UnCommon Learning techniques set the stage for mastery and true student engagement Integrate digital media and new applications with purpose and build a culture of learning with pleasure! Let students use real-world tools to do real-world work and develop skills society demands. Be the leader who creates this environment. UnCommon Learning shows you how to transform a learning culture through sustainable and innovative initiatives. It moves straight to the heart of using innovations such as Makerspaces, Blended Learning and Microcredentials. Included in the book: Vignettes to illustrate key ideas Real life examples to show what works Graphs and data to prove initiatives’ impact

Confessional and often hilarious, in Normal Sucks a neuro-diverse writer, advocate, and father meditates on his life, offering the radical message that we should stop trying to fix people and start empowering them to succeed Jonathan Mooney blends anecdote, expertise, and memoir to present a new mode of thinking about how we live and learn—individually, uniquely, and with advantages and upshots to every type of brain and body. As a neuro-diverse kid diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD who didn't learn to read until he was twelve, the realization that that he wasn’t the problem—the system and the concept of normal were—saved Mooney’s life and fundamentally changed his outlook. Here he explores the toll that being not normal takes on kids and adults when they’re trapped in environments that label them, shame them, and tell them, even in subtle ways, that they are the problem. But, he argues, if we can reorient the ways in which we think about diversity, abilities, and disabilities, we can start a revolution. A highly sought after public speaker, Mooney has been inspiring audiences with his story and his message for nearly two decades. Now he’s ready to share what he’s learned from parents, educators, researchers, and kids in a book that is as much a survival guide as it is a call to action. Whip-smart, insightful, and utterly inspiring—and movingly framed as a letter to his own young sons, as they work to find their ways in the world—this book will upend what we call normal and empower us all.

Develop emotional intelligence and strengthen social emotional skills in adolescents with this practical, hands-on resource. Helping students develop emotional intelligence (EQ) and social emotional skills is essential to preparing them for success in college, careers, and adult life. This practical resource for educators explains what emotional intelligence is and why it’s important for all students. Boost Emotional Intelligence in Students lays out detailed yet flexible guidelines for teaching fundamental EQ and social emotional skills in an intentional and focused way. The book is split into three modules, which correspond to three main skill areas: Self-awareness and self-management Social awareness and relationship skills Responsible decision-making and problem-solving Each module features ten hands-on, research-based lessons, which are focused on a critical EQ concept and centered around productive and respectful discussion. All lessons are designed to take approximately 35 minutes each but can easily be adapted to meet the specific needs of a school or group as they work to develop emotional intelligence and social emotional skills in their students. Digital content includes reproducible forms to use with students.

The Gatekeepers is a comprehensive review of many parts of a school system that resist change. For all stakeholders to embrace improvement, they need to know what habits, practices and indifference act as barriers to growth and change. This book reveals insiders insights into what gates exist, how to navigate around them, and why it is important to risk new ways of doing school.

A clear roadmap for the new territory of education Education in the U.S. has been under fire for quite some time, and for good reason. The numbers alone tell a very disconcerting story: according to various polls, 70% of teachers are disengaged. Add to that the fact that the United States ranks last among industrialized nations for college graduation levels, and it's evident there's a huge problem that needs to be addressed. Yet the current education system and its school buildings—with teachers standing in front of classrooms and lecturing to students—have gone largely unchanged since the 19th century. Humanizing the Education Machine tackles this tough issue head-on. It describes how the education system has become ineffective by not adapting to fit students' needs, learning styles, perspectives, and lives at home. This book explains how schools can evolve to engage students and involve parents. It serves to spread hope for reform and equip parents, educators, administrators, and communities to: Analyze the pitfalls of the current U.S. education system Intelligently argue the need to reform the current landscape of education Work to make a difference in the public education system Be an informed advocate for your child or local school system If you're a concerned parent or professional looking for a trusted resource on the need for education reform, look no further than Humanizing the Education Machine. This illuminating resource provides the information you need to become a full partner in the new human-centered learning revolution.

With all that we know about how students learn, the nature of the world they will face after graduation, and the educational inequities that have existed for centuries, maintaining a traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning is tantamount to instructional malpractice. International security, the success of global economies, and sustainability as a global society all depend on the success of our education system in the years to come. It’s our obligation to prepare our students for their future—not our past. Authors Eric C. Sheninger and Thomas C. Murray outline eight keys—each a piece of a puzzle for transforming the K–12 education system of teaching and learning—to intentionally design tomorrow’s schools so today’s learners are prepared for success . . . and stand ready to create new industries, find new cures, and solve world problems. The traditional model of schooling ultimately prepares students for the industrial model of the past. If we want our students to become successful citizens in a global society, we must dramatically shift to a more personal approach. Failure is not an option. We can no longer wait. Let Learning Transformed show you how you can be a part of the solution. The authors encourage you to use the hashtag #LT8Keys to continue the discussion online.