September 2018 Bookshelf
Books 13 September 2018
Timeless Learning: How Imagination, Observation, and Zero-Based Thinking Change Schools
Ira David Socol, Pam Moran, and Chad Ratliff
There are two buckets of learner-centered leaders—those who have the opportunity to build from scratch and those who are transforming systems that were originally created within the school-centered paradigm. The latter often run into muddy waters due to systemic barriers. Ira David Socol, Pam Moran, and Chad Ratliff have not only seen this struggle but have also gone through it themselves. After putting relentless energy into making learner-centered transformation a reality in their communities, they decided to share their learnings with the world. In their brand new book, Timeless Learning, these three leaders “use progressive design principles to inform pathways to disrupt traditions of education today and show you how to make innovations real that will have a timeless and meaningful impact on students.”
The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids
Alexandra Lange
It’s fascinating to look at our physical world and wonder how what we see forms our interpretation of what’s “normal.” Even more fascinating is how these structures impact our children’s interpretations. Alexandra Lange, author of The Design of Childhood, became so intrigued by this question that she decided to explore the rich history of design that directly impacts our kids. She explores the design history of toys, learning environments, playgrounds, and more to determine where we went wrong and where we went right in connection with what we know about childhood development. A fascinating read that will open your mind to new questions about the impacts design has on our children’s futures, The Design of Childhood could be just the book you’ve been looking for.
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Brené Brown
Leaning into vulnerability is all but a requirement within learner-centered environments. Learners, young and older (yes, that includes the adults), are constantly faced with questions and problems for which they don’t have immediate answers. This lack of knowledge and certainty invites one of two responses—pass the buck and consider it someone else’s problem or engage with the opportunity to learn and embrace the many failures that will come before success. Brené Brown invites you to do the latter. In her book, Daring Greatly, she uses personal stories and her psychological research to show how powerful and transformative vulnerability can be for the individual and the collective community.
What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
Randall Munroe
What simply started as a playful webcomic, xkcd.com, turned into an internet sensation with millions of visitors engaging with Randall Munroe’s work each week. Munroe can lay claim to a physics degree (with experience working on robots at NASA), an insatiable curiosity, and comedic genius. He embodies the curiosity and creativity learner-centered educators hope to evoke in all their learners, which makes his website and book, What If?, light-hearted and inspiring resources to explore the limitless “what ifs” of the world with your learners.
The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
Daniel Coyle
What would it feel like to work with a team operating with such cohesion that it would seem as though a single mind was moving everyone forward? Daniel Coyle, through his research into teams that “click” on a whole new level, explores the ins-and-outs of creating such a culture in his book The Culture Code. His work reveals the not-so-mystical secrets of cultivating a culture that creates dramatic transformation within communities and industries. Check out what insights you might apply to the transformation in your community.
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