Management in the Active Classroom is a unique behavior-oriented resource. Few other books offer specific strategies that help the teacher provide structure while still honoring the dignity of every student. Jodi and Matt Renwick recommend it for every school.
Learning Personalized is a resource that does not shy away from wading into the messiness that is true learning. Educators can deeply explore the book, one chunk at a time, to create learning experiences that appeal to all types of students.
How can we judge the effectiveness of students bringing their own electronic devices to class? Matt Renwick’s checklist looks at whether devices meet all students’ needs, how they are involved in choosing devices, and whether they’re able to collaborate in class and beyond.
Dale Russakoff’s The Prize recounts what happens to Newark NJ schools when Gov. Chris Christie, Mayor Cory Booker and Supt. Cami Anderson take a $100 million gift from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and invest in corporate reform. Matt Renwick says it’s a must read.
Matt Renwick recommends The Principal 50 by Baruti Kafele to principals and AP’s just transitioning from the classroom to the front office. The book’s 50 topics range from a leader’s attitude to school culture, instructional leadership, accountability and more.
Book Reviews / Teaching for the Future
by MiddleWeb · Published 09/03/2015 · Last modified 11/14/2019
“Future Wise: Educating Our Children for a Changing World” by David Perkins zeroes in on curriculum, pursuing “lifeworthy” learning pursuits, fresh approaches to content and less preoccupation with technology. Principal Matt Renwick likes Perkins’ flexible outlook on the “what” of teaching.
Book Reviews / Professional Development
by MiddleWeb · Published 05/28/2015 · Last modified 06/11/2015
The breadth and depth of the topics covered by John Murray offer school administrators an excellent overview of what works when putting professional learning into practice, says reviewer Matt Renwick. “As straightforward as an educational resource gets.”
To understand how America’s infatuation with high-stakes testing negatively impacts our quality of life, we need look no further than China’s education history, says principal Matt Renwick, in his review of Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? by Yong Zhao.
The authors of “Blended” clearly know their stuff, says principal/reviewer Matt Renwick, providing multiple examples of blended learning supported by technology. But Renwick questions the heavy corporate focus and one-sided citations he finds pervade the text.
Jim Knight’s Unmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach for Dramatically Improving Instruction focuses on school leaders working with an instructional coach in a partnership model, says principal Matt Renwick. But he finds value in the book for other leaders who lack a coaching model.
