Curriculum and Methods
Catch Them Thinking in Science: A Handbook of Classroom Strategies, by Sally Berman (I.R.I./Skylight Publishing, 200 E. Wood St., Ste. 274, Palatine, Ill. 60067; 110 pp. $15.95 paper). Suggests interactive- and cooperative-learning techniques to use in teaching students the scientific method, how to perform lab experiments, and specific science topics, such as biology, chemistry, and astronomy.
Explorers and Exploration: The Best Resources for Grades 5-9, by Ann Welton (The Oryx Press, 4041 North Central at Indian School Road, Phoenix, Ariz. 85012; 176 pp., $29.95 paper). Resource for teachers and library media specialists, providing individual stories of world exploration--from the European journeys to Asia, to the westward expansion on the North American continent and space exploration--together with bibliographic information on related readings.
Free and Almost Free Things for Teachers, 4th ed., by Susan Osborn (Perigee Books, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; 127 pp., $8.95 paper). Provides elementary school teachers with contact information for obtaining hundreds of student activities and classroom materials that cost $5 or less.
A Handbook to the Universe: Explorations of Matter, Energy, Space, and Time for Beginning Scientific Thinkers, by Richard Paul (Chicago Review Press, 814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, Ill. 60610; 304 pp., $14.95 paper). Connects scientific principles with specific phenomena in the natural world, from static electricity to comet formation, using a narrative format.
Mathematical Power, by Ruth E. Parker (Heinemann Press, 361 Hanover St., Portsmouth, N.H. 03801-3912; 227 pp., $18.50 paper). Shows how to implement in the classroom the standards adopted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; includes suggestions on selecting new math content, planning instruction, and establishing a collaborative-learning environment.
Multicultural Mathematics: Teaching Mathematics From a Global Perspective, by David Nelson, George Gheverghese Joseph, & Julian Williams (Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016; 228 pp., $12.95 paper). Presents a rationale for introducing Middle Eastern, Chinese, African, and Indian math traditions into the standard math curriculum, and provides brief examples of using this approach within the curriculum.
The World of Secondary Arts Schools, by Janet C. Richards, Joan P. Gipe, & Charles A. Duffy (International Network of Performing and Visual Arts Schools, 3421 M St., N.W., Ste. 218, Washington, D.C. 20007; 157 pp., $27 paper). A psychological portrait of students, teachers, and administrators at arts schools that argues for increased recognition of such specialized secondary schools.
Professional Issues
The Administrator’s Guide to Personal Productivity, by Harold Taylor (Eye on Education, P.O. Box 388, Princeton, N.J. 08550; 240 pp., $34.95 cloth). Offers time-saving strategies to successfully manage meetings, streamline office communications, cope with paperwork, and delegate responsibilities; also contains a “time-management checklist’’ with 504 ideas for increasing productivity.
Computers: Literacy and Learning: A Primer for Administrators, by George E. Marsh 2nd (Corwin Press, 2455 Teller Rd., Newbury Park, Calif. 91320; 72 pp., $15 paper). Describes the multiple uses of computers in the school, from serving as electronic bulletin boards to distance learning and multimedia instruction; also gives concrete examples of how to implement computer-related programs even under austere budgets.
Cooperative Learning and Strategies for Inclusion: Celebrating Diversity in the Classroom, ed. by JoAnne W. Putnam (Paul H. Brookes Publishing, P.O. Box 10624, Baltimore, Md. 21285-0624; 188 pp., $20 paper). Ideas for tailoring curricula and instructional approaches to help improve the individual learning styles, social skills, and self-esteem of students of differing backgrounds.
On Being a Teacher: The Human Dimension, by Stanley J. Zehm & Jeffrey A. Kottler (Corwin Press, 2455 Teller Rd., Newbury Park, Calif. 91320; 136 pp., $14.95 paper). Gives advice on cultivating what the authors call the “single most important factor in a teacher’s effectiveness’': his or her unique style of interaction with others, the personality.
Putting Research to Work in Your School, by David C. Berliner & Ursula Casanova (Scholastic, 2931 E. McCarty St., Jefferson City, Mo. 65102; 177 pp., $19.95 paper). Clear-language explanations of current findings in education research from two well-known practitioners, with strategies for using this information in the classroom; areas range from ability grouping and cross-age tutoring to performance testing and parental involvement.
Women in Administration: Facilitators for Change, by L. Nan Restine (Corwin Press, 2455 Teller Rd., Newbury Park, Calif. 91320; 56 pp., $15 paper). Offers strategies for promoting women within school administrations and more thoroughly involving them in schoolwide and districtwide decisionmaking processes.
Special Education
Effective Management of Special Education Programs: A Handbook for Administrators, by Allan G. Osborne Jr., Philip DiMattia, & Francis X. Curran (Teachers College Press, 1234 Amsterdam Ave., New York, N.Y. 10027; 146 pp., $16.95 plus $2.50 shipping, paper). Targeted to both general and special-education administrators, this handbook provides guidelines on implementing, managing, and assessing special-education programs that comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; includes an appendix of field-tested sample documents, letters, and notices relating to special education.
Helping Children Overcome Learning Difficulties, 3rd ed., by Jerome Rosner (Walker & Company, 720 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019; 286 pp., $18.95 paper). Updated and expanded edition describes in detail “enigmatic learning problems’’ such as dyslexia and attention-deficit disorder, and presents new activities and tests for parents and teachers to use in identifying and instructing special-needs children in such areas as visual and motor skills, math, reading, and writing.
Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act: Rights and Responsibilities of All Americans, ed. by Larr O. Gostin & Henry A. Beyer (Paul H. Brookes, P.O. Box 10624, Baltimore, Md. 21285-0624; 331 pp., $49 cloth). Experts on disability law discuss the effects of the A.D.A. and other disability-related legislation on employment, the health-care system, government services, transportation, housing, and the private sector; includes firsthand accounts of persons with disabilities on the expanded opportunities provided by these new regulations.
The K&W Guide to Colleges for the Learning Disabled: A Resources Book for Students, Parents, and Professionals, 2nd ed., by Marybeth Kravets & Imy F. Wax (HarperPerennial, 10 E. 53rd St., New York, N.Y. 10022-5299; 459 pp. $20 paper). Presents general admissions and graduation-requirement information on more than 200 colleges that provide services for special populations; also rates colleges on the basis of three standards of service: colleges with structured programs for the learning disabled, colleges with coordinated services for special-education students, and colleges that provide a supportive environment but no learning-disability specialist on staff.
Special Education Law: Case Summaries and Federal Regulations, by Stephen B. Thomas & Carol A. Denzinger (National Organization on Legal Problems of Education, 3601 S.W. 29th St., Ste. 223, Topeka, Kan. 66614-2047; 153 pp., $29.95 paper). Brief descriptions of court cases involving compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; subjects addressed range from residency and in-school health-care requirements to such financial issues as malpractice judgments, tuition payments, and insurance.
When Snow Turns to Rain: One Family’s Struggle To Solve the Riddle of Autism, by Craig B. Schulze (Woodbine House, 5615 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Md. 20852; 218 pp., $14.95 paper). A father’s account of his family’s experience searching for treatments and education programs during the first nine years of his autistic son’s life.
