Customer Reviews

Methods that Matter

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This book is an excellent overview of what it takes to be a teacher for today's world. Gone are the days of children sitting silently in rows while the the "sage on stage" lectures endlessly on facts and figures. In the year 2000, teachers need to be willing to share responsiblity for learning with their students, and present subject matter in relevant, engaging, collaborative ways. Daniels and Bizar do a masterful job presenting the "basics" for today. Teaching with integrated themes, the value of response projects, student conferences in their various forms, and creating a workshop atmosphere in the classroom are just some of the "methods that matter" presented in this highly readable, jargon-free book. If you are looking to to move toward stepping out of the spotlight in your classroom, to become a more child-centered facilitator of learning, this book is an excellent place to begin.

An added bonus: this book is not "pie-in-the-sky" idealistic, as many professional development books tend to be. Daniels and Bizar come across as "real", and acknowledge the realities that we as teachers face in the day to day politics that is American education today.

This is one of the most thorough books on how Best Practices works. Mariyln Bizar and Harvey Daniels explain the theory behind Best Practice and then explain how to implement it. We used this book in my Methods Class at National Louis University, where Marilyn and Harvey teach. I have also been to best Practice High School in Chicago and observed classes. Their theories hold up in the actual classroom. Students that you would not neccessarily have expected to do well,, do so with Best Practice Methods. Each and every child at Best Practice High School comes from the inner city , mostly from the West Side of Chicago. 80% of all graduates from Best Practice High School go on to college. Can your school say that?

Anyone who wants to teach or to change their teaching methods and get students involved in the process of their own education needs this book as a part of their library. When you do so, study it well and ask questions. Your students will love you for it and will buy into education. And isn't that worth every penny?

I don't usually take the time to write reviews for Amazon, but this education book inspired me enough to 'sell' it to you...

One of the reasons why I enjoyed this book was because of the wonderful layout and content presented in the text. It is cleverly divided into six fundamental strategies upon which "Best Practice" ideals are based. These activities (integrative units, small group activities, representing-to-learn, classroom workshop, authentic experiences and reflective assessment) are explained to the reader, one by one, then different teachers contribute activities which were effective for them. Their suggestions were innovative and useful in the classroom.

This book does not only focus on the language arts, but also spans across the math, science, art and phys ed curriculum. It discusses and explains how you can integrate several subjects into a lesson or workshop.

The activities can be used for primary students up to high school students, although I found it to be really useful for my junior/intermediate students. The activies are flexible and can be adapted for any grade level.

This book GAVE ME IDEAS right away. I highly recommend it. Read it, and you too might be inspired to write a review!

A practical guide for teachers wishing to employ student-centered methods of teaching in their classrooms. The authors provide six step-by-step structures (integrative units, small group activities, representing-to-learn, classroom workshop, authentic experiences and reflective assessment) for implementing best practices in the classroom. Readers are given concrete examples of how to cross disciplinary boundaries through the development of integrated unit plans, engage students in exercises that promote deeper learning, and assess their effectiveness as teachers by comparing their experiences with case studies written by instructors who have used these methods in their own classrooms. Assessment guides and activities that can be adapted to any age group, are especially helpful for both novice and experienced teachers.

This book will remain within arms reach throughout my teaching career. I expect to
use it as a companion guide and reference to assess my own development as a teacher and to guide me in implementing best practice methodology in my classroom. I found it especially helpful to have the experiences of teachers who have employed the lessons included with each chapter.

This book provides teachers with many useful student-centered activities. Authors Harvey Daniels and Marilyn Bizar of National Louis University show progressive approaches that engage students in even the most difficult schools. Among their useful methods are integrative units, representing-to-learn, classroom workshop, and small group activities. The authors show how to use these methods by describing their application at Best Practice High School, an alternative public school in Chicago's inner city. Students at Best Practice are almost all low-income Blacks and Latinos, yet the school boasts far higher graduation rates than most city high schools - in part due to methods found in this book. As an "inner city" high school teacher who taught one semester at Best Practice (and much enjoyed it), I've used many ideas from this book over the last few years. The result? These methods work fairly well, although perhaps not to the level promoted by the optimistic authors. Still, good teaching ideas are always welcome, and educators will find several in this concisely readable book.

At this writing, Best Practice High School has lost many top staff members and arguably part of its character, apparently as a result of political conflicts with the Board of Education. Still, educators will benefit from the many solid teaching ideas in this very practical book.