Rick Wormeli

To teacher-librarians, collaboration means that they must participate in the design, not just of what a student knows and understands, but also of what that student can do. This means that assessment is an essential part of teaching. Even for teacher-librarians who are teaching information skills in isolation, assessment must be built into the lessons given. So if your faculty is discussing differentiation, then differentiated assessment must be a component of that discussion. Wormeli discusses and provides hundreds of examples of how and how not to design assessments. For example, we all know about tests and rubrics, but what about tic-tac-toe boards, cubing, summarization pyramids, Frank William’s taxonomy of creativity, and RAFT(S)? If you have not learned anything about assessment lately, then this is the book that you need to read. (Stenhouse, 2006. 218 pp. $23.00. 1-57110-424-0.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. David Loertscher

Kenneth L. Wilson

Remember that old sci-fi television show where the robot kept saying, “Danger, Will Robinson!” In the spirit of Lost in Space, do not try to take Wilson’s book in one sitting—or you will risk going into idea overload without the dramatic forewarning from our friendly robot! This author has combed the literature for great teaching ideas, tried practical ideas for teaching, and categorized them into 20 chapters—in plain language. This book is a treasure chest full of jewels, but how do you wear 30 necklaces at once and still stay upright? I like Wilson’s idea: We take in many, many teaching ideas over time, try them on, and settle on a repertoire of concepts that work for us. The problem is that we often become stagnant if we do not spice up our strategies, because those blasted students keep changing on us and no two groups ever respond the same way to ideas that have always worked in the past. So, how does one use Wilson, read Wilson, and try Wilson? I recommend eating the elephant in small bites. For the first 10 minutes of a professional development session, I suggest that you have participants give three good teaching tips from Wilson that they have tried; have the teachers explain how the ideas worked; and, then, the next month, review what those three ideas were and add three more. This is an encyclopedia of good ideas to add something fresh to our teaching as teacher-librarians and to incorporate into our collaborative lesson-building strategies with teachers. (Teacher Ideas Press, 2006. 172 pp. $25.00. 0-325-00770-5.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. david Loertscher

Beverly Nichols, Sue Shidaker, Gene Johnson, and Kevin Singer

At the top of Loertscher’s taxonomy (Taxonomies of the School Library Media Program, Libraries Unlimited), first published in 1982, the teacher-librarian who participated in curriculum development—the design of which would be taught with the world of school libraries and technology in mind—was given top billing. Such participation in the leadership team of a school or district is even more essential in this era of information and high technology. The four authors here—none of whom are teacher-librarians—demonstrate and provide guidance for a traditional approach to curriculum design. They take us through the process of doing a needs assessment, using a curriculum development cycle, building an assessment plan, constructing scope-and-sequence documents, selecting textbooks, and developing monitoring programs—to name the majority of the steps. Therefore, when you purchase this book, you can take advantage of years of experience in the systematic design of traditional instruction. Thus, for any teacher-librarian who is invited into the inner circle, this book is an essential read and a helpful guide. My only concern, however, involves how schools and districts are supposed to plan for innovation in a changed information and technology world. Let us assume that a district wants to adopt Understanding by Design as a central strategy for moving from a textbook environment toward one of inquiry. What are the essential planning components for major change? How does a district not only plan for innovation from the top down but also get enough buy-in from the grass roots to make it really happen over time? I do not get the idea from this publication that change and innovation are built into the process, although I suspect that many of the same techniques would be used. There are many books aimed at the administrator who wants to implement a leadership role in change, but more titles are needed that describe the implementation process of real change. We now have students who are in their own world of information and technology, attending schools that disregard or ignore that development. How can we merge the traditional world of education with the new world of reality? Is that possible—or even desirable? These authors do not answer those questions. However, for a traditional model, this guidance is as good as any. (Linworth Books, 2006. 200 pp. with CD-ROM. $49.95. 1-58683-216-6.)

Bottom line: For a traditional curriculum development model, this guidance is as good as any. David Loertscher

Denise D. Nessel and Joyce M. Graham

Many books on the market right now explain thinking skills. It seems as if the urge to have students pass the test has negated the teaching of thinking—thus, the need to correct a perceived imbalance. Nessel and Graham clearly explain the following strategies for teaching thinking: analogies, anticipation guides, carousel brainstorming, cloze procedure, cubing, directed reading-thinking activity, facts and inferences, Frayer model for concept development, games for thinking, graphic organizers, I-search reporting, imitation writing, jigsaws, journals and learning logs, keyword notes, keyword prediction, K-W-L (know-want-learn), list group label, note taking, paraphrasing, possible sentences, read and think math, readers’ theater, saturation reporting, scrambled words and sentences, think-pair-share, and writing frames. From this list, you can compare your own thinking strategies repertoire and determine whether this bank of ideas will be valuable. The authors presume self-contained teaching; in fact, during an I-search, the library is recommended as the last source of information that students should consult. I am tempted to say, “Ignore this book,” but the aforementioned list of strategies will tell you whether there are enough new ones for your consideration. So, I will leave it at that. Educational authors and publishers need to take note that there is a new world out there in the school library. It is time to pay attention just in case things are not the way you remember them 30 years ago when you were a student. (Corwin Press, 2006. 248 pp. $32.95. 1-4129-3881-3.)

Bottom line: Scan the contents and decide for yourself. David Loertsher

Gayle H. Gregory and Terence Parry

This is the authors’ third edition. They acknowledge that brain-based research is moving rapidly, with many new studies being reported every year. Then this reviewer checked their sources—lots of sources in the 1990s. What happened in the last 6 years? The authors outline pedagogical theory based on brain research, but much of the expert evidence they cite was published in the 1980s or early 1990s. I do not doubt that cooperative learning or graphic organizers are effective classroom practices, but the authors are unconvincing that the evidence for these practices comes from the latest brain research. I respect the educational theorist who proposes the best strategies, but these authors try to substantiate these practices from research. Thus, the burden lies on their review of that research over the past 20 years and, particularly, in the last 5 years, to substantiate that these theories are indeed on track and are still valid. We do need constant meta-analyses of published cognitive psychology research, and these authors need to draw on those analyses to substantiate their practices as promised. Although this book is clearly written, it is lacking in its research foundation. (Corwin Press, 2006. 304 pp. $39.95. 1-4129-3717-5.)

Bottom line: Not recommended. david Loertscher

Marcia L. Tate

Kids are streaming into the library, out of control, with their tired teacher trailing behind, and your job is to teach this herd Boolean logic. Good luck—or strategy? It must be fun to sit in a daylong professional development session with Tate. She has ideas from “been there, done that,” and she knows how to write down an idea and help you to instantly execute it. Famous for her “Don’t Grow Dendrites” worksheets, here is a fourth book in her continuing series of providing teaching with ideas that work while at the same time promoting interest, motivation, and thinking. It is easy to recognize in Tate’s ideas, Gardner’s ideas of learning styles and other active, rather than passive, ideas. So, for both the teacher-librarian and the classroom teacher, here are not just 20 ideas but also hundreds of techniques to make learning fun, engaging, and thoughtful. If you enjoyed her previous books, add this one to the list. And the ideas work across the grade levels. It never hurts to compare your ideas with hers. Who knows? Boolean logic just might get some pizzazz. (Corwin Press, 2006. 168 pp. $29.95. 1-4129-2780-3.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. david Loertscher

Eleanor Renee Rodriguez and James Bellanca

When Ric Klass (Man Overboard) faced his first math class in a high school in the Bronx, he needed a big dose of Rodriguez and Bellanca. Their message is an important one, not only for those teaching in urban areas, but also for every teacher who has a classroom of students who are poor, multicultural, emotionally disconnected, nonreading, or English learning, just to mention a few of the “challenged kids.” It is so easy to disrespect students and, by word or by action, tell them in effect, “You cannot learn” or “You are not worth my time, because you are not going to amount to anything” (have you ever had a teacher who put you down?).

    The authors teach us how to respect the learners in our classrooms and how to create high expectations. Then they explore many ways of teaching using the theories of Piaget and Feuerstein, integrating the ideas of Gardner and numerous thinking strategies. So far, so good. But what our authors need is experience integrating their ideas with a good teacher-librarian and an information- and technology-rich environment. Their mistake is the notion that the self-contained classroom, with whatever you can scrounge up in the way of materials, is the reality of teaching in urban America. Is it? Do urban schools have few (if any) teacher-librarians, poor collections, little technology, and little chance for teachers to interact with these resources? If so, these authors disrespect students and the age of information in which they live. I suspect that if the urban student were respected and immersed in the real world of information and technology, the sky would be the limit in exciting teaching and learning. Students beg teachers—even demand teachers—to challenge them to learn something interesting and relevant. The authors provide us with an important book but with a myopic view of a teacher struggling alone in a sea of kids with problems. There is another world to explore for every teacher—the world of information, technology, and a teacher-librarian who is willing to partner and open doors. Perhaps in their third edition, the authors will discover this new world and give us the benefit of their wise advice. (Corwin Press, 2007. 256 pp. $34.95. 1-4129-3764-7.)

Bottom line: Not recommended. david Loertscher

Judy Willis

There are a number of brain-based books on the market, some of which are reviewed in this column, but this one is the best choice for the year. Willis has a medical degree and specializes in neurology, so she knows what she is talking about, and she draws on more recent sources than do most other authors. This is a slim volume, but it is not to be read in one sitting—too much to think about. For example, chapter 1, covering most of the major ideas, can be a wonderful discussion topic for a professional development hour of reading and drawing implications for practice. Readers will be delighted to know that there is a great deal of support for the teacher-librarian and for using the full resources of the school library to help every learner master content and the learning skills needed to survive and achieve. This book provides a much-needed foundation for how we as teacher-librarians create learning experiences collaboratively with classroom teachers, and it gives us the principles that we need as teachers when we have to go it alone. Willis gives a principle, provides the reason behind it (based on brain function), and then offers good suggestions for implementing related ideas in teaching. Reading this book made me want to make a strategies list to review and review, particularly in a planning session. Best of all, Willis realizes that we are just beginning to understand brain function and that we as teachers will have to review all of our methods as we learn more and more about the brain. (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2006. 125 pp. $21.95. 1-4166-0370-0.)

Bottom line: A must-read. david Loertscher

Myles I. Friedman, Diane H. Harwell, and Katherine C. Schnepel

For a major review of research on instructional strategies, Friedman, Harwell, and Schnepel have assembled a hefty volume of teaching practices that have at least 50 favorable research studies supporting their effectiveness but not necessarily their efficiency. This collection brings to mind the books by Robert J. Marzano known as the What Works series (www.ascd.org) that have been so popular. Although this volume is not as teacher-friendly as Marzano’s series, it is worthy of analysis. This book lists 21 foundational strategies, several promising ones, and a few practices to avoid. The problem is that the strategies are not clearly stated; rather, each is embedded in a chapter that requires some study to understand. If stated more succinctly—and in an overview at the beginning—a classroom teacher could get the big ideas quickly and then delve into the meat of the idea as needed. Here is sampling of the translated principles:

1. Use graphic organizers.

2. Use repetition as you teach content ideas, and have students practice the skills taught.

3. Teach learners to understand the task fully and to find ways to complete the assignments.

4. Help learners transfer learning from what they now know to new tasks that they encounter.

5. Provide ample time to learn.

6. Reteach as needed when students fail to achieve.

7. Keep pupil–teacher ratios to no higher than 21-to-1.

This work is most useful as a book for those who do professional development, rather than as a book that a teacher frequently consults—that is, they can incorporate ideas from this book as they design workshops and personal consultations. Teacher-librarians can integrate the suggestions into instructional improvement initiatives. (Institute for Evidence-Based Decision-Making in Education, 2006. 840 pp. $145.00. 0-9666588-4-1.)

Bottom line: Purchase for larger professional collections and district collections. David Loertscher

And

How The Brain Learns, 3RD ED., Facilitator’s Guide

David A. Sousa

How the Brain Learns, Third Edition is a popular textbook and professional development guide that extensively reviews what we know about brain functioning and learning. Many sample teaching techniques that illustrate the use of the brain functions explored in the text have been added to the third edition. Pre-service and experienced teachers and teacher-librarians can test both their knowledge about how the human brain learns as well as their own teaching ideas against the examples given by the author. While the notion that we truly understand learning and brain function is naive, it is important to understand what is known in a growing field and to use what we can of the information as we teach. This is an essential read for teacher-librarians, particularly for those whose professional education is more than a decade old. Not only can this book be used in professional development, but it can also be used to check one’s own teaching methods against the ideas. The facilitator’s guide provides sample workshops or professional development sessions. It is, however, only partially helpful because it concentrates on the building of content knowledge about the brain rather than the translation of ideas into action plans. (Corwin Press, 2006. 328 pp. $39.95. 1-4129-3661-6; 2006. 56 pp. $16.95. 1-4129-3738-8.)

Bottom line: An essential read and guide to a developing and important topic. David Loertscher  

George W. Gagnon, Jr., and Michelle Collay

Constructivism and libraries are a match made in heaven—or so it seems. Reading the introduction to Gagnon and Collay’s book is a joy. Constructivism is designed to free students from learning a set group of facts or content to engage in a process that will help them to make sense of the world.

For teacher-librarians, Wiggins and McTighe’s book, Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition (ASCD, 2005), is a priceless companion for designing learning experiences that can take advantage of our information-rich and technology-rich environments. Gagnon and Collay present a bit of a different approach to the design of learning, but like Wiggins and McTighe, stress the result being what students know, are able to do, and what they understand. It is a refreshing change from traditional learning designs of mastering content. Library standards in Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning are founded in constructivist ideas complete with the materials, the information, and the expert collaborator to make a constructivist learning experience successful beyond what any teacher can do alone.

Sadly, however, neither of these fine works recognizes the place of the library or the teacher-librarian as essential elements in their success. Gagnon and Collay stress that sufficient learning materials are critical and that some classrooms have a wide variety of sources and others do not. They never, however, suggest joining forces with the library or the teacher-librarian, who would be a natural ally. Is it ignorance or just an assumption that such resources are “naturally” there and can be taken for granted? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that our two authors are from California where libraries and credentialed teacher-librarians are as scarce as hens’ teeth. So, in the absence of a “hopeless” library environment, the total burden for resources falls on the creativity of the teacher.

But, what of the merits of this book? Ganon and Collay have an excellent model for building learning experiences as a six-step process: (1) create the situation, i.e., describe your goals using the state standard for the topic to be learned; (2) divide the class into working groups; (3) build a bridge to learning by asking and helping students create questions about what they need and want to learn; (4) create the task or learning activity; (5) help learners create an exhibit or product demonstrating what they have learned; and (6) reflect with the learners what they now know, can do, and understand.

 Every teacher-librarian needs to know the detailed elements of constructivism, be able to collaboratively create constructivist learning experiences that utilize the resources of the library, and understand how the merger of method (constructivism), materials, and collaboration boost learning and achievement. If we as teacher-librarians have that deep understanding, then we are prepared to collaborate with teachers who are truly seeking to improve their craft. Thus, both Wiggins and McTighe and Gagnon and Collay are required reading. We have to know their language, talk their language, and be able to teach comfortably in this methodology, so that we are prepared to be partners, facilitators, and leaders in our schools. We just have to be smarter than the average bear and then use that knowledge to implement Information Power. There does not seem to be any other way. (Corwin Press, 2006. 256 pp. $32.95. 1-4129-0956-2.)

Bottom line: Even though the authors ignore us or are ignorant of our expertise, buy this book and digest their methodology, particularly if there is any hint in your school that constructivism is an acceptable strategy for learning. David Loertscher

P. Karen Murphy and Patricia A. Alexander

The foundation of the collaborative teaching and the information literacy that teacher-librarians promote must rest on educational psychological principles to be effective. That is why librarians should have a degree in education before they enter the world of teacher-librarianship. No other idea, however, causes so much controversy in the field. For example, public or academic librarians who have a master’s of library science degree constantly ask why they cannot be teacher-librarians, enjoying better salaries and summers off. Some states do allow teacher-librarians to become certified without having education degrees. The presumption—or arrogance—is that the “librarian” part of teacher-librarian is paramount to the “teacher” part of teacher-librarian. Even with a teaching degree, some states do not require a course in educational psychology as part of the teaching certification requirements (California is one such example).

Thus, when students enter the teacher-librarian courses—particularly those courses that emphasize collaboration and information literacy—these students must build a knowledge base of educational psychology as part of the mix needed to become successful teacher-librarians. Murphy and Alexander provide a very readable introduction to educational psychology that centers its philosophy in what I term “traditional” teaching and learning (the most commonly held philosophy in the country). They treat and teach the reader about the developmental stages of learning and the various strategies learners use to master material, and the methods teachers can use to assist students in the acquisition of a wide knowledge base. They are not “constructivist” in their approach as are authors Wiggins and McTighe (ASCD, 2005) whose methods work so well with collaborative planning and information literacy. Therefore, there are two major camps in the world of education, and Murphy and Alexander explain the traditional side as well as any. Teacher-librarians must understand both camps of educational psychology because they must work with teachers who have widely differing views. Where are you in your understanding? How long has it been since you reviewed educational psychology? If you need an introduction or a refresher course, then the Murphy and Alexander volume is highly recommended along with Wiggins and McTighe’s Understanding by Design. As teacher-librarians, we must speak with authority, design our teaching with authority, and be an educational leader in our schools if we expect to make a major contribution to learning. This book and Understanding by Design are required professional reading for all of us. (Corwin Press, 2006. 168 pp. $48.00. 1-4129-0886-8.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. David Loertscher