Annotated Bibliography 1

Annotated Bibliography

Anne Schuerger

ED 698 Master’s Portfolio Spring 2024

University of Alaska Southeast

Annotated Bibliography 2

Philosophy

Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. School Journal. 54, 77-80. http://

dewey.pragmatism.org/creed.htm

This article is a philosophical statement where Dewey calls for reform in education. He

emphasizes his beliefs surrounding the idea of education mirroring life and being a

connecting experience instead of a dividing one. Dewey discusses the importance of

education being purposeful and proving opportunities to build social connections. This

article inspires me to be intentional with my pedagogy and to use student curiosity and

collaboration as motivation for learning.

Montessori, Maria. (1965). Dr. Montessori's own handbook: A short guide to her ideas and

materials. New York: Schocken Books.

This book provides examples of how to implement Montessori’s ideas into practice. It gives

detailed descriptions of how to set up an environment that is welcoming to children and

that encourages them to explore. It describes tools to o er and how to make them

accessible to children so that they can develop autonomy in their work. This guide to

Montessori’s work inspires how I set up my classroom, what activities I o er, and how I

work to build independence and a love for creating in my students.

Learner Development

Slavin, R. (2012). Educational psychology: Theory and practice. Pearson Education, Inc.

This text is a valuable collection of key theories surrounding learning and development. It

gives helpful summaries of the works of theorists that in uence my practice such as Lev

Vygotsky, Jean Piaget, and Erik Erikson. Slavin focuses on how understanding a learner’s

development and motivation helps educators meet the needs of their students and set
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them up for educational success. This text o ers case studies and examples that

demonstrate how to apply these theories to practice. I use Slavin’s work to refer back to

these key ideas and how to implement this psychological research into my teaching.

Sousa, D & Tomlinson, C.A. (2011). Di erentiation and the brain. Solution Tree Press.

This book explores the recent research in neuroscience and how di erentiation can be used

to make learning accessible to diverse students. Sousa and Tomlinson discuss how to

achieve di erentiation in the classroom providing examples of how their ideas have been

brought to practice. This book opens up interesting discussions they encourage teachers

to explore such as promoting a growth mindset and understanding a students’ learning

zone. I use Sousa and Tomlinson’s work to help me make decisions on how to use

di erentiation in my classroom to meet all of my students’ needs no matter their level of

learning or development.

Diversity & Di erentiation

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching and the brain: Promoting authentic

engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Corwin.

This book discusses the impact a teachers culture has on their students and how it can

contribute to the achievement gap. Hammond provides strategies to build culturally

responsive teaching practices that promote success and engagement of all students,

taking account of one’s own bias’. This book connects current neuroscience with

instructional strategies to help achieve an inclusive classroom environment that engages

diverse learners in deep understanding and positive growth mindsets. It reminds me to be

aware of my culture and be inclusive of my student’s cultures, helping them build a sense

of pride while holding each of them to high expectations.

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Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension for

understanding and engagement (2nd Ed.). Pearson Prof. Growth.

This text explores reading and thinking strategies and how to use them across all content

areas. It discusses the importance of using diversity in books to build student belonging

and empathy, and in turn a strong classroom community. This book also includes a very

useful appendix section with resources and text recommendations for teaching content. It

provides great examples of the strategies in use with various types of texts and purpose for

learning that help promote diversity and di erentiation in the classroom.

Learning Environments

Fisher, D., Frey, N., Quaglia, R. J., Smith, D., & Lande, L. L. (2017). Engagement by design:

Creating learning environments where students thrive. Corwin Literacy.

This book proposes an approach to classroom management that uses engagement to build

student success. Fisher et al. emphasize the importance “relationships, clarity, and

challenge” have on student behavior and learning. They argue that by targeting student

engagement you can build a strong classroom community that motivates students to be

active members in their own success. Fisher et al. remind me that it is not just the layout of

the physical environment that invites students in but the love and support they feel when

they are at school.

Kohn, A. (2006). Beyond discipline: From compliance to community. Association for

Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This text asks educators to re ect on their approach to behavior management and question

their intentions when it comes to classroom control. Kohn argues that asking students to

simply follow directions provides little opportunity for building key citizenship skills and can

decrease student motivation to learn which increases misbehavior. I support Kohn’s

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thoughts on providing students with opportunities to make decisions in their learning and I

am inspired by his work to build a classroom community that values relationships. I focus

on building respect, trust, and communication with and between my students.

Literacy

Clay, M. M. (2014). By di erent paths to common outcomes. Global Education Systems.

The book is an important resource for early childhood education teachers as it explores the

relationship between oral language and literacy learning. Clay’s work focuses on the

di erent experiences each child has when learning to read and write and the importance of

listening to and talking with children to know their level of understanding. I use her thoughts

to help connect literacy learning to the oral language my students already have developed.

Johnston, P. H. (2012). Opening minds: Using language to change lives. Stenhouse

Publishers.

Johnston’s work is a reminder of how powerful our words are and the e ect they have on

our students and their self-image as learners. This book provides valuable examples of how

to make small changes to your language in the classroom to promote a mindset that values

re ection, disagreement, and changes in thinking. I use this book to guide me in creating a

dialogic classroom that encourages students to have conversations to make sense of their

learning.

Science

Contant, T. L., Tweed, A. L., Bass, J., & Carin, A. A. (2020). Teaching science through

inquiry-based instruction. Pearson

This text explains the reasoning behind inquiry-based science instruction and explores

what this looks like in the classroom. Contant et al. provide examples of hands on activities
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that promote investigation and questioning across each branch of science. They suggest

ways to connect science to other subjects and how to use technology to improve learning.

I use this text to assess my science curriculum and supplement it with activities that use

curiosity to engage students in scienti c inquiry.

Merculie , L., & Roderick, L. (2013). Stop talking: Indigenous ways of teaching and

learning and di cult dialogues in higher education. University of Alaska Anchorage.

This document opens up a conversation of how indigenous and western pedagogies can

coexist and support each other. It educates western educators in indigenous ways of

teaching and how they can be more inclusive of diverse students and their ways of

learning. It also provides additional reading recommendations to better understand Alaska

Native ways of knowing. This text inspires my use of place-based learning to help connect

content to what students already know, speci cally their physical location and local

biosphere.

Arts Integration

Biscoe, B., & Wilson, K. (2015). Arts integration: A strategy to improve teaching and

learning, promote personal competencies, and turn around low-performing schools.

WestEd.

This article discusses student engagement and how arts integration can contribute to

student academic success by increasing motivation to learn. Biscoe and Wilson emphasize

how art education also leads to the development of key social and emotional skills that

help students succeed across disciplines. Their work encourages me to look at areas in my

teaching that I can further integrate the arts to build deeper understandings of content

while promoting my students’ love for learning.

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Fiske, E. (Ed.). (1999). Champions of change: The impact of the art on learning.

President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Retrieved from http://

artsedge.kennedy-center.org/champions/pdfs/ChampsReport.pdf

This report argues that the participation in the arts is a necessary learning experience for

children and that it contributes to learning in subjects beyond the arts. It studies arts

programs inside and outside of schools and the impact that the arts have on learning

especially for disadvantaged students. This report also emphasizes how art can promote

community. Fiske’s work inspires me to provide collaborative art projects for my students

that help build deeper understandings to other subjects such as science, math, and social

studies.

Social Studies

Lesh, B. A. (2011). "Why won't you just tell us the answer?": Teaching historical thinking

in grades 7-12. Portland, Me.: Stenhouse.

This book argues for a transformation of how history is taught, pushing for less focus on

memorization and presentation of facts and more on inquiry and exploration processes. It

discusses how to help students think historically and build the knowledge and skills

necessary to “do history”, making history a subject of active learning. This book gives great

suggestions for implementing a more hands on approach to social studies in the

classroom, helping students develop real skills for questioning and interpreting history. It

includes sample lessons and units that demonstrate how the concepts of historical thinking

can be taught.

O’Brien, N., & Tabb, L. (2020). Unpack your impact: How two primary teachers ditched

problematic lessons and built a culture-centered curriculum. Dave Burgess

Consulting Inc.
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This text proposes an approach to teaching social students that focuses on global events

as a way to guide students toward critical thinking. O’Brien and Tabb inspire teachers to go

beyond common social students topics and guide students towards meaningful issues and

complex ways of thinking. They provide lesson examples of how to apply social studies

concepts across various subjects that promotes a deeper understanding of human culture

across the globe. O’Brien and Tabb inspire me to look for areas in my curricula where I can

expand critical thinking and build my student’s world view.

Math

Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2019). Elementary and middle

school mathematics: Teaching developmentally. Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

This text focuses on an approach to teaching math that focuses on nding each students

developmental level of understanding. Van de Walle et al. go on to discuss the importance

of an inquiry based approach to math that guides students to building their own

understanding through the use of manipulatives and problem solving tasks. This text

in uences my exploration based math instruction and reminds me to let students to nd

strategies that work for them through trial and error.

Von Rotz, L., & Burns, M. (2002). Lessons for algebraic thinking. Math Solutions

Publications.

This book is a collection of lessons that demonstrate ways to promote algebraic thinking in

the primary grades through problem solving and hands on activities. Von Rotz and Burns

emphasize helping students focus on the process instead of the product by recognizing

patterns and sequences. This book provides lessons that are ready to teach that build

reasoning skills through discussion and collaboration. It is a valuable resource whose

lessons promote the development of the standards for mathematics practices.

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Assessment Guided Student Learning

Earl, L. M. (2014). Assessment as learning: Using classroom assessment to maximize

student learning (2nd Ed.). Hawker Brownlow Education.

This text discusses the role that assessment plays in learning and how assessing for

learning is di erent than assessment of learning. Earl focuses on using assessment to drive

future learning and build self-regulation skills in students. Assessment provides

opportunities to know your students well and identify where they are so that you can lead

to where they need to go. This text reminds me of the power of daily formative

assessments and to be constantly looking for evidence of my students’ understanding.

Tomlinson, C.A. (2014). The di erentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all

learners (2nd. Ed). ASCD.

This book is a user friendly guide on how to make learning accessible for all students.

Tomlinson emphasizes that students learn di erently and require di erent pathways to

make learning meaningful. This book make me consider how di erentiation applies to

assessment as well as the learning objectives and activities. It is important to give students

variety in how their knowledge is demonstrated. There are many tips on how to create an

inclusive classroom with scenarios on how to di erentiate student assessment.

Planning for Instruction

Miller, D. (2008). Teaching with intention: De ning beliefs, aligning practice, taking action,

K-5. Stenhouse.

This book discusses how to maximize student learning through intentional lessons that

engage students and connect content to their lives. Miller describes important aspects of

her philosophy while providing real classroom examples of what that looks like. I agree with
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Miller’s use of the gradual release of responsibility, thinking aloud to make thinking visible to

students, and planning experiences that students can connect to. This book encourages

me to re ect on my instruction and ensure that every choice I make re ects my beliefs of

what is best for students.

Wiggins, G., McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd Expanded Ed.).

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This text is a valuable introduction to the UbD framework and backwards design process.

Wiggins and McTighe discuss how knowing the desired results is the rst step in planning

meaningful learning experiences. They stress the importance of planning for diversity by

rst identifying evidence of achievement and then planning with your students in mind. This

text provides lesson examples that inspire me to focus on identifying my learning objectives

and the knowledge and skills my students will need to achieve them before planning

activities.

Professionalism

Hubbard, R. S., & Power, B. M. (2003). The art of classroom inquiry: A handbook for

teacher-researchers. Heinemann.

This text is a realistic step by step guide on how to conduct research in the classroom. It

emphasizes the use of re ection and observation to plan research and analyze your data.

Hubbard and Power support research as a valuable tool for change and growth that helps

teachers understand their students’ point of view. This text provides stories of professional

growth that real teachers experienced and inspires me to be a life long learner in my own

classroom.
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Rust, F. O. (2009). Teacher research and the problem of practice. Teachers College

Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, 111(8), 1882–1893. https://doi.org/

10.1177/016146810911100807

This article discusses how teachers can use current research to drive their instruction. Rust

argues that it is the process of teacher action research that leads to changes in practice

and policy. She encourages teachers to develop an inquiry stance and work together in

collaborative inquiry. This article is a good reminder that research is a tool to connect

current research to real problems in my classroom and that I should use collaboration and

re ection as a way to make action research achievable.

Leadership and Collaboration

Perrone, V. (1991). A letter to teachers: Re ections on schooling and the art of teaching.

San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

This book discusses the importance of teacher empowerment and taking charge of your

own growth as an education. Perrone suggests that a key part of this growth is building

professional relationships through collaborative re ection and problem solving. This book

also provides a valuable philosophy of classroom community and the importance of

connecting schooling to the world outside. Perrone’s work reminds me to look to others for

help as this is part of providing our students with our best e orts in making them

successful.

Smith, D. (2023). Rooted in joy: Creating a classroom culture of equity, belonging, and

care. Josses-Bass.

This book is an enlightening take on building a classroom community. Smith discusses the

concept of a “classroom ecosystem” and how it goes beyond the walls of the room. She

emphasizes the inclusion of student families and the community at large, building students’
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sense of place and belonging. This book gives meaningful ways to include families in the

classroom and model to students the importance of collaboration between members in

their “ecosystem”.

Educational Technology

Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. & Kimmons, R. (2020). The K-12 educational technology

handbook. BYU Instructional Psychology and Technology Department.

This guide is a valuable resource for beginning teachers who are wondering how to

integrate technology into their classrooms in a meaningful way. Ottenbreit and Kimmons

emphasize the use of technology that enhances learning. They propose the STEAM

mindset that targets life skills instead of content: Self-Motivation, Thinking, Energizing,

Adventure, and Making. This handbook describes how to build these skills through

technology integration and provides digital resources and activity examples at the end of

each chapter.

Zucker, A. A., (2008). Transforming schools with technology: How smart use of digital

tools helps achieve six key education goals. Harvard Education Press.

This text takes the side of support when it comes to the discussion on technology in the

classroom. Zucker argues that technology is an essential tool for teachers and students to

achieve modern educational goals. He focuses on technology as a tool for engagement,

inclusion, and accessibility in learning. I agree with Zucker’s emphasis on technology as a

tool and use it to achieve di erentiation and motivation in my classroom.

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