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Best Educational Philosophy

The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters
As Tom Nichols shows in The Death of Expertise , this rejection of experts has occurred for many reasons, including the openness of the internet, the emergence of a customer satisfaction model in higher education, and the transformation of the news industry into a 24-hour entertainment machine. ”Nichols expands his 2014 article published by The Federalist with a highly researched and impassioned book that's well timed for this post-election period... strongly researched textbook for laymen will have many political and news junkies nodding their heads in agreement." ”This may sound like a rant you have heard before, but Nichols has a sense of humour and chooses his examples well. ”Excellent...makes important points and offers valuable insight, particularly when it comes to the role of the internet and social media in our political environment...essential reading for anyone interested in this pressing subject." Citizens - now so proudly ill-informed that they cannot even make use of expert opinion in fulfilling their civic role - must rediscover a sense of responsibility. ".
Reviews
"While many of the studies in the book have now been called into question (an excellent illustration of one of Tom Nichols' sections about when experts are wrong), I still found it fascinating how I, a person with a graduate-level degree and extensive self-education through extensive reading, knew so very little about so much. How much do we see today, though, of people without any education or training or experience, claiming that their opinion is as valid as any expert, or dismissing experts as nothing more than "elites," as if that allows them to be ignored? In a time when our entire world is built around technology and knowledge and the experts who understand them, Americans are forgetting how that all happened. The populace must understand enough to make the decisions to choose both smart experts (Knowers) and policymakers (Deciders) and understand the limits of each. But without experts and policy makers who listen, and an educated, informed populace that helps choose and respect them.....I worry for the world of my children."
"A painful, insightful yet honest bio on today's chronic illnesses when it comes to disrespecting knowledge and intelligence!"
"But shockingly absent from his analysis is the possibility that experts might be corrupt, or have their own agenda - that a scientist might deny climate change while working for the Trump Administration, or take home a fat paycheck from Coca Cola for insisting that sugar-water doesn’t make people fat. Apparently Political Science degrees now include PhD-level courses on Botany, Ecology, and Medicine – who knew?"
"There are also books that are important because they speak to urgent needs of a particular time."
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The Morning Meeting Book
Step-by-step, practical guidelines for planning and holding Responsive Classroom Morning Meetings in K-8 classrooms Descriptions of Morning Meeting in action in real classrooms 100 ideas for greetings, sharing, activities, and messages: some tried-and-true and some new Updated information on sharing Guidance on adapting meeting components for different ages and abilities, including upper grades and English Language Learners. Roxann Kriete and Carol Davis each bring decades of experience as educators and deep knowledge of the Responsive Classroom approach to their writing of this book.
Reviews
"Everything was as expected."
"It's given me a lot a good ways to start my 5th grade class room day!"
"This is an excellent and practical book."
"Enjoyed reading this book."
"If you are into the "Love and Logic", this is great way to start your morning with your class and to end the day."
"Amazing book with all that you need to create a responsive classroom."
"I love this book and use it all the time to help me plan morning meeting."
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Teaching With Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It
In Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It , veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen takes an unflinching look at how poverty hurts children, families, and communities across the United States and demonstrates how schools can improve the academic achievement and life readiness of economically disadvantaged students. In Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids' Brains and What Schools Can Do About It, veteran educator and brain expert Eric Jensen takes an unflinching look at how poverty hurts children, families, and communities across the United States and demonstrates how schools can improve the academic achievement and life readiness of economically disadvantaged students. Jensen argues that although chronic exposure to poverty can result in detrimental changes to the brain, the brain's very ability to adapt from experience means that poor children can also experience emotional, social, and academic success.
Reviews
"Every teacher, or people working with kids and adults who are in poverty need to read this."
"I have shared this practical work with my whole of staff in our staff development time."
"Fantastic book and one I want to read again as a book study with other teachers."
"Teaching with Poverty in Mind is not just for educators teaching in low performing or low SES schools..."
"Jensen's writing is engaging and straightforward and the book offers many sound insights into the world of teaching and supporting children in poverty."
"His theories are based on data & current practices that are working so his ideas and suggestions have validity."
"Understanding that the greatest barrier to public education is a condition not a subgroup of children and the impact of poverty on the developing brain, socialization, self esteem and emotional development of many children who enter out schools in alarming numbers opens the door to important reforms needed in public education."
"Nothing ground breaking or revolutionary here."
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Best Philosophy

The Art Of War
Note: The chapters in the book are not in order and it is intentional. 1.
Reviews
"I want to tell future readers of this book in this way. I read it first when I was 14 or 15."
"Friend: "Do you read the bible?""
"This is a masterful book and will provide sound advice for any battle in your life you might face no matter how big or small."
"A great short read, the laws can be applied to not only warfare, but everyday life and any problems that may arise."
"I received and read this book all in one day."
"Most popular book for those with careers in the military."
"Great job providing "The Art of War" affordably."
"There's one chapter out of order, which is certainly a mistake and weird, but not super bad."
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Best Epistemology Philosophy

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
The authors credit six key principles: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotions and stories. They illustrate these principles with a host of stories, some familiar (Kennedy's stirring call to "land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth" within a decade) and others very funny (Nora Ephron's anecdote of how her high school journalism teacher used a simple, embarrassing trick to teach her how not to "bury the lead").
Reviews
"For example urban myths... stories about people having their kidneys stolen, the "fact" that humans only use 10% of their brains, or stories of people poisoning Halloween candy. All of these are myths- there is not a band of organ harvesters that steals kidneys, humans actually use 100% of their brains in a given day, and there have only been 2 true cases of poisoned Halloween candy and both cases were done by the children's own family. The answer: sticky stories need to have 6 attributes. News casters do this with their 10 second commercials telling you what the news stories will be at the "9 o'clock news"- they will say something like "A gorilla escaped from the zoo and ended up at a children's birthday party, find out more at 9." My favorite way of presenting this was the Mother Teresa principle: If I look at the one, I will act. 2. (A video of a young girl sitting in the dirt) With your donation you could help Cindy... your donation would help feed Cindy, put a roof over Cindy's head, and help send Cindy to school. Stories: Get people to act. It's difficult to find these stories, but when you find them you have a gold mine. There are so many great stories and insights within the pages. I would be more than happy to help anyone that wants it."
"Complete it, and you'd have more chances to create or spot this next sticky story."
"Chip and Dan cite people and companies who succeed by making good "stories" stick."
"Overall, I really enjoyed the concepts and the stories in this book, but I felt like some of the information could have been pared down a little bit because it seemed very repetitive."
"I know a book has had an impact on me when I find myself quoting it several months later ."
"A Must read for: Teachers/Trainers, Sales/Marketing, Managers, Leaders, Business Owners, Politicians, Parents, or anyone who needs to make a point or deliver a message."
"I read this book for an online class, but I plan to put the principles into action in my elementary classroom starting Monday."
""You can't have five North Stars.""
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Best Education Counseling

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy
With his trademark style, he shows students how to apply theories in practice, and helps them learn to integrate the theories into an individualized counseling style.
Reviews
"No one in their right mind would expect spellbinding performances from the "actors" (one might have been Corey though if I remember correctly) in these segments, but holy molar!"
"The book arrived when my course was completed."
"If you have access to the accompanying videos, take advantage of them, they are great!"
"The Corey's write a bunch of different theory and practice books."
"Perfect "Cliff's Notes" version of the text book!"
"Corey does an excellent job of presenting the theories in this text."
"They just slapped on a label saying it was the manual, but since I also ordered the regular textbook, I compared the two and they are exactly the same."
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Best Education Administration

What Great Teachers Do Differently: 17 Things That Matter Most
In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently. Todd is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, and he has spent his life pursuing his love of education by researching and studying effective teachers and principals.
Reviews
"It was a short and easy read, had some good anecdotal material, I learned some things I really liked from it, and it's something I'll be happy to keep on my shelf for years to come."
"If you need some teaching inspiration in a jiffy this is the book for you."
"Every teacher should read this book."
"Gave this to a friend who is a great teacher (awarded teacher of the year) and she is going to present it at a meeting for other teachers."
"Every teacher should read this."
"Had heard about this writer and his ideas a lot of what he talks about is common sense but after fifteen years of teaching it is good to review what I am doing and how my results impact the kids very good read for any experienced or brand new teacher."
"As well as makes me realize that I am a great teacher."
"I love this book."
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Best Education History & Theory

Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
John Taylor Gatto has been a fierce advocate for self-directed “guerrilla” education for decades. Gatto's radical treatise on public education, a New Society Publishers bestseller for 25 years, continues to bang the drum for an unshackling of children and learning from formal schooling.
Reviews
"Colleges had to adjust their material to the watered down curriculum that gets passed on to it from high schools."
"If you dislike that advertising permeates everything you read and watch and are amazed at how much crap people think they need then this book is for you."
"Reading this in high school really opens your eyes!"
"This book this for the ones who care about education."
"[...]. Gatto also wrote a more objective and penetrating history of American Education[...]. While these books are provided for free by their authors and publishers, I recommend a purchase in order to support their important work."
"Explains why the U.S. is failing compared to the rest of the world."
"The author states learning is maximized by taking on a 1000 internships, active participation in the community, and periods of isolated reflection. Internship implies sharing information and knowledge with a potential employee, aimed at increasing their professional capability, before employment. Periods of isolated reflection allow the student to meditate on the principles and information they have learned. Abstraction, synthesis, and integration mental process allow the information to evolve into other ideas or principles. The education system values: competition, intimidation, and control more than principles of democracy. Many of the social problems of teen pregancy, drugs, and violence are associated with the rich rather than the poor. If your child thinks its ok, to spend hours down in their room listening to their music, refusing to eat at the dinner table, or participate in family activities, you start to wonder. If your child was previously curious about things and often worked on individual projects and research but suddenly stop, you wonder."
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Best Special Education

Applied Behavior Analysis (2nd Edition)
Applied Behavior Analysis provides a complete description of the principles and procedures needed to systematically change socially significant behavior and to understand the reasons for that change. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board ® BCBA ® and BCABA ® Behavior Analyst Task List, Third Edition, specifying the minimum content all behavior analysts should master, is listed on the inside front and back covers.
Reviews
"The book is also well structured and has a good progression and is easy to follow and find what you're looking for."
"If you can handle the page numbering being 20 pages different from the hardback version, save your money and grab this!"
"This will help future BCBAs get ready to pass the big exam."
"Very frustrated to find that I purchased the paperback version first only to find they aren't the same.... Should be mentioned in the description."
"I didn't notice before, but as I was reading through the book and as I was doing my course for graduate school I noticed pages were missing!"
"It smears easily when you touch the pages if you have ANY moisture or lotion on your hands."
"I intend to return this book as I will need this book forever and it won't last without a cover."
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Best Elementary Education

The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers
develop goals for every reader give students step-by-step strategies for skilled reading guide readers with prompts aligned to the strategies adjust instruction to meet individual needs with Jen's Teaching Tips craft demonstrations and explanations with her Lesson Language learn more with Hat Tips to the work of influential teacher-authors. Whether you use readers workshop, Daily 5/CAFE, guided reading, balanced reading, a core reading program, whole-class novels, or any other approach, The Reading Strategies Book will complement and extend your teaching. Jennifer Serravallo is the author of New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann titles, including Teaching Reading in Small Groups; Conferring with Readers; and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K - 2 and Grades 3 - 6.
Reviews
"Most books about teaching reading require plowing through lots of pages about the author's philosophy and practices before getting to the good stuff...the stuff you can use in the classroom tomorrow. Every teacher, from classroom teachers to reading specialists to literacy coaches to tutors to home-school teachers, from pre serviice teachers to veteran teachers, will quickly and easily be able to find the strategies they need to teach the students in front of them."
"- Jennifer Serravallo, The Reading Strategies Book: Your EVERYTHING Guide to Developing Skilled Readers. Jennifer Serravallo created the ultimate book of reading strategies. - Classroom Teacher: This is truly a comprehensive book to help you develop individual reading goals or goals for reading strategy groups. The book is organized around the following goals (chapters) for developing skilled readers: - Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers. - Teaching Reading Engagement: Focus, Stamina, and Building a Reading Life. - Supporting Print Work: Increasing Accuracy and Integrating Sources of Information. - Teaching Fluency: Reading with Paraphrasing, Intonation, and Automaticity. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Plot and Setting. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Thinking About Characters. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Themes and Ideas. - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Maint Topic(s) and Idea(s). - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Key Details. - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Getting the Most from Text Features. - Improving Comprehension in Fiction and Nonfiction: Understanding Vocabulary and Figurative Language. - Supporting Students' Conversations: Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension. - Improving Writing About Reading. Each chapter starts with a research-based explanation of WHY the goal is important to developing skilled readers."
"I am a literacy coach and am so excited to use this book next year with teachers at my school. Here's why: I love how Jennifer compares The Reading Strategies Book to a cookbook, It's a great analogy for the lessons in the book. Jennifer walks you through navigating the book, choosing goals for students, how the book might fit into your current literacy instruction, and supporting strategies with visuals. I think this book should be a required text for college literacy courses and should be a welcome gift to new teachers when hired."
"In the short introduction, Jennifer Serravallo explains how to identify reading goals for students based on a hierarchy of reading needs."
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Best Secondary Education

Teach Like a Champion 2.0: 62 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College
Over 700,000 teachers around the world already know how the techniques in this book turn educators into classroom champions. Over 70 new video clips of real teachers modeling the techniques in the classroom (note: for online access of this content, please visit my.teachlikeachampion.com) A selection of never before seen techniques inspired by top teachers around the world Brand new structure emphasizing the most important techniques and step by step teaching guidelines Updated content reflecting the latest best practices from outstanding educators.
Reviews
"Bummer for me trying to be cheap last summer and save my hard earned teacher dollars."
"Great resource for new teachers and veterans who are looking to refine their practice and expand their instructional strategies."
"Not a perfect book but so many great techniques to try when facing challenges in the classroom."
"If you can only afford one book on classroom management, buy this one."
"This book is amazing...is it weird or petty that I wish it had pictures or charts or something to break up the chapters and chapters of information."
"Every teacher should read this."
"Love the ideas presented in the book."
"Some of the videos make me cry in their absolute control over every movement and every expression of every child. Working in a Title One school, I get it that there needs to be a much stronger grip on classroom management, but is this really the answer?"
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Best Education Curriculum & Instruction

The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers
develop goals for every reader give students step-by-step strategies for skilled reading guide readers with prompts aligned to the strategies adjust instruction to meet individual needs with Jen's Teaching Tips craft demonstrations and explanations with her Lesson Language learn more with Hat Tips to the work of influential teacher-authors. Whether you use readers workshop, Daily 5/CAFE, guided reading, balanced reading, a core reading program, whole-class novels, or any other approach, The Reading Strategies Book will complement and extend your teaching. Jennifer Serravallo is the author of New York Times bestseller The Reading Strategies Book as well as other popular Heinemann titles, including Teaching Reading in Small Groups; Conferring with Readers; and The Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K - 2 and Grades 3 - 6.
Reviews
"Most books about teaching reading require plowing through lots of pages about the author's philosophy and practices before getting to the good stuff...the stuff you can use in the classroom tomorrow. Every teacher, from classroom teachers to reading specialists to literacy coaches to tutors to home-school teachers, from pre serviice teachers to veteran teachers, will quickly and easily be able to find the strategies they need to teach the students in front of them."
"- Jennifer Serravallo, The Reading Strategies Book: Your EVERYTHING Guide to Developing Skilled Readers. Jennifer Serravallo created the ultimate book of reading strategies. - Classroom Teacher: This is truly a comprehensive book to help you develop individual reading goals or goals for reading strategy groups. The book is organized around the following goals (chapters) for developing skilled readers: - Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers. - Teaching Reading Engagement: Focus, Stamina, and Building a Reading Life. - Supporting Print Work: Increasing Accuracy and Integrating Sources of Information. - Teaching Fluency: Reading with Paraphrasing, Intonation, and Automaticity. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Plot and Setting. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Thinking About Characters. - Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Themes and Ideas. - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Maint Topic(s) and Idea(s). - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Key Details. - Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Getting the Most from Text Features. - Improving Comprehension in Fiction and Nonfiction: Understanding Vocabulary and Figurative Language. - Supporting Students' Conversations: Speaking, Listening, and Deepening Comprehension. - Improving Writing About Reading. Each chapter starts with a research-based explanation of WHY the goal is important to developing skilled readers."
"I am a literacy coach and am so excited to use this book next year with teachers at my school. Here's why: I love how Jennifer compares The Reading Strategies Book to a cookbook, It's a great analogy for the lessons in the book. Jennifer walks you through navigating the book, choosing goals for students, how the book might fit into your current literacy instruction, and supporting strategies with visuals. I think this book should be a required text for college literacy courses and should be a welcome gift to new teachers when hired."
"The Reading Strategies Book will be my go-to resource for improving my students' reading comprehension for years to come."
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