Tools for Teaching in the Block

"It is not unusual for teachers to feel overwhelmed when their school shifts from a traditional bell schedule to a 90-minute block. Sejnost guides teachers from feelings of apprehension and nervousness to those of confidence and excitement by giving them tools and research-based strategies to reach their students in new and challenging ways." —Nancy W. Sindelar, Instructor and Consultant California State University, San Bernardino "Sejnost presents strategies that enable students to locate, synthesize, evaluate, retain, and utilize information as successful adolescent learners and as successful adults in our fast-paced, knowledge-driven society." Nancy K. MaGill, Program Director, Our American Voice Barat Education Foundation Effectively use extended class periods to enhance student achievement! Roberta L. Sejnost offers an alternative to the usual lecture format to help teachers create coherent, effective lessons for extended blocks of instructional time, no matter what the subject or grade level. This book provides teachers with a four-phase lesson planning framework and numerous teaching strategies to build higher-level thinking skills and increase student learning. Teachers can use practical, research-based methods and tools such as cooperative learning, quality questioning, and graphic organizers to reach secondary students. The author includes reproducible blackline masters for classroom use, plus activities for: Preparing students for learning by fostering their prior knowledge, helping them set a purpose for reading and learning, and teaching the vocabulary necessary for understanding Helping students actively interact with and process what they have learned Clarifying and reinforcing content and taking learning to the next level Tools for Teaching in the Block enables educators to take advantage of block scheduling to promote reading, writing, and critical thinking in adolescents.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Author 1. Preparing to Teach the Adolescent Learner The Adolescent Learner : A Profile What Can Teachers Do to Facilitate Adolescent Learning? A Method to Facilitate Adolescent Learning The First Steps: Curriculum Mapping and Lesson Planning Chapter Summary Blackline Masters 2. Tools for Teaching in the Block What Are the Tools? What Constitutes a Brain-Compatible Classroom? The History of Cooperative Learning Effective Strategies for Cooperative Learning Multiple Intelligence Theory Effective Questioning Techniques Constructing Good Questions Questioning Strategies Graphic Organizers Chapter Summary Blackline Masters 3. Entice the Learner The First Phase: Enticement Strategies and Activities to Use to Entice the Learner Vocabulary Strategies to Entice the Learner Chapter Summary Blackline Masters 4. Enlighten the Learner The Second Phase: Enlightenment Strategies and Activities to Use to Enlighten the Learner Chapter Summary 5. Engage the Learner The Third Phase: Engagement Strategies and Activities to Use to Engage the Learner Strategies for Monitoring the Reading Strategies for Guiding the Reading Chapter Summary Blackline Masters 6. Extend the Learner The Fourth Phase: Extension Strategies and Activities to Use to Extend the Learner Conversations Extended-Format Responses Creative After-Learning Strategies Employing Different Perspectives Reflections Chapter Summary Blackline Masters 7. Enact the Learning The Culmination: Enactment Strategies and Activities to Use in Each Phase of the Lesson Plan Format Lesson Ideas for Content Area Disciplines Some Parting Thoughts Chapter Summary References Index

About the Author :
Roberta L. Sejnost is a university professor and literacy consultant who has taught secondary-level courses in social studies, reading, and English, and college-level courses in literacy, authentic assessment, brain-based learning, multiple intelligences, and cooperative learning. A nationally recognized staff developer and certified trainer, Sejnost has presented at over 200 educational conferences across the country. In 2003, she received the Reading Educator of the Year award from the Illinois Reading Council. Sejnost received a master of education degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a doctorate of education in curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University, Chicago.

Review :
"You know that schools are getting serious about school improvement when they are willing to adjust school schedules and address how time can be used more effectively to increase student learning. This book provides teachers with a manageable framework for lesson planning, utilizing extended learning time, and selecting and using specific classroom-level activities that can help all students become motivated and successful learners." "It is not unusual for teachers to feel overwhelmed when their school shifts from a traditional bell schedule to a 90-minute block. Sejnost guides teachers from feelings of apprehension and nervousness to those of confidence and excitement by giving them tools and research-based strategies to reach their students in new and challenging ways within the block." "Sejnost presents strategies that teach the skills students will need well into the 21st century, strategies that enable students to locate, synthesize, evaluate, retain, and utilize information as successful adolescent learners and as successful adults in our fast-paced, knowledge-driven society." "Teachers who have block scheduling will develop their expertise by using this text. This book provides a four-phase lesson plan format that sets the purpose for learning and offers several strategies to foster critical and creative thinking." "I strongly recommend this book to both preservice and practicing teachers. Sejnost has achieved the perfect balance between theory and practice through research-based strategies and a useful four-phase lesson planning framework. We are excited to make this practical, hands-on guide a permanent part of our teacher preparation curriculum."