Powerful Lesson Planning: Every Teacher’s Guide to Effective Instruction

"Powerful Lesson Planning is an important book, offering essential guidance in the highly complex task of lesson planning. In this age of content standards and the high-stakes assessment of those standards, the teacher′s challenge in planning for instruction is more profound than ever." --From the Foreword by Charlotte Danielson Revitalize your current practices, expand your repertoire of approaches, and improve learning for students! Every teacher′s goal is to create a rich instructional environment for their students, and thoughtful, informed lesson planning is a key element in that process. Janice Skowron′s jump-start of a book offers novice and experienced teachers step-by-step, essential guidance in this challenging and oftentimes highly complex task. It brings into focus the decisions teachers face as they plan instruction and provides four progressively complex and nuanced models: basic, integrated, differentiated, and problem-based instruction. Descriptive information, numerous examples, and tools such as key questions, planning guides, and templates help educators develop proficiency in planning instruction. This revised edition will: Help teachers incorporate the best practices for lesson planning Build the lesson-planning skills and repertoire of new teachers Revitalize instruction for veteran teachers Strengthen teachers′ abilities to plan standards-based lessons Help teachers focus on assessment in the initial phases of lesson planning Powerful Lesson Planning will increase teachers′ competence and confidence--and help them master the skills needed to advance their practice and improve learning for all students.

Table of Contents:
Reproducible Pages Directory Foreword Preface Publisher′s Acknowledgments About the Author 1. Basic Instructional Design From Here to Intuitive Teaching Experience and Practice Professional Teaching Standards Designing Powerful Lessons Planning a Basic Lesson Using the Basic Instructional Design Planning Guide Reflective Practice: Inner Dialogue 2. Integrated Instructional Design An Integrated Approach to Learning Why Integrated Instruction Is a Good Idea Benefiting From Best Practice Models What Gets Integrated? Planning Integrated Instruction Using the Integrated Instructional Design Planning Guide Summary of General Planning Steps for Integrated Learning Reflective Practice: Inner Dialogue 3. Differentiated Instructional Design The Many Facets of Differentiated Instruction Why Differentiated Instruction Is a Good Idea The Differentiated Classroom The Role of Learning Standards in Differentiated Instruction Teaching With a Differentiated Approach Textbooks and Differentiated Instruction Planning for Success in Differentiated Instruction Designing Learning Activities to Differentiate Instruction Planning Differentiated Instruction Using the Differentiated Instructional Design Planning Guide Summary of General Planning Steps for Differentiated Instruction Reflective Practice: Inner Dialogue 4. Problem-Based Learning Instructional Design Problem-Based Learning Examined The Role of Learning Standards in a Problem-Based Learning Classroom Planning for Problem-Based Learning Effectively Leading Problem-Based Learning Planning Problem-Based Learning Using the Problem-Based Learning Planning Guide Summary of General Planning Steps for Problem-Based Learning Reflective Practice: Inner Dialogue Resources Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Janice Skowron, Ed.D. is an educational consultant known for facilitating interactive, engaging workshops for teachers and administrators on curriculum and instructional planning in the reading and the language arts. Using research proven strategies, Dr. Skowron models and shows teachers how to create effective lessons for basic, integrated, differentiated, and problem based learning. She has experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and school and district administrator at the elementary and middle school levels.  Dr. Skowron is a frequent presenter at professional conferences and has authored numerous educational materials and articles.

Review :
"Powerful Lesson Planning is an important book, offering essential guidance in the highly complex task of lesson planning and providing teachers with guidance as they increase their lesson planning proficiency. In this age of content standards and the high-stakes assessment of those standards, the teacher′s challenge in planning for instruction is more profound than ever."