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Promoting Reflective Thinking in Teachers - Book Cover

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Updated Edition of Bestseller

Promoting Reflective Thinking in Teachers

50 Action Strategies

Second Edition
By: Germaine L. Taggart, Alfred P. Wilson

Create meaningful, fulfilling, and successful professional development training for your teachers!

This expanded version of the original bestseller integrates the latest research and technology with tried-and-true methods for boosting practitioners' reflective thinking skills. It delivers practical strategies specifically designed for staff developers and teacher educators, giving them a time-saving blueprint on how to shape their adult learners into analytical and critical thinkers. New to this second edition are strategies for:

Strengthening electronic portfolios with reflective writing
Optimizing video as a self-assessment tool
Accessing relevant Internet resources
Tapping into online peer mentoring
Utilizing learning communities

Full description

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781412909648
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2005
Page Count: 272
Publication date: May 11, 2005

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Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.

Description

Praise for Second Edition:
"This book is very thorough in presenting the purpose and accompanying strategies for instilling reflective practices in educators. I believe the reflective thoughts and questions posed throughout are beneficial for teachers."
-Karen Harvey, Induction Program Coordinator
Santa Clarita Valley Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA)

Praise for First Edition:
"Offers practitioners and preservice teachers the opportunity to individualize their professional development on the use of reflective thinking to best meet their needs."
-Judy Nixon, Teacher Education
Fort Hays State University

Create meaningful, fulfilling, and successful professional development training for your teachers!

This expanded version of the original bestseller integrates the latest research and technology with tried-and-true methods for boosting practitioners' reflective thinking skills. The tasks and tools provided have been specifically designed for facilitators of pre-service and inservice teacher education, training, and development-giving them a timesaving blueprint on how to shape their adult learners into analytical and critical thinkers.

Attuned to the challenges surrounding teacher training, this easy-to-use guide outlines straightforward activities and concrete assessments that serve as constructive benchmarks for facilitators and teachers alike. It delivers 50 practical strategies for helping educators move through the levels of reflective thinking-from teacher roles, styles, attributes, and observations through such far-reaching concerns as the moral and ethical considerations of teaching.

New to this second edition are strategies to:

Strengthen electronic portfolios with reflective writing
Optimize video as a self-assessment tool
Access relevant resources on the Internet
Tap into online peer mentoring
Encourage reflection through learning communities

These field-tested methods will empower teachers with the knowledge, motivation, and self-assurance to become reflective educators, giving them the key to a more meaningful, fulfilling, and successful career, teaching all of our children to succeed.

Key features

50 state of the art strategies for teacher reflection, action research, and professional development.
ready-to-use tables, charts, handouts, and reproducibles
Promotes mentoring and peer support in the professional learning community

Author(s)

Germaine L. Taggart

Germaine L. Taggart is Associate Professor in the College of Education at Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. She has taught students from kindergarten through Grade 12 in public schools in Kansas. She received her BS and MS degrees in Elementary Education from Pittsburg State University, her EdS in Educational Administration from Fort Hays State University, and her EdD in Educational Administration from Kansas State University. She teaches mathematics and science methods courses, has helped develop and continues to work with TEAM: Links for Learning (a field-based preservice program), and provides staff development on a consultant basis for school districts in western Kansas. Dr. Taggart is married to R. Bruce Taggart. They have two children, Travis and Kelsey, and one granddaughter, MacKenzie, and they reside in Hays, Kansas.

Alfred P. Wilson

Alfred P. Wilson is Professor Emeritus of Educational Administration at Kansas State University. He has served as a public school teacher and administrator and as a university faculty member and administrator in the states of Nevada, Utah, Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, and Kansas. He received his doctorate from Utah State University in 1969. He is the author or coauthor of more than 25 books and monographs and 100 articles and research papers. He has been consultant to more than 200 school districts in 42 states, 20 state departments and regional service centers for education, 15 community colleges and universities, and a broad variety of organizations. Dr. Wilson has been an active member and leader in many organizations, including the American Research Association, Phi Delta Kappa, the American Association of School Administrators, and the American Management Association.

Table of Contents

About the Authors

Chapter 1: Becoming a Reflective Teacher

Modes of Reflective Thinking

The Process Approach

Techniques for Facilitating Reflective Activities

Brainstorming

Consensus Building

Buzz Groups

Role-Playing

Questioning

Activities for Introducing Reflective Thinking to Practitioners

Task 1: Finding a Definition

Task 2: The Reflective Thinking Process

Task 3: Gardening Puzzle

Task 4: Roll On

Task 5: Designing a Classroom

Task 6: Logic Lure

Preparing a Plan of Action for Enhancing Reflective Thinking

Chapter 2: Assessing Reflective Thinking

Task 7: Atribute Clarification

Task 8: Card Sort: Reflective Thinking Attributes

Chapter 3: Practicing Observational Learning

The Observation Process

Reflective Activities

Task 9: Categorization of Observations

Task 10: Compliance With Classroom Rules

Task 11: Observing Effective Questioning

Task 12: Observing Classroom Management Styles

Task 13: Belief Systems: Their Role in Observational Learning

Task 14: Interpreting Change

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Chapter 4: Writing Reflective Journals

The Use of Reflective Journals

Reflective Activities

Task 15: Task Formatting a Journal Entry

Task 16: Journaling the Reflective Thinking Process

Task 17: A Comparison of the Use of Journaling to an Observational Checklist

Task 18: A Comparison of Observations With the Use of a Journaling Format to Observations Without the Use of a Journaling Format

Task 19: Open-Ended Journaling

Task 20: Rights and Responsibilities

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Chapter 5: Using Practicum Strategies

The Microteaching Process

Reflective Teaching

Reflective Activities

Task 21: The Anxiety Task

Task 22: Lines of Symmetry Task

Task 23: Effective Teaching Rubric

Task 24: Effective Teaching to Peers

Task 25: Inclusion: Teaching Effectiveness

Task 26: Effective Teaching of Peers

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Chapter 6: Narrative Reflection

Autobiographical Sketches

Case Studies

Study Circles

Reflective Activities

Task 27: Using Case Study for Problem Resolution

Task 28: Using Autobiographical Sketches to Evaluate Beliefs Regarding Teacher Roles

Task 29: Writing a Case Study for Problem Resolution

Task 30: The Three Pigs, the Wolf, and Effective Teaching

Task 31: Chew and Chat

Task 32: Using Autobiographical Sketches to Evaluate Beliefs Regarding Classroom Management Styles

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Chapter 7: Creating Mental Models

The Process of Using Metaphors for Reflective Thinking

The Process of Using Repertory Grids

Reflective Activities

Task 33: Using Metaphors to Explore Teacher Roles

Task 34: Using Repertory Grids to Explore Instructional Practices

Task 35: Using Metaphors to Explore Classroom Management Styles

Task 36: Using Repertory Grids to Explore Practitioner Traits

Task 37: Using Metaphors to Explore Perceptions of School Climate

Task 38: Using REpertory Grids to Explore Classroom Climate

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Chapter 8: Promoting Reflective Thinking Through Action Research

Reflective Activities

Task 39: Preparing for Action Research: Selecting a Question

Task 40: Research for Self-Improvement

Task 41: Collaborative Action Research

Task 42: Textbook Analysis

Task 43: Action Research: Ethical, Moral, or Sociopolitical Issues

Task 44: Action Research: Parent and Community Involvement

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

References

Chapter 9: Technology as a Tool for Building Learning Communitites

Study Groups

Portfolio Development

Reflective Activities

Task 45: Video as an Observational Tool

Task 46: Reflecting on the Value of Internet Resources

Task 47: Learning Communities to Promote Reflection

Task 48: Linking Electronic Portfolios to Reflective Writing

Task 49: Onlne Peer Mentoring

Task 50: Technology to Support the Learning Community

Reflective Questions

Action Assignments

Suggestions for Success

Journaling Reflective Growth

Preface

Reviews

“This book is very thorough in presenting the purpose and accompanying strategies for instilling reflective practices in educators. I believe the reflective thoughts and questions posed throughout are beneficial for teachers."

Karen Harvey, Induction Program Coordinator
Santa Clarita Valley Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA)

Other Titles in: Staff Development & Professional Learning | Administration & Leadership | Reflective Practice

Select Format:

Review Copies

This book is not available as a review copy.