Commonsense Questions about Instruction

Gerard Giordano is professor at the University of North Florida and has written more than a dozen books about education. His last five books, which were published by Rowman & Littlefield Education, focused on the case method.

My experience in preparing teacher candidates and educational leaders reinforces the need to give thought to the type of questions that parents, community leaders, and the general public will ask them. Some of the appealing features of this book are that each chapter highlights an important educational question, the answers to it, and the context for those answers. Dr. Giordano effectively uses the case study method to present pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and administrators with real-world experiences.

• Preface: Have Common Sense Questions Affected Teaching?Chapter 1: Why Ask Shrewd Questions?Chapter 2: What Is Instruction’s Goal?Chapter 3: What Are the Fundamental Subjects?Chapter 4: What Prods Learning?Chapter 5: How Complex Is Classroom Discipline?Chapter 6: What Are the Right Questions about Textbooks?Chapter 7: How Much Technology Do Teachers Need?Chapter 8: Do Grades Matter?Chapter 9: What Prods Politicians to Collaborate on Schools?Chapter 10: How Much Data on Teachers Is Needed?References