As most teachers of research methods point out in their classes, one should be skeptical of secondary sources because they usually are not peer-reviewed which can result in an author (a) misrepresenting original sources, (b) misinterpretations of original results, and (c) just making stuff up (e.g., the "Freudian Iceberg"). Even in departments of history I assume that students are taught the distinction between publishing in peer-reviewed journals and books. So, this leads to the following question to Louis:
What peer-reviewed, empirical research articles do you rely upon that have tested claims on what works best in teaching? I've had to attend a couple of workshops on "improving teaching" and when asked what research they relied upon to support their claims, one "leader/facilitator" couldn't provide any and the other said something like "Oh, it's based on various researchers work but I don't have anything specific in mind". If one were to critically appraise these responses, one might conclude that the level of scholarship and knowledge of educational research is appalling. So, Louis, can you provide a reference list of primary sources (i.e., peer-reviewed empirical research articles that have tested claims and have rigorously shown "what works")? For Tipsters who are unfamiliar with the U.S. Dept of Education's "What Works" enterprise which is supposed to serve as a source of the education research literature (ERIC is another); see: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ -Mike Palij New York University [email protected] ----------------- Original Message ------------------ On Sun, 21 Oct 2012 04:03:56 -0700, Louis E. Schmier wrote: Teachers should be readers. They should be "try-it-outers." But, what to read? What to mess around with? Tough questions. Lots of answers. If I was to focus on a short "starter" list, these 30 books are probably the ones with which I would begin. Now, I've only listed books I've read over and over and over, whose passages I've underlined and highlighted, whose pages I've crimped, in whose margins I've scribbled thoughts, whose ideas I have experimented with and adapted as they fit into my vision. In one way or another they're relevant to teaching, aka classroom leadership. I've shied away from the "what to do" and "how to," assessment, and technology books. I've concentrated, deliberately concentrated, on books that deal with "why" and the "inner 'I.'" The simple truth is that you can know all about the technology, all about the pedagogy, and all about the science, and still not have your face to the sun and still not be able to teach They will not power your heart. They usually don't help you understand that students are evolving and transforming; that they need to be noticed and truly cared about; that they, like us, need belief, faith, hope, and love; that we need to be empathetic and sympathetic; that tenderness, kindness, awareness, alertness, attentiveness, and otherness are required from each of us; that they need all this and all this is required of us because we're first and foremost in the people business. We don't often address the truth that successful teaching doesn't occur from either spontaneous combustion or from something or someone else striking a a match, but from setting yourself on fire. Our greatest challenge in the classroom is to bring the sublime into the mundane, for information is pretty thin stuff without character. All personal and professional breakthroughs occur with a change in beliefs, not with new methods or technologies. No one is so tired, lazy, and old as someone who hasn't the enthusiasm, purpose, meaning of a deeply reflected upon and articulated vision. The first step for anyone teaching or engaged in teacher training is to understand the richly nuances, complex, and complicated humanity involved; that the challenge of the classroom is not supposed to stymy you, but help you discover who you are; that the dynamics between personality, self-perception, and role are inseparably immeshed; that the classroom is a place that demands an understanding of the nature and roots of human behavior; that what goes on in the mind, heart, and soul of both teacher and student have an impact on the achievement of both; and, if you want students to soar with you, you have to win their hearts. The list is incomplete. There are other worthy titles, a ton of them. Nevertheless, here are the ones I recommend among those I've read. One last word, I decided to list only one work by those who have reflected, researched, and published prolifically. That is not to say their other works are unimportant. To the contrary, this is only a beginning, a whetting of the appetite, list. Again, this is only my starter list. 1. Carol Dweck, MINDSET: "it isn't just our abilities and talent that bring our success — but whether we approach our goals with a fixed or growth mindset." 2. Gregory Berns, ICONOCLAST: understanding how our brain processes information and affects our perception, imagination, and decision-making 3. Richard Boyatzis, RESONATE LEADERSHIP: resonant" leaders are individuals who manage their own and others' emotions in ways that drive success 4. Ed Deci, WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO: They wish to be autonomous (authentic) rather than controlled. If they act autonomously (authentically), they are self-motivated. 5. Teresa Amabile, GROWING UP CREATIVE: creativity can and should be a part of the daily life of all children and adults 6. Viktor Frankl, MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING: Life is primarily a search for meaning, of finding your "bliss" to follow 7. Stephen Covey, THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE: A principle-centered life is the most rewarding. 8. Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, PRIMAL LEADERSHIP: to keep emotions out of the work environment creates a dire peril. 9. Peter Senge, FIFTH DISCIPLINE: stresses the importance of cultivating a learning organization in which autonomous thinking, personal mastery, and shared visions are vital 10. James Allen, AS A MAN THINKETH: "Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They always lead to failure....all strong thoughts cease when doubt and fear creep in" 11. RoberT Brooks, THE POWER OF RESILIENCE: helping students and ourselves re-write new positive life scripts to replace the old negative ones. 12. Alfie Kohn, PUNISHMENT BY REWARDS: rewards motivate people to get more rewards. 13. Paulo Friere, PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED, "True education is a process in which teachers become students and students become teachers, all in the name of liberation for everyone involved." 14. belle hooks, TEACHING TO TRANSGRESS: "education as the practice of freedom....is a view that can be held by anyone who believes in it and transgressive teaching can be done by anyone who is committed to working with students to transform the limiting structures that form the basis of our society and, consequently, the foundation of our institutions, 15. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, FLOW: how different people create meaning in life with full intention and focus and thereby achieve an ongoing state of satisfaction and sense of fulfillment. 16. Charles Duhigg, THE POWER OF HABIT: how the science of habits can be used to improve willpower 17. Daniel Gilbert, STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS: explains why we seem to know so little about the hearts and minds of the people we are about to become. 18. Howard Gardner, CHANGING MINDS: How do we do it? What plays a factor in it? Why is it so hard to convincce people to give up well cherished beliefs for new ones? 19. Parker Palmer, THE COURAGE TO TEACH, takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with themselves so they can empathize and connect with their students 20. Daniel Goleman, EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being 21. Marilee Adams, CHANGE YOUR QUESTIONS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE: asking the right questions of the right people - can radically transform attitudes, actions, and results. 22. Jon Kabat-Zinn, WHEREVER YOU GO THERE YOU ARE: mindfulness, awareness, attentiveness, and otherness in everyday life. 23. John Dewey, DEMOCRACY AND EDUCATION: school should be relevant to real life and that solving problems is more important than reciting facts. 24. Jack Kornfield, AFTER THE ECSTASY, THE LAUNDRY: unbounded joy and happiness is possible, but we are faced with the day-to-day task of translating that ecstasy into our lives 25. Steven Sample, THE CONTRARIAN GUIDE TO LEADERSHIP: "effective day-to-day leadership isn't so much about himself (the leader), as it is about the men and women he chooses to be his chief lieutenants. He knows that a lot of the things on his own plate will be minutiae and silliness, while his lieutenants will get to do the fun and important things." 26. Leo Buscaglia, LOVE: "The true function of education should be the process of helping a person to discover his uniqueness, aiding him toward its development, and teaching him how to share it with others." 27. Malcolm Gladwell: OUTLIERS: It's fulfillment and significance that makes us truly happy, not money or titles or renown. 28. Carl Rogers: FREEDOM TO LEARN: asks the the hard-to-ask questions about education that are still hard to ask. 29. Robert Cialdini, INFLUENCE: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSUASION: core principals of persuasion is a sterling example of the cross application of psychological principles to life in the classroom. 30. Dr. Seuss, OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO Is this the list for you as a teacher? Can't say. It's my beginning list. Have your own? What is it? --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=21216 or send a blank email to leave-21216-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
