Best Education Policy & Reform

The Smartest Kids in the World “gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange....The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes” ( The New York Times Book Review ) . Kim, fifteen, raises $10,000 so she can move from Oklahoma to Finland; Eric, eighteen, trades his high-achieving Minnesota suburb for a booming city in South Korea; and Tom, seventeen, leaves a historic Pennsylvania village for Poland. Amanda Ripley, an American journalist, seeks to answer such questions in The Smartest Kids in the World , her fine new book about the schools that are working around the globe ….Ms. “[ The Smartest Kids in the World is] a riveting new book….Ripley’s policy recommendations are sensible and strong….The American school reform debate has been desperately in need of such no-nonsense advice, which firmly puts matters of intellect back at the center of education where they belong.” (The Daily Beast). “Gripping….Ripley's characters are fascinating, her writing style is accessible, and her observations are fresh….If you're interested in how to improve public schools, read Ripley's book today.” (The Huffington Post ). “In riveting prose...this timely and inspiring book offers many insights into how to improve America’s mediocre school system.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review ). “This book gives me hope that we can create education systems of equity and rigor—if we heed the lessons from top performing countries and focus more on preparing teachers than on punishing them." By drawing on experiences, successes, and failures in education systems in the highest-performing countries across the globe, Amanda Ripley lays out a course for what we must do to dramatically improve our nation's schools.” (Michelle Rhee, Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst ). Those stunned parents and teachers in New York State and elsewhere would do well to read this book first if they are inclined to blame their children’s/students’ poor results on a new test.” (OECD “Education Today” Blog ). “[Ripley] is a compelling storyteller who deftly plaits humorous anecdotes and hard data to whip you in the face with her findings.” (Kristen Levithan Brain, Child Magazine).

But in How Children Succeed , Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control. How Children Succeed introduces us to a new generation of researchers and educators, who, for the first time, are using the tools of science to peel back the mysteries of character. How Children Succeed is an attempt to answer those questions, which for many of us are big and mysterious and central in our lives: Why do certain children succeed while other children fail? Why is it, exactly, that poor children are less likely to succeed, on average, than middle-class children? That makes a huge difference in how children’s brains develop, and scientists are now able to trace a direct route from those early negative experiences to later problems in school, health, and behavior. And that’s a big part of why so many low-income kids don’t do well in school. Many readers were first exposed to your reporting on character through your article in the New York Times Magazine in September 2011, which was titled "What If the Secret to Success Is Failure?" A. That’s an idea that I think was best expressed by Dominic Randolph, the head of the Riverdale Country School, an exclusive private school in the Bronx where they’re now doing some interesting experiments with teaching character. That’s a skill that parents can certainly help their children develop--but so can teachers and coaches and mentors and neighbors and lots of other people. By not giving them the chance to learn to manage adversity, to cope with failure, we produce kids who have real problems when they grow up. *Starred Review* Debunking the conventional wisdom of the past few decades that disadvantaged children need to develop basic reading and counting skills before entering school, Tough argues that they would be better served by learning such skills as grit, conscientiousness, curiosity, and optimism. Tough (Whatever It Takes, 2008) spent two years interviewing students, teachers, and administrators at failing public schools, alternative programs, charter schools, elite schools, and a variety of after-school programs. He also interviewed psychologists, economists, and neuroscientists and examined the latest research on character education beyond the bromides of the Left and Right to discover what actually works in teaching children skills that will aid them in school and in life, whatever the circumstances of their childhoods. Most compelling are Tough’s portraits of adolescents from backgrounds rife with poverty, violence, drug-addicted parents, sexual abuse, and failing schools, who manage to gain skills that help them overcome their adversities and go on to college. Tough ultimately argues in favor of research indicating that these important skills can be learned and children’s lives saved.

The New Education ultimately shows how we can teach students not only to survive but to thrive amid the challenges to come. " The New Education takes a good hard look at the old education, and finds it sorely wanting. Grounded in decades of classroom experience and scholarly inquiry, Cathy N. Davidson makes a compelling case for educators to interrogate traditional structures in higher education, and help students seek, in her words, 'a sustained and productive life. We must all work for change, we must fight for higher education and we must fight to change higher education. After three decades in higher education--teaching at community colleges, in a prison, in a monastery, in four countries, in the Ivy League, atDuke University (where I was also in the central administrationdirecting innovation for eight years) and now at the nation's largestpublic, urban university (CUNY), I believe more than ever that highereducation needs change. THE NEW EDUCATION charts how we got here and profiles educators who are leading the way in helping us to a better place.

A free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere: this is the goal of the Khan Academy, a passion project that grew from an ex-engineer and hedge funder's online tutoring sessions with his niece, who was struggling with algebra, into a worldwide phenomenon. "Since its founding in 2006, Sal Khan's project-the Khan academy-has revolutionized our thinking on the potential and promise of unfettered, open-access online education. In his new book The One World Schoolhouse, Khan presents his vision and blueprint for how online technology can, and should, play an integral role in educating communities across the globe, closing the opportunity gap and providing high-quality education for all. "I discovered Sal Khan and Khan Academy like most other people - by using these incredible tools with my own kids. Sal Khan's vision and energy for how technology could fundamentally transform education is contagious. "The world dreams of education reform, and Sal Khan is delivering. "Sal Khan is changing what we believe is possible in education. "When you read this book, you will understand how the dignity of each student is addressed by education's visionary, Sal Khan. "Sal Khan has developed the best and most cost-efficient way to use technology to bring high quality education, creativity and innovation to all countries, including the poorest.

Creating one of America's most beautiful college campuses, at Ole Miss, did not happen overnight and, inside these pages, Jeff McManus describes the joys, the defeats, the brilliant problem-solving and the "best laid plans" that are proven worthless...until the bigger picture is told. Jeff has been with the University of Mississippi since 2000 as Director of Landscape Services. Under Jeff’s leadership the Ole Miss campus has won the National Professional Grounds Maintenance Society Best Maintained Campus twice, Newsweek’s most beautiful campus in 2011 and was named by the Princeton Review as the 2013 most beautiful campus.

This new edition not only revisits schools listed in previous volumes to give readers a comprehensive assessment, it also addresses such issues as homeschooling, learning. disabilities, and single-sex education. Hilary Masell Oswald lives in Denver, Colorado, where she writes about education, architecture and design, and public policy.

The Smartest Kids in the World “gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange....The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes” ( The New York Times Book Review ) . Kim, fifteen, raises $10,000 so she can move from Oklahoma to Finland; Eric, eighteen, trades his high-achieving Minnesota suburb for a booming city in South Korea; and Tom, seventeen, leaves a historic Pennsylvania village for Poland. Amanda Ripley, an American journalist, seeks to answer such questions in The Smartest Kids in the World , her fine new book about the schools that are working around the globe ….Ms. “[ The Smartest Kids in the World is] a riveting new book….Ripley’s policy recommendations are sensible and strong….The American school reform debate has been desperately in need of such no-nonsense advice, which firmly puts matters of intellect back at the center of education where they belong.” (The Daily Beast). “Gripping….Ripley's characters are fascinating, her writing style is accessible, and her observations are fresh….If you're interested in how to improve public schools, read Ripley's book today.” (The Huffington Post ). “In riveting prose...this timely and inspiring book offers many insights into how to improve America’s mediocre school system.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review ). “This book gives me hope that we can create education systems of equity and rigor—if we heed the lessons from top performing countries and focus more on preparing teachers than on punishing them." By drawing on experiences, successes, and failures in education systems in the highest-performing countries across the globe, Amanda Ripley lays out a course for what we must do to dramatically improve our nation's schools.” (Michelle Rhee, Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst ). Those stunned parents and teachers in New York State and elsewhere would do well to read this book first if they are inclined to blame their children’s/students’ poor results on a new test.” (OECD “Education Today” Blog ). “[Ripley] is a compelling storyteller who deftly plaits humorous anecdotes and hard data to whip you in the face with her findings.” (Kristen Levithan Brain, Child Magazine).

The Warren Buffett Accounting Book is the second volume learning experience to Warren Buffett's Three Favorite Books.

Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5/e, offers a truly balanced, inclusive, and integrated overview of the field as it currently stands. allows students to use cognitive resources where they are most needed–critiquing and conceptualizing research problems and studies. The presentation of strategies, samples, and specific techniques is a great match for the tools-based approach to teaching research methods. –Kathleen Gee, California State University, Sacramento. “Outstanding use of examples and visual aid features.”. “Definite strengths: organization, easy to read, accessible, great explanations, charts, steps. Chapters are of the perfect length, not too long, yet very informative. –Anne Dahlman, Minnesota State University - Mankato. allows students to use cognitive resources where they are most needed—critiquing and conceptualizing research problems and studies. The presentation of strategies, samples, and specific techniques is a great match for the tools-based approach to teaching research methods. —Kathleen Gee, California State University, Sacramento. “Definite strengths: organization, easy to read, accessible, great explanations, charts, steps. —Anne Dahlman, Minnesota State University - Mankato.

What comprises critical thinking What you stand to gain from critical thinking How to keep your brain in good shape How to apply critical thinking in solving problems How to become a better decision maker Ways of improving the process of critical thinking The best strategies to employ in critical thinking The sequence of actions employed in critical thinking How to make decisions within a group setting How to frame questions to enhance critical thinking.

If we want innovative students, we need innovative educators. THE INNOVATOR'S MINDSET is for you if: •You are a superintendent, district administrator, or principal who wants to empower your staff to create a culture of innovation. You'll be inspired to: •Connect with other innovative educators. •Support teachers and leaders as learners. •Tap into the strengths of your learning community. •Create ongoing opportunities for innovation. •Seek more effective methods for measuring progress. •And, most importantly, embrace change and use it to do something amazing. Whether you're a classroom teacher, superintendent,or parent, you'll find something in here that will help you rethink andrefocus your efforts.--Dean Shareski, Community Manager,Discovery Education We need to adopt the "innovator's mindset" that will be so essentialto our students becoming effective citizens in the rapidly changingworld in which they live. This book is an excellent read.--Angela Maiers, Educator, Author, Speaker,and Founder of Choose2Matter With numerous examples of practical strategies that school leaders can implement tomorrow, George has created a guide to help infuse innovativepractices in schools and classrooms. He has worked with all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher and technology facilitator and as a school and district administrator.

With a substantive new introduction on Freire's life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come. "—Christian Century. "[Paulo Freire] radiates the kind of immediateness that only a philosopher engulfed by terrible reality can project. Freire remains the most important writer on popular education and surely the virtual founder of the perspective known as Critical Pedagogy. "Wherever education is explicitly involved in struggles for equity and justice, Freire's ideas and his books, especially Pedagogy of the Oppressed, will live on."

The book walks readers through various statistical procedures, beginning with simple descriptive statistics, correlations, and graphical representations of data, and ending with inferential techniques, analysis of variance, and a new introductory chapter on working with large datasets and data mining using Excel. I enthusiastically recommended it for anyone interested in the subject and even (and especially) for those who aren't!--Russ Shafer-Landau Statistics for People who (Think They) Hate Statistics is definitely the right book for people who have to overcome that familiar anxious feeling when opening a standard statistics book and who having finally managed to do so are still not able to make much sense of it all. I enthusiastically recommended it for anyone interested in the subject and even (and especially) for those who aren′t! Statistics for People who (Think They) Hate Statistics is definitely the right book for people who have to overcome that familiar anxious feeling when opening a standard statistics book and who having finally managed to do so are still not able to make much sense of it all.

The Smartest Kids in the World “gets well beneath the glossy surfaces of these foreign cultures and manages to make our own culture look newly strange....The question is whether the startling perspective provided by this masterly book can also generate the will to make changes” ( The New York Times Book Review ) . Kim, fifteen, raises $10,000 so she can move from Oklahoma to Finland; Eric, eighteen, trades his high-achieving Minnesota suburb for a booming city in South Korea; and Tom, seventeen, leaves a historic Pennsylvania village for Poland. Amanda Ripley, an American journalist, seeks to answer such questions in The Smartest Kids in the World , her fine new book about the schools that are working around the globe ….Ms. “[ The Smartest Kids in the World is] a riveting new book….Ripley’s policy recommendations are sensible and strong….The American school reform debate has been desperately in need of such no-nonsense advice, which firmly puts matters of intellect back at the center of education where they belong.” (The Daily Beast). “Gripping….Ripley's characters are fascinating, her writing style is accessible, and her observations are fresh….If you're interested in how to improve public schools, read Ripley's book today.” (The Huffington Post ). “In riveting prose...this timely and inspiring book offers many insights into how to improve America’s mediocre school system.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review ). “This book gives me hope that we can create education systems of equity and rigor—if we heed the lessons from top performing countries and focus more on preparing teachers than on punishing them." By drawing on experiences, successes, and failures in education systems in the highest-performing countries across the globe, Amanda Ripley lays out a course for what we must do to dramatically improve our nation's schools.” (Michelle Rhee, Founder and CEO of StudentsFirst ). Those stunned parents and teachers in New York State and elsewhere would do well to read this book first if they are inclined to blame their children’s/students’ poor results on a new test.” (OECD “Education Today” Blog ). “[Ripley] is a compelling storyteller who deftly plaits humorous anecdotes and hard data to whip you in the face with her findings.” (Kristen Levithan Brain, Child Magazine).

Compiled more than two thousand years ago by a mysterious warrior-philosopher, The Art of War is still perhaps the most prestigious and influential book of strategy in the world, as eagerly studied in Asia by modern politicians and executives as it has been by military leaders since ancient times. --Brian Bruya This new translation of the ancient Chinese military treatise includes chapters of historical analysis touching on its relevance to today's corporate environment.

And You're About to Learn How to Use His Memory Strategies to Learn Faster, Be More Productive and Achieve More Success Most people never tap into 10% of their potential for memory. In Unlimited Memory, you'll learn how the world's best memory masters get themselves to concentrate at will, anytime they want. The 3 bad habits that keep you from easily remembering important information How a simple pattern of thinking can stop you from imprinting and remembering key facts, figures and ideas, and how to break this old pattern so you’ll never again be known as someone with a “bad memory” How to master your attention so you can focus and concentrate longer, even during challenging or stressful situations How to use your car to remember anything you want (like long lists or information you need to remember for your studies or personal life) without writing anything down Simple methods that allow you to nail down tough information or complex concepts quickly and easily How to combine your long-term memory (things you already know and will never forget) and short-term memory (information you want to remember right now) to create instant recall for tests, presentations and important projects The simple, invisible mental technique for remembering names without social awkwardness or anxiety How using your imagination to bring boring information to life can help you dramatically improve your attention span and recall An incredible strategy for remembering numbers (the same system Kevin used to remember Pi to 10,000 digits and beat the world memory record by 14 minutes) How to use a mental map to lock in and connect hundreds or even thousands of ideas in your long-term memory (this method will allow you to become a leading expert in your field faster than you ever dreamed possible). His work has been featured in The Oprah Magazine, Time, Forbes, Inc., The Huffington Post, ELLE, Longevity and on numerous TV and radio shows.

For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Y'all Too has been featured in MotherJones.com, Education Week , Weekend All Things Considered with Michel Martin , Diverse: Issues in Higher Education , PBS NewsHour.com, Slate , The Washington Post , Scholastic Administrator Magazine , Essence Magazine , Salon , ColorLines , Ebony.com, Huffington Post Education. “The most important work of pedagogy I’ve read in ten years...Dr. Emdin’s humane, and more importantly, effective practices, filled me with great hope and excitement to keep engaging with the community in which I teach.”. —John Warner, Inside Higher Ed “ For White Folks ultimately teaches the unlearned lesson that a hip-hop people’s critical perspective must matter in order for authentic teaching and learning to take place, but more importantly the book offers a bigger case for colleges to make room for other hip-hop scholars.”. —Dr. “Emdin’s For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood...and the Rest of Y’all Too is a brilliant, blistering, and bracing call to arms for those who teach and learn in urban America. “Emdin’s For White Folks is essential reading for all adults who work with black and brown young people...Filled with exceptional intellectual sophistication and necessary wisdom for the future of education.”. —Imani Perry, author of Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip-Hop. Christopher Emdin is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science, and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University, where he also serves as associate director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education.

This is the most requested book for what works in the classroom for teacher and student success.

But while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, “A pencil.” This small request led to a staggering series of events that took Braun backpacking through dozens of countries before eventually leaving one of the world’s most prestigious jobs to found Pencils of Promise, the organization he started with just $25 that has since built more than 200 schools around the world. "Braun's lessons are memorable, accessible, and powerful. “Braun combines his laid-back storytelling style with simple yet sage advice….The Promise of a Pencil is engaging, instructive and inspiring reading for anyone who wants to change his or her life, change the world, or simply feel better about humanity.” ( Success Magazine ). "[Braun's] trailblazing story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. Driven by compelling stories and shareable insights, this is a vivid and inspiring book that will give readers the tools to unlock their own extraordinary journey of self-discovery." "Braun shares his story of how he started Pencils of Promise, what he learned from Wall Street that has helped him...how he’s leveraged social networks to generate donations, and his best career advice." Adam Braun is the Founder and CEO of Pencils of Promise, an award-winning nonprofit organization that has built more than 200 schools across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and delivered over 15 million educational hours to children in poverty. PoP was founded with just $25 and has grown under Braun's stewardship with his unique approach that blends nonprofit idealism with for-profit business principles.

Addressing one of the most popular topics in the yoga profession, this book offers sixty-seven model sequences of yoga poses ( asanas ) that cover the broad range of yoga student experience, including multiple sequences for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students; yoga for kids, teens, women across the life cycle, and seniors; classes to relieve depression and anxiety; and sequences for each of the major chakras and ayurvedic constitutions. I highly recommend using it as a resource.”. —Ganga White, codirector of White Lotus Foundation and author of Yoga Beyond Belief“Yoga Sequencing is a great service to the yoga community as it covers the power of sequencing that all teachers can benefit from, as intelligent sequencing is the embodiment of the elegant design and unfolding of nature which Stephens understands and loves.”. —Shiva Rea, founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga. Thank you Mark.”. —James Bailey, LAc, E-RYT 500, health educator. “A thoughtful, detailed, and unique treatment of the art of sequencing and the power held within each living expression of this practice of yoga.”. —Janet Stone, yoga teacher, Yoga Tree, San Francisco. “Mark Stephens provides a comprehensive map for the creative exploration and construction of yoga classes that cover a breadth and depth of options. The author of Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations & Techniques (North Atlantic Books, 2010), Mark Stephens has practiced yoga for over 20 years and has taught yoga full time since 1996. The founder of Yoga Inside Foundation, L.A. Yoga Center and Santa Cruz Yoga, Stephens has trained over 1,000 yoga teachers. At Yoga Inside Foundation, he trained and supported yoga teachers in over 300 alternative settings across the U.S. and Canada; he received Yoga Journal's 1st Annual Karma Yoga Award in 2000 for this work. Stephens conducts yoga teacher training programs worldwide and produces instructional materials for yoga trainers, yoga teachers and yoga students.

If so, this Expanded 4th Edition of The Complete Guide to Chess - Master: Chess Tactics, Chess Openings and Chess Strategy is the book you’ve been waiting for. The Complete Guide to Chess - Master: Chess Tactics, Chess Openings and Chess Strategy explains how you can easily memorize popular chess “openings” (the first few turns of a game). The Complete Guide to Chess - Master: Chess Tactics, Chess Openings and Chess Strategy explains powerful concepts such as “forks” and “pins” in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Waking Up White's personal narrative is designed to work well as a rapid read, a book group book, or support reading for courses exploring racial and cultural issues. Irving's focus on the mechanics of racism operating in just one life -- her own -- may lead white readers to reconsider the roots of their own perspectives -- and their role in dismantling old myths. -- Van Jones , author, Rebuild The Dream, The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems; President, Rebuild The Dream; Co-host, CNN Crossfire "Waking up White is a brutally honest, unflinching exploration of race and personal identity, told with heart by a truly gifted storyteller. It's such a raw, honest portrait .... Irving's experience on display - warts and all - will help white people, who haven't noticed the role systemic privilege has played in their lives, start to see the world in a new way." Irving's personal and moving tale takes us on an adventure to a world utterly new to her as she wakes up to the reality of how, without her knowledge or active pursuit, she lives in a society which is set up to reward her at the expense of people of color.

Early childhood educators, professionals, and families will find the latest research and information on many topics of significant concern, including food safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, childhood obesity, children's mental health, bullying, resilience, chronic and acute health conditions, environmental quality, and children with special medical needs. Professor Marotz has authored numerous invited book chapters in national and international publications about children's health and nutrition, legal issues, and environmental safety. She has been interviewed for numerous articles about children's health and nutrition and parenting that have appeared in national trade magazines, has served as a consultant for children's museums and training film productions, has presented extensively at international, national, and state conferences, and continues to hold appointments on national, state, and local committees and initiatives that advocate on behalf of children and their families.