"The Having of Wonderful Ideas" & Other Essays on Teaching & Learning (Paperback)

by Eleanor Duckworth (Author)
Key Phrases: critical exploration, clinical interviewing, moon watching, The Having of Wonderful Ideas, Other Essays, Keeping It Complex (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This revised second edition of the text on Piaget and teaching provides an introduction to her wide-ranging writings and adds a chapter on children's approaches to science. Each essay supports the belief that the focus of teacher education should be on the learner's point of view.

About the Author
Eleanor Duckworth is Professor of Education at Harvard University. She worked with Jean Piaget for more than two decades, as a student and colleague. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: Teachers College Press; 2 Sub edition (March 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807735132
• ISBN-13: 978-0807735138
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #490,244 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely~Not a Compilation of Lesson Plans~A Must for Teachers, April 15, 2002

By	J.M. "A Parent Perspective" (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is excellent. It is an important read for teachers today. As an educator it is extremely disheartening to see the direction of education being driven today by politicians, rather than parents and teachers. Ms. Duckworth redirects are attention where it belongs, on the students & how they learn. This book gets us (teachers) thinking about the kind of classroom culture we want to create for our children. It is about what we value as educators. Don't mistake it for a quick reference, how-to book. This is not meant to be a outline of various lesson plans to try out with your class. It is more thoughtful than that and more important

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'd give it 10 stars if I could, January 8, 2002

By	Scott W. Beckett "schpunk" (Jacksonville, Alabama United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For me, the real strength of this book is the way the presence of Eleanor Duckworth shines through her writing. I liken it more to the beacon provided by a lighthouse than to a how-to manual that describes rowing techniques. The clear direction that shown through for me was that learning is complex, and that teacher behaviors must be equally complex, but the guiding light is simple: Listen to and respect the learner and respond with your whole person, and the learning that needs to happen will occur, for both partners in the process.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book all teachers should read, October 17, 1999

By A Customer

Eleanor Duckworth is an amazing inspiration to teachers. This book is an exploration of what it means to know something, and how teachers should listen to their students. This may sound simple, but every teacher knows that it is not simple. Eleanor is able to enlighten a sense of wonder in her reader in an un-pretensious manner. Each chapter leaves you excited and amazed at the complexity of the learning process.