All public Maine schools must be making progress towards handing out a proficiency-based diploma at the end of high school. This means that all public school teachers must be transitioning to PBL or MCL in their classrooms. Now we are teachers, which means that often we learn best when we have something to read. Below you will find 7 books, all of which I personally own, and all of which have helped figure out what PBL should look like in my classroom.
1) Inevitable: Mass Customized Learning: Learning in the Age of Empowerment by Charles Schwahn & Beatrice McGarvey
My first year of teaching the school I was at did a book study on this book. It was a great introduction to the vision of learning that the district wanted to move towards. After reading this the staff was able to develop a new mission statement and a vision of what PBL would look like in our school. This makes for a great introduction for any one, not just teachers.
2) Dimensions of Learning: Teacher's Manual by Robert Marzano and Debra J. Pickering
The school I was at the longest was a member of the Maine Cohort for Customized Learning. This cohort believed that learning took place at the intersection of complex reasoning, habits of mind, and content. Dimensions of Learning is a manual on how to deliberately teach complex reasoning skills to students and in doing so up the rigor of any assignment or assessment.
3) Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind: 16 Essential Characteristics for Success by Arthur L. Costa and Bena
Schools are responsible for teaching more than just content. We are also responsible for teaching students how to be successful. This book is about the 16 habits of all highly successful people. There are excellent explanations of each habit and ideas for how to help students learn these habits.
4) Students Taking Charge: Inside the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom by Nancy Sulla
This book completely changed how my co-teacher and I structured all of our units! For the longest time we struggled with how to organize learning in our ELA classrooms without packetizing every thing. This book was the answer. It tells you step-by-step how to design all the pieces you will need to turn your classroom into a learner-centered, PBL or MCL room. Warning, it does require a lot of time, energy, and patience on your part. You will need to be willing to let the students struggle some. There is a steep learning curve in your first unit for both you and the students. However, I encourage you to not give up! As Nancy Sulla says in this book, "If something isn't working then add another structure."
5) Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams.
The "Nancy Sulla Method" requires some flipped classroom pieces. As such this book about the flipped classroom model is a must. This will help you figure out which pieces students absolutely need you for and which pieces they can do without you, thus freeing up time to work one-on-one with students.
6) Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: How We Can Learn to Fulfill our Potential by Carol S. Dweck
Again, schools need to teach students how to be successful. This book will change your perspective on what it means to persevere.
7) The Art and Science of Teaching by Robert Marzano
This book is the foundation for MCL, PBL, and teacher evaluation. Therefore it is a must-read for every teacher.
I hope that this list is helpful to you. Please comment any other books you feel are musts for PBL and MCL teachers to read.
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