A worthy, comprehensive guide for educators incorporating readings, study questions, and extensive literary analysis.
A manual for high school teachers offers a survey of British literature.
Marlow (The Book Tree, 2008) draws on decades of experience as an English teacher to produce a guide for fellow educators who introduce high school students to British literature, particularly instructors whose pedagogy incorporates a Christian context. The book, which combines suggested readings, an overview of themes and techniques, and discussion questions, is arranged in chronological order, beginning with Beowulf and Chaucer and concluding with C.S. Lewis, George Orwell, and T.S. Eliot. Appendices include a glossary of literary terms, a sample curriculum, guidelines for literary analysis, and sample tests. Marlow addresses not only the content covered in class, but also her techniques for broadening students’ appreciation (“I read the last section of Beowulf accompanied by Dvorák’s Largo from his New World Symphony with classroom lights off”). The author does a creditable job of covering the basic elements of understanding frequently studied classics, and has produced a solid resource for teachers looking to develop a curriculum. The material is useful for instructors in nonreligious schools as well, though the language employed (“the secular professor Harold Bloom”; “the erroneous charge of homosexuality”) and the emphasis on the moral values expressed by works can be off-putting. Though the author criticizes bowdlerization, she has clear views on what volumes are appropriate for 16- to 18-year-olds (“I strongly suggest that teachers avoid The Miller’s Tale”; “One day, they may return to Brontë’s description of married love”). Marlow’s claims that students are “interested,” “impressed,” “amused,” “intrigued,” or “amazed” by elements of literary history may seem somewhat breathless, but her knowledge of and enthusiasm for her subject, as well as for the act of teaching itself, are evident throughout the book and contribute to its value in the classroom.
A worthy, comprehensive guide for educators incorporating readings, study questions, and extensive literary analysis.Pub Date: Jan. 26, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5127-6489-5
Page Count: 500
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A terrific resource for elementary-level educators wanting a classroom full of raised hands and green thumbs.
An inspirational children’s book that chronicles the growth of an elementary school’s garden from seed to harvest.
Nagro’s loving tribute to an elementary school’s agricultural adventure cheerily promotes the garden programs that have become an educational phenomenon in recent years. The book is written from the perspective of a child giving a tour of the school’s precious garden, its pages minimally formatted with photographs of children enthusiastically attending to their crops. Along the way, an illustrated ladybug appears in the borders of most pages and provides informative caption. There is slight detail on the specifics of a garden’s flora and fauna, but the book’s narrative is designed more for inspiration than rote gardening instruction. The photographs are colorful and charming, but are unimpressively rendered to look like illustrations, lessening the book’s appeal for readers outside the classroom and buyers looking for a more polished product. However, this does not detract from the message of respect, both ecological and social, that is gently encouraged and will please those who want their garden to provide lessons beyond the merely botanical. The book is most relevant for primary educators beginning a gardening project and seeking a teaching framework that will excite and interest younger children. Also included are a recipe list and instructions for sketching a “garden plot” on graph paper that will encourage students to create their own imaginary landscapes. Nagro provides a website for additional information, activities and online discussions, which posits the book as only one prong in the author’s multimedia pitchfork approach to promoting school gardens. The message is genuine and will inspire children to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of their labor.
A terrific resource for elementary-level educators wanting a classroom full of raised hands and green thumbs.Pub Date: July 21, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-9793739-4-7
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Instructions on developing a base from which educational research can move forward.
A look at methodology, not monsoons.
This book’s somewhat-confusing title signals a bit about the obscurity of the subject. The focus here is on educational theory, where the words "culture" and "climate" have more to do with the defining the personality of an institution or organization than they do with sunny skies or rites of passage. The idea is that large institutions, like school systems, are kind of like planets–their atmospheres evolve over time, often despite the intentions of those running things, hence the term "climate." Trying to reform a school system without understanding its atmosphere is like trying to colonize a planet before one knows whether or not the environment can sustain human life. Organizational culture has been in the public consciousness for a long time, and Knapp and Harrigan address the customs that develop organically in the course of an institution’s life. This small volume is really a literature review, a compendium of current reading material for academics in the field of elementary education. The authors take four categories–culture, climate, gifted and rural–and examine the articles and papers in which these categories "interact," in terms of the culture and climate of rural schools and the ways they support or don’t support gifted students. In rural communities and schools, being gifted is viewed as something suspiciously elitist, and schools have poured more resources into developing programs for the physically and developmentally disabled than for gifted students. The book suggests reforms are in order, but not until exhaustive research has been conducted. This is not a layman’s overview, though it might be an interesting read for parents with gifted children languishing in rural schools.
Instructions on developing a base from which educational research can move forward.Pub Date: March 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4196-5488-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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