On Excellence in Teaching

Marzano, who works in translating research and theory into practical programs and tools for teachers and administrators, gathers together the thoughts of internationally-known educational researchers, theorists, and professional developers from the US and Canada on the topic of effective instruction, for K-12 teachers to consider in their practice. Focusing on the instructional skills of teachers, the 14 chapters address theories of excellence, including what the real job of a teacher is, research on teacher effectiveness, instruction in relation to the classification of instructional materials, and the science of learning and how it can improve instruction. They then discuss school and district issues like high-stakes testing, teacher education, conceptually-based curriculum design, instruction for higher-order thinking skills, curriculum mapping, and the need for systemic development of expert teachers, followed by a section on classroom excellence, including differentiation, the Understanding by Design framework, helping students become autonomous learners, engaging students, and metacognitive awareness. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)