Making Schools Work: Bringing the Science of Learning to Joyful Classroom Practice

by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kimberly Nesbitt, Carol Lautenbach, Elias Blinkoff, and Ginger Fifer

Foreword by Pasi Sahlberg

Published by: Teachers College Press

Imprint: Teachers College Press

Sales Date: 2022-10-28

Hardcover

CA$141.95

Published: October 2022

Product Details

Imprint: Teachers College Press

Page Count: 208 Pages

Dimensions: 6.37 x 9.25

208 Pages, 6.37 x 9.25 in

Hardcover

CA$141.95

ISBN: 9780807767399

Quantity

Temporarily Out Of Stock

Add To Cart

Add to Wishlist

Description
Authors
Contents

If we teach in the way that human brains learn, both students and their teachers will thrive! This book aligns evidence from the learning sciences on how and what students need to learn with classroom practice (pre-K?12). It demonstrates, with hands-on examples, how a change in educational mindset (rather than in curriculum) can improve student outcomes on both standardized tests and a breadth of 21st-century skills. Written collectively by classroom teachers, administrators, parents, and learning scientists, this book shows readers how to co-construct and reimagine an optimal educational system. Making Schools Work offers three case studies of schools, including a statewide system, that are all realizing a 6 Cs approach to learning focused on collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence. The text documents the ever-evolving implementation process, as well as outcomes and the ongoing work of stakeholders. Readers can use this resource to create an education for all children that is culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun.

Making Schools Work is not an ordinary book about re-imagining education. It is a theory, a plan, an implementation strategy, and a series of case studies to show you just how to change your educational mindset.

Book Features:

Shows how to apply the 6 Cs and playful learning principles to what goes on in the classroom every day.
Jointly written in accessible language by a team of experts from teachers to educational administrators, to museum educators to learning scientists.
Offers hands-on ways to reimagine classrooms without investing in new curricula.
Puts teachers in the driver?s seat, reminding them of why they teach.
Provides culturally responsive, inclusive, effective, and fun strategies.
Offers children the possibility of learning the skills they will need for 21st-century success.

Contents

Foreword ?xiii

Acknowledgments ?xvii

1. ?Why Now? ?1
Looking Ahead ?5

2. ?The Science of Success ?7
At a Glance ?7
Introduction ?7
The How of Learning ?11
What Children Learn: A Breadth-of-Skills Approach Through the 6 Cs ?24
Where the How Meets the What of Learning ?31

3. ?Case Study 1: The 6 Cs Go to an Independent School in Pennsylvania ?34
At a Glance ?34
Introduction ?34
A Theme-Based Approach as One Embodiment of the 6 Cs System ?38
Themes, the 6 Cs, and the Principles of Playful Learning ?48

4. ?Case Study 2: Designing for Equity in a Michigan School District ?49
At a Glance ?49
Introduction ?50
Using Human-Centered Design After Exploring the Underlying Barriers ?52
Results: The System Shifts Toward Success for All ?67
Next Steps to Intensify Learning ?68
Slow Down to Speed Up ?69

5. ?Case Study 3: Statewide Scale-Up of Playful Learning in New Hampshire Kindergarten Classrooms ?71
At a Glance ?71
Introduction ?71
Motivation for Change ?73
Evidence-Based Approach for Change ?74
Impacts and Outcomes ?80
Guided Play in COVID-19 Classrooms ?83
Further Investment in Guided Play and Coaching ?83
Conclusion ?85
Chapter 5 Supplemental Resources ?86

6. ?Bringing It Home: Adapting the Model for Your School ?97
Step 1: Get Buy-In ?101
Step 2: Educate ?101
Step 3: Co-Design ?102
Step 4: Try It Out ?103
Step 5: Broaden Your Scope ?103
Step 6: Assess How It Is Going ?104
Step 7: Home and School ?105
Step 8: Have a School- or Grade-Wide Conclusion ?105

7. ?Authentic Assessment to Support the Science of Learning ?106
At a Glance ?106
Introduction ?106
Motivation: Why Engage in Assessment? ?107
Measurement of the Knowledge and Skills That Matter ?108
Developmentally Appropriate Assessment ?109
Summative and Formative Assessment ?110
There Is More Than One Type of Authentic Assessment ?115
Clantete: Using Authentic Assessment to Support the 6 Cs ?122
Radnor Middle School: Authentic Assessment to Support Student Learning ?123
Conclusion ?124

8. ?Jumping Over School Walls: The 6 Cs and Learning Principles Are Everywhere ?125
At a Glance ?125
Introduction ?125
Enter Playful Learning Landscapes: Informal Learning at Its Best ?126
Media: The Learning Principles and the 6 Cs Work Here, Too ?129
Conclusion ?134

9. ?Re-Imagining Education at Your School ?135
Introduction ?136
The 6 Cs Prepare Students for Success ?136
How Can We Help Children Remember What They Learn So That It Is Sticky? ?138
How Do We Teach in a Way That Supports Transfer? ?139
How Do We Move From the ?Memorize and Spit-It-Out-on-the-Test? Model to One in Which Students Are More Engaged in Their Learning? ?139

Appendix A: Visual Chapter Synopses ?145

Appendix B: Recommendations for Further Study ?159

References ?163

Index ?179

About the Authors ?185