Optimizing Learning: Thinking Skills, Technology, Teaming

With this book, educators can access an updated and powerful resource to help students think more critically, use technology wisely, and engage in effective teaming. This book lays out in a detailed manner how to implement goals and strategies that will have beneficial outcomes for students and teachers.

Table of Contents:
Foreword By Jeffrey Loeb Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Mastering the Power of Thinking Chapter 2: Leveraging the Power of Technology Chapter 3: Harnessing the Power of Teaming Epilogue About the Authors

About the Author :
Joan Caulfield, PhD, is a former teacher, principal, associate superintendent, and professor of education and is a nationally known staff developer and consultant in teaching and learning. Wayne Jennings, PhD, is a former teacher, principal, superintendent, and adjunct professor and has started eight schools during his career in education.He also was co-facilitator of the ASCD Brain-Compatible Network. Siabhan May-Washington, EdD, is currently the President of St. Teresa’s Academy High School and a National Board Certified teacher. She is a former high school English teacher, assistant principal, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, and adjunct professor.

Review :
This book is a useful resource for teachers at all levels. It offers practical ideas and solutions to help every teacher develop lessons using teaming strategies. Cooperative learning has multiple benefits that this book clearly identifies. But most importantly, the authors have also shown how to effectively implement thinking skills, technology, and cooperative learning, and how to create classroom norms and expectations so that cooperative learning becomes another important tool for teachers. As a teacher and as an administrator who supervises teachers, I highly recommend this book. Learn from the best! Dr. Caulfield, Dr. Jennings and Dr. May-Washington take the reader on a must-read, information-packed, timely journey into the world of teaching and learning. Optimizing Learning is your one stop guide to understanding the skill and will needed for implementing strategies to encourage critical thinking, the use of technology and teaming techniques that are necessary anytime, but especially during this COVID-19 pandemic era. Your students will love you for implementing these strategies! This book, written by a trio of powerhouse educators, accomplishes what very few books in the field do: it takes lofty philosophical and theoretical concepts and converts them into pragmatic, relevant and accessible pedagogical tactics. Teachers who read this book will be well equipped to move their students forward in a rapidly changing world that, at the same time, frequently gets stuck in out-dated, ineffective, and uninspiring methods of instruction. A wonderful resource! In this book, Drs. Caufield, Jennings and May-Washington combine efforts to provide a guide to best practices and that alone is an extraordinary resource. What I found most special, was the readability. The authors provide specific and particular advice from their combined expertise and experiences, and then deliver this in a way that is enjoyable and easy to read. I felt like I was sitting down with an old friend as we discussed why we love our work and what we have learned along our journeys, in a way that informed and extended my own knowledge base, while inspiring me to learn and grow as well.