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Classrooms of Wonder and Wisdom

Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking for the 21st Century

By: Kurtis S. Meredith, Jeannie L. Steele

Discover how to enhance learning for your students

Engaging from the first page, this is a book that you "do" rather than read. Award-winning authors Kurtis S. Meredith and Jeannie L. Steele guide you through this well-tested and highly successful literacy-based professional development program. Grounded in a framework that has been effectively implemented in more than 30 countries, the carefully designed sequence prepares teachers to help students:

Become lifelong learners and integrate knowledge across content areas
Efficiently sort information and transform learning into practical action
Contextualize knowledge by adding new information

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Product Details

Grade Level: K-12
ISBN: 9781412918152
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2010
Page Count: 192
Publication date: November 16, 2010

Available As:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

"The authors illuminate theoretical ideas with insightful, practical ways for teachers to encourage students to develop the critical and creative thinking necessary in a flourishing democratic society."
—Angela Ward, Acting Associate Dean, University of Saskatchewan College of Education

"An excellent resource filled with useful strategies and approaches for creating student-centered learning through reading and writing."
—Eric A. Combs, Teacher, Fairborn City Schools, OH

Discover how to enhance learning for your students

Engaging from the first page, this is a book that you "do" rather than read. Award-winning authors Kurtis S. Meredith and Jeannie L. Steele actively guide teachers through the learning process with this well-tested and successful literacy-based professional development program. Educators are encouraged to assess their knowledge, make predictions, ask questions, and track their own progress to deepen their understanding of teaching and learning processes. Grounded in a framework that has been effectively implemented in more than 30 countries, the carefully designed sequence prepares teachers to help students:

Become lifelong learners with the capacity to integrate knowledge and experiences across content areas
Efficiently sort information and transform learning into action
Contextualize knowledge by adding new information to what they already know
Enhance their capacity to meet 21st-century demands

Each chapter includes an overview of expected outcomes, self-evaluation activities, learning experiences, and reflection exercises. This action-oriented guidebook is immediately applicable and is ideal for individual or group professional development.

Key features

Lists and overview of and expected outcomes for each chapter, outlining the purpose and desired results for the reader
Sample lessons to introduce learning methods and strategies
Writing prompts and exercises designed to encourage self-evaluation and serve as tools for building upon individual learning experiences
Chapter reflections sections that offer overviews of each topic and discussion points for follow up and further development and exploration

Author(s)

Kurtis S. Meredith

Kurt Meredith is presently serving as Interim assistant provost for international programs at the University of Northern Iowa. He is also an associate professor in Literacy Education. He is internationally known for his work in school restructuring and democratic educational practices. Along with Jeannie Steele, Meredith co-founded the Orava Association for Democratic Education, the largest self-governing NGO in the Republic of Slovakia and is dedicated to the professional development of teachers. While living in Slovakia he received the Order of St. Gorazd, the highest civilian award for meritorious service to Slovak education. He also received UNESCO recognition as co-author of the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking program (RWCT) as one of 25 practices world-wide recommended for crisis prevention and peace building.

Jeannie L. Steele

Jeannie Steele is a professor of literacy education at the University of Northern Iowa where she was awarded the Iowa Board of Regents Award for faculty excellence. Formerly a classroom teacher for over 20 years, she then served as consultant for educational reform for school districts in the U.S and is Past President of the Virginia State Reading Association. She received a Ph.D. from The University of Virginia in 1985. In more recent years, Jeannie has worked on international educational reform and is internationally respected for her work in teacher professional development. Along with Kurt Meredith, she co-founded the Orava Association for Democratic Education, the largest self-governing NGO in the Republic of Slovakia and is dedicated to the professional development of teachers. While living in Slovakia, she received the Order of St. Gorazd, the highest civilian award for meritorious service to Slovak education. She also received UNESCO recognition as co-author of the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (RWCT) as one of 25 practices world-wide recommended for crisis prevention and peace building.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Introduction

1. Beginning a Professional Development Journey

Evocation 1

Outcome Expectations

Evocation 2

The Change Process

About This Text

Assumptions, Values, and Beliefs

Expectations

The Role of Critical Thought

Outcome Expectations

Chapter Reflection

Journal Entry

2. A Framework for Teaching and Learning

Evocation

Outcome Expectations

Rationale

Experiential Framework Lesson

Examining the Framework

The ERR Framework Revisited

Critical Thinking and the Framework

Framework Strategies Organizational Chart

Chapter Reflection

3. Narrative Text and the Power of Questioning

Evocation

Outcome Expectations

Teacher Questioning

Model ERR Lesson With a Narrative Text

Narrative Lesson Analysis

ERR as a Multitiered Model

Questioning

Reflection

4. Advancing Critical Thought

Outcome Expectations

Evocation

Realization of Meaning

Creating an Environment for Critical Thought

Essential Classroom Elements of Critical Thinking

Lesson Analysis

Chapter Summary

5. Framework Strategies

Outcomes of Using the ERR Framework

Other Writing-for-Thinking Strategies

Reflection

Chapter Reflection

6. Cooperative Learning

Evocation

Outcome Expectations

Overview

Classrooms as Environments for Thinking

What Is Cooperative Learning?

The Cooperative-Learning Classroom

Sample Cooperative-Learning Lessons

Brief Cooperative Strategies

Cooperative Math Activities

Brief Exercises for Problem Solving and Discussion

Chapter Reflection

7. Creating Thoughtful Readers

Evocation

Outcome Expectations

Discussion of a Thoughtful Reading Process

Readers' Workshop

The Four Cornerstones of Readers' Workshop

Literary Letters

Book Talks

Readers' Workshop Rules

Summary of Readers' Workshop

Analysis of Reader's Workshop and the ERR Framework

Content Reading and Readers' Workshop

Applying the Reading Process to Content Areas

Applying Readers' Workshop Process to Science

Reading in Content Areas - The Link to Math

Mathematics Is More Than a Collection of Concepts and Skills

Chapter Reflection

8. Learning to Write, Writing to Learn

Evocation

Outcome Expectations

Writing Resurgence

Writing Defined

Writer's Workshop

Chapter Reflection

9. Reflection

Evocation

Learning Centered

Transformative Experiences

Truth

Final Reflection

What to Do Now?

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E

Appendix F

References

Index

Reviews

“This book provides strategies that are varied and vital for student success, especially as critical thinkers.”

Tamara Rhone, Secondary Social Studies Educator
Public Schools, Denver, CO

“I wish this text were available today—I could really use it in the Center of Excellence I direct! In fact, I really could have used it a year and a half ago—it would have saved me HOURS of work!”

Victoria Ridgeway Gillis, Professor
Clemson University, SC

“The author's excellent exercises and examples effectively illustrate the application of the instructional strategies. These examples are at the heart of the text and are the major reason it will be successful in improving classroom instruction.”

Connie Harris, Gifted Language Arts Teacher
Oaks Middle School, Fort Myers, FL

“An excellent resource filled with useful strategies and approaches for creating student-centered learning through reading and writing.”

Eric A. Combs, Teacher
Fairborn City Schools, Fairborn, OH

"Jeannie Steele and Kurt Meredith illuminate theoretical ideas with insightful, practical ways for teachers to encourage students to develop the critical and creative thinking necessary in a flourishing democratic society."

Angela Ward, Acting Associate Dean
University of Saskatchewan College of Education

"The authors bring their extraordinary experience to the task of masterfully suggesting powerful ways to effectively address the question of how we can best prepare students for life in the twenty-first century and bring about lasting change. They share a wealth of ideas for effective learning experiences in a range of professional development settings."

Adria Klein, Professor Emeritus
CSU San Bernardino, CA

Other Titles in: Training Strategies & Resources | Critical Thinking Skills | Literacy, K-12

Available As:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.