"Dr. Johnson's book is far more than a how-to guide for constructing meaningful learning activities for students. It is the definitive treatise on the fundamental concepts of acquiring and transferring knowledge. This is an invaluable contribution." Arlene H. Parisot, Director of Workforce Department Office of Commissioner of Higher Education Montana State System "This is a 'must' read for all teachers and administrators in their search for meaning. Elaine Johnson has artfully captured the essence of the 'best practices' conversation taking place in schools today by speaking directly to the heart of classroom experience." Stephen Olczak, Principal Reynolds High School Oregon Contextual teaching and learning (CTL) is a system for teaching that is grounded in brain research. Brain research indicates that we learn best when we see meaning in new tasks and material, and we discover meaning when we are able to connect new information with our existing knowledge and experiences. Students learn best, according to neuroscience, when they can connect the content of academic lessons with the context of their own daily lives. Johnson discusses the elements of the brain-compatible contextual teaching and learning system: making meaningful connections; investing school work with significance; self-regulated learning; collaboration; critical and creating thinking; nurturing the individual; reaching high standards; and using authentic assessment. Drawing on the practices of teachers in kindergarten through university, Johnson provides numerous examples of how to use each part of the CTL system. Contextual Teaching and Learning: What it Is and Why It's Here to Stay is more than a handbook on precise steps to follow to help children of all abilities achieve high standards by joining academic lessons with their immediate context. This book also explains how the brain works, discusses why teachers need to pay attention to context, and makes a strong case for the need to teach students to think critically and creatively. This inspirational book urges educators to eliminate the student question: "Why do we have to learn this?" If the educators invest learning with meaning by relying on context, that question won't have to be asked.
Challenges and Opportunities in Standards-Based Reform
Amid widespread concern that schools are failing to prepare students for workforce participation, higher education, and the economic and technological challenges of the twenty-first century, public school reform efforts across the nation have focused increasingly on standards, performance, and accountability. A particularly critical question ......
What should you see when you're analyzing real data using one of the major statistical packages, such as SPSS, SAS or Microsoft Excel? This book will show you, and will walk you through the output from a variety of statistical outcomes, such as data reflecting a single common factor. Through the use of actual demonstrations, the authors supply ......
What should you see when you're analyzing real data using one of the major statistical packages, such as SPSS, SAS or Microsoft Excel? This book will show you, and will walk you through the output from a variety of statistical outcomes, such as data reflecting a single common factor. Through the use of actual demonstrations, the authors supply ......
`The author has done a remarkable job of writing a very accessible introduction to a broad literature. As such, he should be congratulated on achieving his objective to provide the "ideal primer for this growing area of social research"' - Kwantitatieve Methoden This accessible introduction to the theory and practice of longitudinal research ......
With indispensable advice for students from all social science backgrounds, this handbook provides the core conceptual and practical skills to embark on succesful research. The organization of the book reflects the knowledge that is required in order to become a competent and effective researcher. It follows the life-cycle of the research project: ......
In this book, Barrie Gunter provides a broad overview of the methodological perspectives adopted by media researchers in their attempt to derive a better understanding of the nature, role and impact of media in society. By tracing the epistemological and theoretical roots of the major methodological perspectives, Gunter identifies the various ......
An Introduction to Principles, Methods and Practice
Evaluation Research is a basic introduction to the fundamental principles of evaluation research, discussing both quantitative and qualitative methods.'
This is an ideal text for advanced courses in research methods and experimental design. It argues that the methodology of quantitative research is a unified discipline with basic notions, procedures and ways of reasoning which can be applied across the social, behavioural and life sciences. Key designs, models and methods in research are covered ......
