Transformational Teaching in the Information Age: Making Why and How We Teach Relevant to Students

by Thomas R. Rosebrough, Ralph G. Leverett

How can teachers meet the challenges of engaging and educating all students, from those who are gadget-toting and plugged-in to those who are language learners or economically distressed and everyone in between? How can you help students learn what they need to know when the world and all that's in it is changing rapidly? Standards and high-stakes testing haven't answered the call, but you can. Transformational Teaching in the Information Age explores the power of placing students at the center of teaching and learning. The shift from simply teaching content to focusing on and teaching individual learners allows teachers to inspire students to be independent, imaginative, and responsible learners for life. These teachers are transforming education, lives, and opportunities for their students. A transformational approach to teaching results in a high-quality education for today's learners. Citing theory, research, practice, and their own experiences in teaching K-18 students, Tom Rosebrough and Ralph Leverett build a convincing case for the primacy of student-teacher relationships in productive classrooms. Knowing students well is critical to teaching to their needs. Education cannot be just an effort to cover content, pass standardized tests, and achieve adequate yearly progress. To serve the next generation well, it must be about helping each student develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to live a uniquely satisfying life in the face of myriad changes.

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 2010

Reviews

[Douglas Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

If any teachers I knew had time to spare for reading outside of their classroom prep and guided professional development, I would highly recommend this book, which is written in accessible language (without so many buzzwords) and which focuses on the whole child, the whole teacher, and an almost spiritual connection that can occur between them when real teaching and real learning happen together. One elementary school teacher I discussed this book with said after reading it, she felt empowered to do what she had known was right all along after reading it. I love the William Butler Yeats quote it cites: Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

[Grace Eidman · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good points, and definitely useful for getting a modern perspective on what teaching should be, but it seems pretty liberal so I wonder how well these principles hold up in actual teaching.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book fantastically explains the art of transformational teaching. It reminds us of the traps we fall into during our teaching that prevent this type of teaching from occurring in a classroom. The mention of "educational myopia" is right on target and the focus on having healthy relationships with our students is rooted in what we know as basic human development.

I particularly like how the book discussed the importance of us continually growing as educators and requires us to shed "our tunnel-vision tendencies that view the learner solely through academic eyes" (Rosebrough & Leverett, 2011, p. 91).

Lastly, the chapters on how to teach for learning, how students learn, and how to teach students to learn are deeply rooted in developmental theory and is something all educators throughout the B-16 system should understand.