Awaken the Learner

by Darrell Scott, Robert J. Marzano

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, there is a renewed focus on developing writing skills and, along with it, an awareness that the new digital technologies have much to contribute in this vital area. Learn how to integrate technology into writing instruction with this handbook full of innovative ideas from an eclectic group of educators. Benefits - Find out how digital technology can facilitate grammar instruction, prewriting and brainstorming exercises, editing, revising, peer review, assessment, and collaborative writing. - Equip yourself with and learn how to model strategies that help students brainstorm, plan, and organize their writing. - Discover how the natural interplay between reading and writing can be used to strengthen both of these processes. - Capitalize on the capability students have to move their writing through multiple storage locations and technologies from school computers and smartphones to laptops and tablets. - Explore the need for students to know why they are writing and for whom. - Develop your students understanding of voice, and teach them how to manage deadlines and other responsibilities of authorship. - Examine the process of not just fixing mistakes, but also understanding the root issues that drive writing errors. - Address the issue of assessing writing in ways that lead to positive growth in writing skill.

Genres: Education

232 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2014

About the author

Darrell Scott (b. 1949) is the father of Rachel Scott, the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Darrell Scott is co-founder of the non profit foundation called Rachel’s Challenge. It focuses on teaching forgiveness, making schools safer, and where bullying and violence are replaced with kindness and respect.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Danielle Beeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book is just a repetitive and cliched homage to Scott's daughter who died tragically in her teens. It is filled with lots of the lamest, most prosaic poetry you will ever encounter (perhaps the author paid some little kid to write them for him--that would actually explain a lot). It is not really worth your time, overall. The second half gets better, as it is written by Marzano and is anchored in credible research and not generic feelings. However, I would not recommend this book.

[Sheri Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transform

Cognition and content together encourage all students to choose paths that accept school learning as a helpful one, one that invites them in to create and be part of the classroom learning community.