December 2015 Bookshelf
Books 22 December 2015
The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness
Todd Rose
The idea of “average” has become ingrained in the way we relate to everything and everyone. It provides a yardstick against which we can measure ourselves and others. But, according to Todd Rose’s yet-to-be-released The End of Average (January 19th), the assumption that all should be compared to some “norm” is “spectacularly—and scientifically—wrong.” What if we—and our education system—were no longer held hostage by the notion of the “average person”? What if the individuality of every person were embraced and valued?
Redesigning Education: Shaping Learning Systems Around the Globe
Innovation Unit for the Global Education Leaders’ Program
There is no one way—no manual or blueprint—to get you from the education system that you have to the one that you want and need. But, there are communities, cities, and even countries across the globe already on the journey to transform their learning environments. In Redesigning Education, the Global Education Leaders’ Program (GELP) has captured these stories and highlighted the lessons learned from these pioneers.
The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
Peter Senge
Dr. Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline explores how organizations can use “systems thinking” to become flexible, growth-minded learning organizations. The disciplines themselves emphasize skills like developing a mindset of personal mastery, recognizing mental constructs, building shared vision, and “team learning” to foster genuine team thinking and creativity. A wonderful read for educators or administrators seeking ways to lead toward learner-centered education.
Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education
Sir Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica
All children are born with immense and different talents. It’s the job of the education system to personalize learning in order to encourage and stimulate these talents in every child. That’s the call to arms in Sir Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica’s recent book, Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education, in which the authors argue that personalized, organic learning is the best way to foster the diverse and wonderful creative energies of all children. Filled with illuminating case studies, observations, and the latest in academic research, Creative asks for—and makes a persuasive case for—nothing short of a radical rethinking of education.
The One World School House: Education Reimagined
Salman Kahn
Authored by Sal Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, The One World Schoolhouse: Education lays out a bold and infectiously optimistic vision for the future of education. It centers around liberating learners and educators from the traditional model to one that encourages meaningful human interaction, creativity, and mastery-based assessments that engage, challenge, and inspire every learner. Not a “solution” but a call to action, The One World Schoolhouse, invites us to envision a world where every child has the tools and opportunities needed to discover and develop their passions and dreams.
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