Only seven more days left to contribute!
As I do every year, I’m asking that readers leave a comment with the title and author of their favorite education-related that they read this calendar year. In addition, I ask that they leave a sentence or two describing why they liked it.
Please get your comments to me by December 27th.
As usual, I’ll publish people’s recommendations (along with their names and links to their blog if they have one) on January 1st.
It’s always a great list. You can see previous editions at:
The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2010
The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2009
The Best Education-Related Books Visitors To This Blog Read In 2008
Steve Perry When Push Comes to Shove-I’ve read the stack of required ed-reform/anti-ed-reform books this year, who hasn’t? But Perry’s book definitely struck more of a chord-perhaps because I’m a parent and advocate on a daily basis for more family engagement in education I was ready to hear a message of it’s time to step up and do more, rather than read another book that listed all the things in the past that went wrong with education reform/transform. I recognize it is important to know the history in order to not repeat it, but it is also important to recognize that for parents, it is the NOW that matters most to them, and what role they have as partners in the NOW and the TOMORROW because far too often they have been neglected in the past.
The Book Whisperer – Donalyn Miller
This book made me question, revise, or ditch some of the long-standing things we’ve done regarding reading instruction and practice. She drove home the point of self-selection by students of reading material and giving students time to read – without test, quizzes, journals, etc attached to it. I can say it has made a tremendous difference in my students ability (and desire) to read.
Yong Zhou Catching Up or Leading The Way. Made me realize how much of what we do is based on myth and fear.
Unmistakable Impact by Jim Knight
This book is extremely helpful to me as an instructional coach. We are working to be become an impact school. We are partnering within our building and with other schools in order to design a school that focuses on instruction and collaboration. This book is a model to go by!
I am currently reading the book, ‘The Purpose of Boys’ by Michael Gurian. It is a good read so far. Although it is not technically a book on education, some of the features can be applied to teaching. A good read so far.
Teaching Digital Natives—Partnering for Real Learning (Corwin 2010)
This book has became my “teaching bible” for the school year. The idea of partnering is central to my hopes for creating a student-centered, 21st century thinker supporting, community classroom where teachers are learners, and learners are teachers.
Maybe someone would like to read my new book I co-authored with Lani. We feel like it is a must read.
The Connected Educator:Learning and Leading in a Digital Age
It guides an individual toward becoming a connected educator as well as how to design DIY PD in addition to providing a path to PLCs Next Generation.
Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers by Debbie Silver
It is a great read for us secondary instructional coaches and teachers who are interested in improving their instructional skills in a differentiated classroom. The book is full of practical strategies.