Educational Issues: Taking Sides - Clashing Views on Educational Issues (Paperback)

by James Noll (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This Fifteenth Edition of TAKING SIDES: EDUCATIONAL ISSUES presents current controversial issues in a debate-style format designed to stimulate student interest and develop critical thinking skills. Each issue is thoughtfully framed with an issue summary, an issue introduction, and a postscript. An instructor’s manual with testing material is available for each volume. USING TAKING SIDES IN THE CLASSROOM, ISBN 0073343900 is also an excellent instructor resource with practical suggestions on incorporating this effective approach in the classroom. Each TAKING SIDES reader features an annotated listing of selected World Wide Web sites and is supported by our student website, www.mhcls.com/online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin; 15 edition (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0073515205
• ISBN-13: 978-0073515205
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than one side to an argument, July 18, 2007

By	FizzWiz (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Educational Issues (Taking Sides: Educational Issues) (Paperback)

Current educational significant issues for 2007 are listed within this book including such issues as social experience, standardizing curriculum, producing good citizens, charter schools, bilingual education, school violence, homework, and merit pay. Two major sides are looked at for each issue listed, and one of the issues, redefining of "public school" in question, lists 4 people on the "no" side of the issue and 1 person on the "yes" side. The table of contents does not show that there are 4 different excerpts, but lists it as only "et. al" for three people when it really should be written out for clarity and easier reference.

The bonus issues, changing science curriculum on evolution (known as Intelligent Design (ID) ) and boys' education are extra issues they decided to tack on. They really don't fit into any of the categories from the issues originally listed, and are much more theoretical and directly less significant than the issues originally in the text. The bonus issues are not a necessary read unless you intend on reading everything or something on those particular topics, but it's nice addition for the book.

Considering that this is a 14th edition, there are still way to many places where they forgot to place a space between words and I think a couple of misspellings too.

Besides all the tidbits, the issues are worth reading and understanding, as they capture many nuances that you may or may not have thought of. Even if the points are already obvious to you, it's very arguably a handy well written reference if nothing more than that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Issues..., June 27, 2009

By	Cassandra R. Smith "Cassie" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought this book did a great job of posing a current issue with education and the providing both sides of the issue. Each article selected was either a pro or con of the issue, which teaches us to read carefully!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Politics in the Classroom, February 19, 2009

By	Soup (Gallup, NM) - See all my reviews

An interesting book that provides a balanced look at many "hot topic" educational issues. The viewpoints are short and concise, and written in a point-counterpoint format. There are a wide variety of authors providing their points of view, and the book seems well researched. It seemed objective to me.