Summer ReADING

Recommendations from Chris Elnicki,
Past President of NSSSA and Current Operations and Outreach Coordinator
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When Can You Trust the Experts? How to Tell Good Science from Bad in Education by Daniel T. Willingham
Why do Smart People Do Dumb Things? How do romantic and scientific notions play out in our schools? Does researched based really exist? A fascinating book that guides the reader to become a better evaluator and consumer of educational products and programs.
 
    
 
 
Why Won't You Just Tell Us the Answer? Teaching Historical Thinking in Grades 7-12 by Bruce A. Lesh
A deeper and more impactful book than you might think at first glance. It’s one practitioner sharing the laboratory of his classroom and his journey to engage students in doing history. The examples are all from US History, but the methods can be applied to any historical content.   
 
 
 
 

Teaching What Really Happened: How to Avoid the Tyranny of Textbooks and Get Students Excited About Doing History by James W. Loewen
Some of the most meaningful discussions I’ve experienced with teachers have resulted from studies focused on this book. Loewen challenges us to ask, Why Am I Teaching This? and to examine myths of history. Critics may not agree with his conclusions, but we all gain deeper understanding by discussing the questions he raises and the scholarship he shares.
 
 

On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting 1st Edition by Thomas R. Guskey
What do grades communicate? Are zeros really fair? Can grading systems actually support learning? The culture of grading is explored and bold recommendations are presented.
 
 
 
 
 

Teaching Geography, Third Edition Paperback – June 20, 2014 by Phil Gersmehl PhD
An entertaining methods textbook that is chockfull of teaching antidotes, lessons, and practical ways to get students thinking spatially. Discover how dynamic and exciting Geography can be.
 
 
 
 

Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? (Series on School Reform) 2nd Revised ed. Edition by Pasi Sahlberg
What’s Finland got that we don’t have? How can their students spend less time doing school work and still outperform the world on international measures like PISA?  You might be surprised to know that many of their philosophical foundations were imported from the USA. A fascinating book about the relationship of culture and education.