce actionable learning Acquire ways to develop mindful, thoughtful, and constructive teams where authentic communication drives group awareness and clear processes and goals. Acquire ways to develop mindful, thoughtful, and constructive teams where authentic communication drives group awareness and clear processes and goals.

Handbook of Education Politics and Policy

Handbook of Education Politics and Policy PDF Author: Bruce S. Cooper
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135106770
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 459

Get Book Here

Book Description
This revised edition of the Handbook of Education Politics and Policy presents the latest research and theory on the most important topics within the field of the politics of education. Well-known scholars in the fields of school leadership, politics, policy, law, finance, and educational reform examine the institutional backdrop to our educational system, the political behaviors and cultural influences operating within schools, and the ideological and philosophical positions that frame discussions of educational equity and reform. In its second edition, this comprehensive handbook has been updated to capture recent developments in the politics of education, including Race to the Top and the Common Core State Standards, and to address the changing role politics play in shaping and influencing school policy and reform. Detailed discussions of key topics touch upon important themes in educational politics, helping leaders understand issues of innovation, teacher evaluation, tensions between state and federal lawmakers over new reforms and testing, and how to increase student achievement. Chapter authors also provide suggestions for improving the political behaviors of key educational groups and individuals with the hope that an understanding of political goals, governance processes, and policy outcomes may contribute to ongoing school reform.

The Ethics of School Administration

The Ethics of School Administration PDF Author: Kenneth A. Strike
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 0807773360
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 212

Get Book Here

Book Description
This popular text features a rigorous yet practical approach to the difficult dilemmas that so often arise in school administration. Using case studies to illustrate particular ethical issues, the authors cover such topics as: standards • assessment and evaluation • equal opportunity • multiculturalism • religious differences • due process • freedom of expression • personal liberty • and authority. Updated to address today’s emphasis on meeting standards and raising test scores, the Third Edition features: Cases that discuss such current issues as zero tolerance policies and integrity in reporting data. A revised chapter addressing the difficulty of focusing on standards while also dealing with competing demands, such as respecting the professional judgment of teachers, turning schools into learning communities, and engaging parents and members of the larger community in school life. Additional material that refocuses the discussion of legitimate authority and democracy on accountability and personal liberty. Praise for the First Edition! “This text has much to recommend [it] to educators in general and school administrators in particular….encourages inquiring educators to explore the complexity of their decisions, thus improving the likelihood that decisions will be more ethical.” —NASSP Bulletin “Just like ethical practices, this book isn’t easy, but it’s good for you—and education.” —The Executive Educator “The text can be used both for courses in educational administration and by practicing administrators.” —School Law News

Leading Professional Learning Teams

Leading Professional Learning Teams PDF Author: Susan E. Sather
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1452272972
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Get Book Here

Book Description
"As a high school principal, it is crucial to have tools and models that have teeth, that will make an impact on student achievement, and also improve collegiality and collaboration among teachers. This is a wonderful faculty book study choice for any school looking to have teams of teachers focused on data and how to incorporate best practices in their classrooms." —Steve Knobl, Principal Gulf High School, New Port Richey, FL Strengthen teacher expertise and expand instructional leadership through focused professional learning teams! Although a generous amount of research describes professional learning teams (PLTs) as a positive structure for developing a vision of school change through informed, data-based decision making, little guidance exists for schools wanting to create and sustain this type of team initiative. Leading Professional Learning Teams provides a field-tested model for implementing PLTs that strengthen teacher collaboration in professional learning communities, improve instruction, and increase student achievement. Developed in partnership between educators, Education Northwest (formerly known as the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory), and six high-needs schools, this guide shows a professional learning team in action. Each chapter highlights four important elements to help ensure alignment with educators′ objectives: Action: Steps for starting up a PLT Voices From the Field: School leaders offering insights from actual PLTs Tools: Resources with information about PLTs, plus at-a-glance road maps for each step of the implementation process Leadership Team Discussion: Discussion suggestions for implementation leaders Written for school leaders who are new to PLTs and those who want to fine-tune their efforts, this resource is an invaluable tool for correlating staff development with your school′s improvement goals.

Creating a Classroom Community of Young Scientists

Creating a Classroom Community of Young Scientists PDF Author: Jeffrey W. Bloom
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135437203
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 484

Get Book Here

Book Description
Creating a Classroom Community of Young Scientists helps teachers - both pre-service and in-service - to develop exciting science programs in their classrooms. This book provides the groundwork for designing and implementing a science program that takes into account the latest research in teaching and learning. It provides an approach that will capture children's imaginations, stimulate their curiosity and create a strong foundation for their continued interest in, and appreciation of, science and the world in which they live. The book is designed to be user-friendly, and offers an approach to teaching science that is exciting for teachers as well. This thoroughly revised, second edition focuses on making inquiry more explicit both in terms of the process of inquiry and teaching in ways that capitalize on children's curiosity and questions. New material has also been added on U.S. and Canadian science standards, as well as professional standards for teachers.

Change Wars

Change Wars PDF Author: Michael Fullan
Publisher: Solution Tree Press
ISBN: 1934009776
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 327

Get Book Here

Book Description
What can organizations do to create changes that are both profound and enduring? This anthology explores why traditional change strategies have failed and examines constructive alternatives. International experts prove successful change can be a realistic goal. Real examples of pilot projects, model schools, and other groundbreaking endeavors illustrate precisely how theory translates into practice.

The Keys to Effective Schools

The Keys to Effective Schools PDF Author: Willis D. Hawley
Publisher: Corwin Press
ISBN: 1452280800
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Get Book Here

Book Description
Raise organizational effectiveness to improve the quality of instruction and dramatically impact student achievement! Working in tandem with the powerful National Education Association′s KEYS initiative (Keys to Excellence in Your Schools), this second edition focuses on how to change a school′s organizational structure and culture to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Each chapter, revised and updated to address continuous improvement and narrowing the achievement gap, provides a wealth of knowledge from leading experts in the field including Patricia A. Alexander, Eva L. Baker, James A. Banks, Peter Cookson, Lorna M. Earl, Richard F. Elmore, Michael Fullan, Geneva Gay, Willis D. Hawley, Jacqueline Jordan Irvine, Kenneth Leithwood, Ann Lieberman, Judith Warren Little, Lynne Miller, P. Karen Murphy, Fred M. Newmann, Sonia Nieto, Janet Ward Schofield, Walter G. Stephan, Gary Sykes, and Linda Valli. Educators at all levels, policymakers, and parents will discover how to apply the lessons learned from research. This essential handbook provides new chapters, including exemplary practice on teaching and learning for a multicultural society and on continuous school improvement. Now you can advance to the next level of change with an integral resource for school reform.

The Yuanpei Program in Peking University

The Yuanpei Program in Peking University PDF Author: Wanying Wang
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642375154
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 179

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Yuanpei program is an institution wide curriculum innovation, modeling on the core curriculum in Harvard which is committed to carrying out general education. This research investigated the major conflicts that arose in the process of initiation and implementation of the Yuanpei program, how these conflicts evolved during the process, and what were the sources of these conflicts. The conflict model, primarily derived from conflict theory, was adopted to interpret and analyze the process of curriculum innovation in this context. The study employed a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected primarily through interviews, observations and document analysis. The administrators, teachers and students were interviewed to gain insight into major conflicts arose, their processes and sources in process of the curriculum innovation. The researcher primarily observed program practices and operations, including program setting, the human, social environment (how participants interact and communicate), and program activities and participant behaviors. The researcher distinguished between conceptual conflicts and practical conflict in light of the different stages in which conflicts emerged. The researcher mainly identified three conceptual conflicts that represent the focus of debates: first, the two opposing opinions on how to balance between general education and specialized education; second, potential incongruence in the idea of the Yuanpei program; third, conflict between the changing need of society and traditional system of training. The researcher summarized four categories of practical conflicts in light of various issues: free-course selection, free-major selection, faculty advisor as well as general education elective courses, in each of which sub-themes were identified and analyzed. The researcher described how both conceptual and practical conflicts evolved. Each major conceptual conflict seems to go through similar stages based on the data, involving issue, confrontation and integration of claims of both sides. For practical conflicts, factors contributing to the escalation and de-escalation, moderation of conflicts were found by the researcher. The research identified different roles, incompatible values, contested resources and structural constraints as the main sources of conflict. Any conflict may involve more than one category or may be mainly due to one category. As such, the study is exploratory and contributes to the scholarship on educational change through its analysis of the curriculum innovation for general education in Peking University.

Mentors in the Making

Mentors in the Making PDF Author: Betty Achinstein
Publisher: Teachers College Press
ISBN: 9780807746356
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Get Book Here

Book Description
In response to a growing interest in mentoring and new teacher induction, the authors offer a unique view of developing quality mentors. Drawing on empirical research, practitioner action inquiry, and field-tested practices from induction programs, they explore effective mentoring in diverse educational contexts. With richly contextualized and thoughtfully analyzed excerpts from actual mentoring conversations and powerful examples of practice, the volume offers educators, researchers, and policymakers a reform-minded vision of the future of mentoring. Challenging conventional wisdom, this essential resource: Argues that mentors are not born, but developed through conscious, deliberate, ongoing learning; Provides a needed link between research and practice in the field of new teacher mentoring, to define a knowledge base for effective mentoring; Documents induction and mentoring practices that focus new teachers on individual learners, equity-oriented curriculum and pedagogy, and the educator's role in reforming school culture; Highlights problems and complexities of enacting mentor knowledge and learning in diverse contexts.