Instructional Tech - Book Study

K-12 Book Study PD

We're excited to support your growth as an educator through this professional development opportunity. This book study is designed to deepen your understanding of educational practices, encourage critical reflection, and provide valuable insights that can enhance your teaching.

Expectations for Participation:

Select a Book: Choose an education-related book that aligns with your professional interests and goals.
Engage with the Material: Read actively, take notes, and consider how the content connects to your classroom or teaching practices.
Add the PD on K-12: Complete the Google Form to gain credit for the course. Add your hours and upload an image of the completed form in K-12 for credit.
Share & Reflect: Consider discussing your insights with colleagues or incorporating new strategies into your work based on the book's ideas.

Your commitment to professional reading fosters growth, collaboration, and innovation in education. We look forward to seeing the impact of your learning journey!

Share your book recommendations with your fellow teachers!

Book Options to Consider

One day, third-grade teacher Kyle Schwartz asked her students to fill-in-the-blank in this sentence: "I wish my teacher knew _____." The results astounded her. Some answers were humorous, others were heartbreaking-all were profoundly moving and enlightening. The results opened her eyes to the need for educators to understand the unique realities their students face in order to create an open, safe and supportive place in the classroom. When Schwartz shared her experience online, #IWishMyTeacherKnew became an immediate worldwide viral phenomenon. Schwartz's book tells the story of #IWishMyTeacherKnew, including many students' emotional and insightful responses, and ultimately provides an invaluable guide for teachers, parents, and communities.

Based on Dave Burgess's popular "Teach Like a PIRATE" seminars, this book offers inspiration, practical techniques, and innovative ideas that will help you to increase student engagement, boost your creativity, and transform your life as an educator. You'll learn how to: Tap into and dramatically increase your passion as a teacher Develop outrageously engaging lessons that draw students in like a magnet Establish rapport and a sense of camaraderie in your classroom Transform your class into a life-changing experience for your students This groundbreaking inspirational manifesto contains over 30 hooks specially designed to captivate your class and 170 brainstorming questions that will skyrocket your creativity. Once you learn the Teach Like a PIRATE system, you'll never look at your role as an educator the same again.

From the moment we enter school as children, we are made to feel as if our brains are fixed entities, capable of learning certain things and not others, influenced exclusively by genetics. This notion follows us into adulthood, where we tend to simply accept these established beliefs about our skillsets (i.e. that we don’t have “a math brain” or that we aren’t “the creative type”). These damaging—and as new science has revealed, false—assumptions have influenced all of us at some time, affecting our confidence and willingness to try new things and limiting our choices, and, ultimately, our futures.

Neuroscientists and cognitive scientists have made enormous strides in understanding the brain and how we learn, but little of that insight has filtered down to the way teachers teach. Uncommon Sense Teaching applies this research to the classroom for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in improving education. Topics include:

keeping students motivated and engaged, especially with online learning; helping students remember information long-term, so it isn't immediately forgotten after a test; how to teach inclusively in a diverse classroom where students have a wide range of abilities. Drawing on research findings as well as the authors' combined decades of experience in the classroom, Uncommon Sense Teaching equips readers with the tools to enhance their teaching, whether they're seasoned professionals or parents trying to offer extra support for their children's education.

With the release of the 5th edition, it's now bigger, better, and bolder. The book walks a teacher, either novice or veteran, through structuring and organizing a classroom for success that can be applied at any time of the year.

Now in a portrait format, the 5th edition includes a new, 54-minute DVD, You Have Changed My Life, with accomplished actor and singer William Martinez. Through story, song, and American Sign Language, he shares the transformational moment when a teacher realized his potential. His story affirms that teachers ARE the difference in the lives of their students.

To close the achievement gap, diverse classrooms need a proven framework for optimizing student engagement. Culturally responsive instruction has shown promise, but many teachers have struggled with its implementation―until now. In this book, Zaretta Hammond draws on cutting edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain compatible culturally responsive instruction.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the way we learn, work, and think. Its integration into classrooms and workplaces is already underway, impacting and challenging ideas about creativity, authorship, and education. In this groundbreaking and practical guide, teachers will discover how to harness and manage AI as a powerful teaching tool. José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson present emerging and powerful research on the seismic changes AI is already creating in schools and the workplace, providing invaluable insights into what AI can accomplish in the classroom and beyond.

By learning how to use new AI tools and resources, educators will gain the confidence to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by AI. From interactive learning techniques to advanced assignment and assessment strategies, this comprehensive guide offers practical suggestions for integrating AI effectively into teaching and learning environments. Bowen and Watson tackle crucial questions related to academic integrity, cheating, and other emerging issues.

ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence programs are revolutionizing the way we learn, create, and think. In Learning with AI, Joan Monahan Watson offers an essential guide for harnessing AI as a powerful educational tool. Building on José Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson's groundbreaking guide Teaching with AI, this book shows teachers how to implement AI tools in the classroom.

Developed for primary and secondary school teachers, Learning with AI presents a powerful overview of the evolving trends of AI in education and offers invaluable insights into what artificial intelligence can accomplish in the classroom and beyond. By learning how to use new AI tools and resources, educators can empower themselves to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by AI. From interactive learning techniques to advanced assignment and assessment strategies, this comprehensive guide offers practical suggestions for integrating AI effectively into teaching and learning environments.