Brenda Miller Power

Ruth Shagoury

Teacher research is an extension of good teaching, observing students closely, analyzing their needs, and adjusting the curriculum to fit the needs of all. In this completely updated second edition of their definitive work, Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Miller Power present a framework for teacher research along with an extensive collection of narratives from teachers engaged in the process of designing and carrying out research projects to inform their instruction. This edition includes a greater variety of short contributions from a wide range of teacher-researchers -- novices and veterans from all backgrounds and parts of the country -- who speak to the growing diversity in today' s classrooms. Threaded throughout the chapters and narratives is a discussion of the emergence of digital tools and their effect on both teaching and the research process, along with an expanded number of research designs. The book has three primary components: 1.Chapters written by the authors explaining key elements of the research process: finding questions, designing projects, data collection and analysis, and more 2.Research activities that enable readers to try out the featured strategies and techniques 3.Teacher-researcher essays in which teachers share details of completed projects and discuss the impact they have had in their classrooms. Living the Questions, Second Edition: A Guide for Teacher-Researchers will take you step-by-step through the process of designing, implementing, and publishing your research. Along the way, it will introduce you to dozens of kindred spirits who are finding new passion for teaching by living the questions every day in their classrooms. You will be reminded of why you became a teacher yourself.

A Guide for Teacher-Researchers

Living the Questions

This book continues to show teachers how they can carefully and systematically ask and answer their own questions about learning.

A Handbook for Teacher-researchers

The Art of Classroom Inquiry

Teachers need to be keen observers and notetakers as they assess how students learn. This practical guide will show readers how to dig their way through the mountain of paperwork before them and how to begin to keep thoughtful records of student learning. In a breezy, down-to-earth style Brenda Power invites you to try new notetaking strategies and shows you how developing this modest skill can help you organize your work and make you more efficient. In dozens of examples from teachers at all grade levels, Brenda offers helpful suggestions and strategies for everyone from the first-year teacher to the veteran classroom researcher. She takes you step-by-step through the process of examining existing notes, breaking old habits, managing time and materials so observations are possible, and coding notes for later use in assessment and research. Totally practical, every chapter in Taking Note is packed with ideas and techniques you can use to become a cogent, skillful, and accurate notetaker: The Tools of the Trade: Don't get buried in scraps of paper. There are all kinds of inexpensive stationery items that are just right for the job so you start off organized and stay organized. When to Write: All about time-finding it, controlling it, and saving some for yourself. What to Write: You don't have to write down everything you observe. These hints will help you tell what's important and what's not. Bringing It All Together: These case studies show you how two teachers developed their notetaking skills in very different settings. From Step-by-Step to a Dance: Try these ideas to set up and finance an inservice program to build a network of expert notetakers. Taking Note is a boon to any teacher and especially appropriate as a supplement to graduate or inservice courses in alternative assessment and teacher research.

Improving Your Observational Notetaking

Taking Note

Teacher research is an extension of good teaching, observing students closely, analyzing their needs, and adjusting the curriculum to fit the needs of all. Ruth Shagoury and Brenda Miller Power present a framework for teacher research along with an extensive collection of narratives from teachers engaged in the process of designing and carrying out research projects to inform their instruction. --from publisher description.

Brenda Miller Power

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