Matthew Knoester – författare

The Mission Hill School, founded by MacArthur Award winner Deborah Meier and colleagues in 1997, is a small public school that has rethought almost everything about the process of teaching and learning. Beyond richly describing and evaluating this high-achieving school, the author argues that democratic education is increasingly difficult in this era of testing and standardisation and that a school such as Mission Hill must be continually thoughtful, innovative, and courageous in counteracting systemic inequality. This in-depth examination is essential reading for anyone interested in how to better understand seemingly intractable problems related to urban public education in the United States.Book Features:An exemplary model of democratic education that shows the inner workings of a largely teacher-governed school.A rare example of an urban school implementing Dewey-influenced progressive pedagogy. In-depth descriptions of an anti-racist and culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum. A close examination of successful practices, including shared decision making, intensive problem solving, and looking at student work.

How do teachers and schools create meaningful learning experiences for students with diverse skills, abilities, and cultures? How can teachers authentically assess the learning of their students and build on their strengths and interests in ways that enrich the larger community? How can schools be turned into places where everyone is learning from each other? These are the big questions that guide the work of teachers at the well-known Mission Hill School in Boston and that are addressed in this book. Teaching in Themes will help schools incorporate a whole-school, theme-based curriculum that engages students across grade levels K–8. The authors provide detailed descriptions of four thematic units: What’s Baking in Kathy’s Classroom?, The Impact of Nature and Play, The Struggle for Justice: U.S. History Through the Eyes of African-Americans, and Astronomical Inquiries. Readers will see how teachers and students design “emergent inquiries” within the themes and create artwork, music, presentations, and a variety of hands-on learning experiences that support differentiated instruction across the curriculum.Book Features:Examples of whole-school projects designed to create a deep sense of immersion in a curricular theme and to build a multi-age learning community.Details of how teachers developed rich curriculum tailored to their unique students.The insights of legendary educator Deborah Meier on how whole-school thematic units were used to encourage collaboration among teachers.An afterword by teachers (and film makers) about the thinking behind their work featured in the widely-viewed film series “A Year at Mission Hill.”

Beyond Testing describes seven forms of assessment that are more effective than standardized test results. These assessments are more honest about what we can and cannot know about children’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Readers can compare and contrast each approach to determine which is most appropriate for their school.

The authors of this timely book argue that a fundamentally complex problem—how to assess the knowledge of a child—cannot be reduced to a simple test score. Beyond Testing describes seven forms of assessment that are more effective than standardized test results: (1) student self-assessments, (2) direct teacher observations of students and their work, (3) descriptive reviews of the child, (4) reading and math interviews with children, (5) portfolios and public defense of student work, (6) school reviews and observations by outside professionals, and (7) school boards and town meetings. These assessments are more honest about what we can and cannot know about children's knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and are more adaptable to varying educational missions. Readers can compare and contrast each approach and make informed decisions about what is most appropriate for their school.Book Features:Legendary educator Deborah Meier's thinking on assessments as they relate to the central goal of educating for democracy.Effective approaches for getting to know the strengths and challenges of individual students and schools.Multiple examples of children and schools for each assessment.A case study of 38 successful high schools in New York using performance assessments in place of standardized tests.

This practitioner-friendly resource will help parents and educators with different values and viewpoints to better communicate, understand, and collaborate for the benefit of all children (K–12).Drawing from personal stories and current research, this book suggests ways in which families and schools can work together to optimize the academic, social, and emotional development of all students, with a focus on diverse students and families.Utilizing their unique backgrounds as professional educators, scholars, parents, and immigrants, the authors provide vivid descriptions of successful family–school collaborations, powerful culturally relevant educational experiences, effective communication models, and strategies parents can use to become stronger advocates for public schools in their communities. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to improve communication so parents can better understand the work of schools and, in turn, educators can learn from families.Book Features:A road map for creating a school community grounded in the tenets of integrated, multicultural education.Tools for creating high-quality communication between families and educators, including guidance for overcoming common obstacles.Information for parents about how to navigate the school system and its resources.Reflection and discussion questions that can be used in book clubs or study groups with both parents and educators.A list of books that the authors recommend reading and discussing following this one.

This practitioner-friendly resource will help parents and educators with different values and viewpoints to better communicate, understand, and collaborate for the benefit of all children (K–12).Drawing from personal stories and current research, this book suggests ways in which families and schools can work together to optimize the academic, social, and emotional development of all students, with a focus on diverse students and families.Utilizing their unique backgrounds as professional educators, scholars, parents, and immigrants, the authors provide vivid descriptions of successful family–school collaborations, powerful culturally relevant educational experiences, effective communication models, and strategies parents can use to become stronger advocates for public schools in their communities. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter are designed to improve communication so parents can better understand the work of schools and, in turn, educators can learn from families.Book Features:A road map for creating a school community grounded in the tenets of integrated, multicultural education.Tools for creating high-quality communication between families and educators, including guidance for overcoming common obstacles.Information for parents about how to navigate the school system and its resources.Reflection and discussion questions that can be used in book clubs or study groups with both parents and educators.A list of books that the authors recommend reading and discussing following this one.

2024 AESA Critics’ Choice Book AwardThis volume demonstrates how multilingual schooling can enhance democracy through a connection with the policies and practices of critical education.With its in-depth analysis of real schools that focus on the dual emphases of multiculturalism and integration, this book offers a comparative look at educational and political controversies over race, citizenship, and societal power relations. The authors describe the ambitious goals and critical multicultural and bilingual education strategies used at these schools, and, in doing so, they highlight how the challenges involved relate to larger theoretical issues that are inherent to a critically multicultural and bilingual education.This book examines what a truly critical multicultural and bilingual education means and what it requires of those who are intimately connected with these processes. As such, it will be important reading for those studying, teaching, or researching in Sociology of Education, Multicultural Education, Multilingual and Bilingual Education, Educational Policy, and Critical Education Studies.

2024 AESA Critics’ Choice Book AwardThis volume demonstrates how multilingual schooling can enhance democracy through a connection with the policies and practices of critical education.With its in-depth analysis of real schools that focus on the dual emphases of multiculturalism and integration, this book offers a comparative look at educational and political controversies over race, citizenship, and societal power relations. The authors describe the ambitious goals and critical multicultural and bilingual education strategies used at these schools, and, in doing so, they highlight how the challenges involved relate to larger theoretical issues that are inherent to a critically multicultural and bilingual education.This book examines what a truly critical multicultural and bilingual education means and what it requires of those who are intimately connected with these processes. As such, it will be important reading for those studying, teaching, or researching in Sociology of Education, Multicultural Education, Multilingual and Bilingual Education, Educational Policy, and Critical Education Studies.

This book has received the AESA (American Educational Studies Association) Critics Choice Award 2013.Drawing from rich data, International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education profiles teachers, students, and schools struggling to interrupt the reproduction of social inequalities from one generation to the next. International in its nature, the work collected here illustrates how forces of globalization create greater inequalities, and carefully describes and evaluates efforts to democratize educational opportunities. This text will be useful in undergraduate and graduate courses on diversity and multicultural education, international comparisons, educational studies, as well as graduate courses in sociology of education, critical educational studies, international comparisons, foundations of education, multicultural education, and qualitative research methods.

This book has received the AESA (American Educational Studies Association) Critics Choice Award 2013.Drawing from rich data, International Struggles for Critical Democratic Education profiles teachers, students, and schools struggling to interrupt the reproduction of social inequalities from one generation to the next. International in its nature, the work collected here illustrates how forces of globalization create greater inequalities, and carefully describes and evaluates efforts to democratize educational opportunities. This text will be useful in undergraduate and graduate courses on diversity and multicultural education, international comparisons, educational studies, as well as graduate courses in sociology of education, critical educational studies, international comparisons, foundations of education, multicultural education, and qualitative research methods.