Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder: A Step by Step Guide to Active Learning and Higher Level Thinking Skills for All Curricula. - Softcover

Hordyk, Wanda M.

9780966558104: Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder: A Step by Step Guide to Active Learning and Higher Level Thinking Skills for All Curricula.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0966558103 ISBN 13: 9780966558104

Publisher: Active Educational Pub Co, 1999

The goal of Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder is to aid teachers in adapting educational tools and concepts into the curriculum while being less stressed and more energized! Prove to yourself and others that all students will be taught to the highest standards in thinking and real life applications. Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder is a framework for organizing and developing any curricula. The ultimate in accountability!

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Wanda M. Hordyk is a graduate from Eastern Oregon State College with the following three degrees: BA Music (K-12), BA Education (K-12)with an emphasis in Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures, and a BA General Studies (K-12) with an emphasis in ESL (English as a Second Language). She is currently a teacher of Spanish and will recieve a Master's Degree in Educational Administration.

Review:

Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder a step by step guide to active learning and higher level thinking skills for all curricula by Wanda M. Hordyk (Active Educational Publishing Company; 142 pp; 29.95) is an outstanding educational guide for teachers of all curricula. This book's focal point is to aid teachers in adapting educational tools and concepts into the curriculum while engaging all learners as well as being less stressed and energized! This book helps teachers in the planning process whether they are teaching with a text book or starting from scratch.

Hordyk is a graduate from Eastern Oregon State College with the following three degrees: BA Music (K-12), BA Education (K-12) with an emphasis in Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures, BA General Studies (K-12) with an emphases in ESL (English as a Second Language). She is currently a high school teacher of Spanish and will receive a Master's Degree in Educational Administration.

Let's Teach Smarter, Not Harder is divided into three parts: Part One: Foundation, Part Two: Organization, and Part Three: End Product. Within each of these parts Hordyk describes in step-by-step detail how to successfully incorporate the contents of the book into any curricula.

Part One: Foundation helps teachers plan for the entire course. Organizing curriculum materials, developing plans for real-life application that includes all core essential learnings, student portfolios, culminating assessments, course portfolio, curriculum binders are the main focuses of setting up the foundation in the classroom. Hordyk provides rubrics for the teacher that summarizes everything in Part One: Foundation as a quick reference to make sure nothing important was left out of the entire course planning.

Part Two: Organization is an essential component to becoming a successful teacher. In this part Hordyk states that every course needs to be taught involving all students, using all multiple intelligence, all Bloom's Taxonomy as well as all thinking skills with real-life applications in mind. She assures her readers as with anything in life, the more you practice, the better you get. Keep in mind, if the outcome of a particular unit is confusing or does not clearly meet an actual expectation, chances are it will be hard to hold the attention of all learners no matter what the activity. In Part 2: Organization, Hordyk compiled checklists, resource sheets, and rubrics to give teachers a tangible way of assessing and evaluating lessons as well as their own teaching techniques. Within this part of the book, she explains in great detail how to appropriately place activities throughout each unit to ensure that all learners achieve active learning and higher level thinking skil! ls. Her theme throughout this section of the guide is to incorporate "real-life" lessons so students see the relevance beyond the classroom. Teachers need to be held accountable for students' learning. After completing the checklists and resource sheets contained in this book, documented proof of properly designed lessons that include all learners will be available. Hordyk provides rubrics for the teacher that summarizes everything in Part Two: Organization as a quick reference to make sure nothing important was left out in the planning of daily lessons and units.

Part Three: End Product is a compilation of helpful hints for all curricula. These helpful hints range from documenting and contacting parents (which include ready-to-copy-forms) to ideas for open house, ideas for a happy teacher (duties for the T.A.), and many, many more useful applications that help reduce teacher stress. Her motto is, "Be your own best friend. Do not go crazy reinventing the wheel when it has already been done for you." Hordyk focuses on two end products: one for students and one for teachers. The end product for students is to ensure that they learn with real life applications toward family and community as well as the working world. The end product for teachers is to reduce stress in the classroom and keep the behind-the-scenes work rolling smoothly.

In conclusion, by spending adequate time preparing our foundation, organizing our activities to engage all learners with real life expectations in mind, and sharing helpful hints with other educators we can eliminate much unwanted, unneeded stress for all in the field of education. -- Kathy Knelleken teacher of French, April 1999, Book Review

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.