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Rating: 
Summary: "At last--research validating what good teachers already do"
Review: I'll keep this short and sweet, and not summarize the contents of the book. Such can be found in other reviews, as well as the editorial synopsis. Instead, let me just suggest that "Classroom Instruction that Works†is a long overdue work that can be used in a three-fold manner. First, it should be required reading for every new teacher. It clearly details for them what is effective in the classroom, regardless of grade level. There is little philosophy here. This is ‘meat and potatoes’ practicality. Secondly, the research in this book should become an integral part of every teacher-evaluation process. It provides a model paradigm of excellence in teaching above and beyond the subjectivity extant in most evaluations today. Finally, this book should be a personal read of every experienced teacher. I cannot express my feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when I realized--I already do many of these things! While I know I can improve in many areas because of reading this work, much of my teaching was validated by sound research, and that felt good! It is my hope that this material will be presented at many of the national education conferences I attend each year--in fact, I plan on using much of this in my own presentations. The book is nicely organized, backed by solid research, and utilizes illustrative scenarios which make complex methodology very understandable. And isn't this the goal of every classroom teacher? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Dr. J.L. Parks
Georgetown Middle School
Georgetown, KY
Rating:
Summary: "At last--research validating what good teachers already do"
Review: I'll keep this short and sweet, and not summarize the contents of the book. Such can be found in other reviews, as well as the editorial synopsis. Instead, let me just suggest that "Classroom Instruction that Works†is a long overdue work that can be used in a three-fold manner. First, it should be required reading for every new teacher. It clearly details for them what is effective in the classroom, regardless of grade level. There is little philosophy here. This is ‘meat and potatoes’ practicality. Secondly, the research in this book should become an integral part of every teacher-evaluation process. It provides a model paradigm of excellence in teaching above and beyond the subjectivity extant in most evaluations today. Finally, this book should be a personal read of every experienced teacher. I cannot express my feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when I realized--I already do many of these things! While I know I can improve in many areas because of reading this work, much of my teaching was validated by sound research, and that felt good! It is my hope that this material will be presented at many of the national education conferences I attend each year--in fact, I plan on using much of this in my own presentations. The book is nicely organized, backed by solid research, and utilizes illustrative scenarios which make complex methodology very understandable. And isn't this the goal of every classroom teacher? HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Dr. J.L. Parks
Georgetown Middle School
Georgetown, KY
Rating:
Summary: A Great Place To Start
Review: I've yet to read such a well-written, succinct overview of the most popular current teaching methods. Marzano and company are the great synthesizers of educational methods these days. While it's true that no chapter is completely detailed, the authors provide ample notations to enable those interested in pursuing a method to further enhance their teaching.
Very well put together, highly accessible, and very plain-spoken, this is a fantastic overview for the novice and a great refresher for the veteran educator.
PS. A reply to "Chock full of the Obvious," the reviewer from Maine who didn't bother to leave a name. What Marzano does is provide a jumping-off point. He and his co-authors don't expect their text to be biblical. If they do, well, then I'll apologize. However, for thumbnail sketches of the big methods that work, it's a damn fine book. And that's how I reviewed it. Not only that, but keeping this book on your desk gives you a pretty high CYA quotient if you're ever questioned on your methods by an overzealous administrator.
Rating: 
Summary: Chock Full of Obvious
Review: Once again, I was hoodwinked by reviewers at Amazon.com who have no ability to discern good from average. This book provides a bunch of no-brain chapters -- (i.e. classifying is good) -- it's really a huge waste of money. The absolute best book I've read and I recommend to all discerning intellectual teachers is Grant Wiggins's Understanding By Design. This book was a waste of my good time and precious money. Never again will I so blindly trust all the 5 star givers on this site. Too many stooges, I think.
Rating:
Summary: Enhanced with informative charts and graphs
Review: Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock draw upon their many years of experience and expertise as educators to effectively collaborate in providing an informative series of nine research-based strategies for the use of classroom teachers seeking to increase their student's achievement levels. These strategies include identifying similarities and differences; summarizing and note taking; reinforcing effort and providing recognition; homework and practice; nonlinguistic representations; cooperative learning; setting objectives and providing feedback; generating and testing hypotheses; questions, cues, and advance organizers. Enhanced with informative charts and graphs, and highly recommended for student teacher reading lists and classroom management studies, Classroom Instruction That Works will enable teachers to enable their students to learn how to take effective notes, work in groups, and use graphic organizers.
Rating:
Summary: Enhanced with informative charts and graphs
Review: Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock draw upon their many years of experience and expertise as educators to effectively collaborate in providing an informative series of nine research-based strategies for the use of classroom teachers seeking to increase their student's achievement levels. These strategies include identifying similarities and differences; summarizing and note taking; reinforcing effort and providing recognition; homework and practice; nonlinguistic representations; cooperative learning; setting objectives and providing feedback; generating and testing hypotheses; questions, cues, and advance organizers. Enhanced with informative charts and graphs, and highly recommended for student teacher reading lists and classroom management studies, Classroom Instruction That Works will enable teachers to enable their students to learn how to take effective notes, work in groups, and use graphic organizers.
Rating: 
Summary: Helpful and Informative
Review: Some people say this book is stating the obvious. These are the sort of people who tend to avoid professional journals, conferences, and in-services because, by golly, they already know how to teach. They learned all they needed to know getting their bachelor's degree and from their vast experience. That's baloney. While this book is full of things that good teachers do, it is laid out in a convenient format that places those practices in one handbook that is research based (as opposed to "I do because it works" even if it worked 10 years ago, but doesn't today). This text is a handy reference to have especially if you teach at-risk students.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful and Informative
Review: Some people say this book is stating the obvious. These are the sort of people who tend to avoid professional journals, conferences, and in-services because, by golly, they already know how to teach. They learned all they needed to know getting their bachelor's degree and from their vast experience. That's baloney. While this book is full of things that good teachers do, it is laid out in a convenient format that places those practices in one handbook that is research based (as opposed to "I do because it works" even if it worked 10 years ago, but doesn't today). This text is a handy reference to have especially if you teach at-risk students.
Rating:
Summary: If Student Achievement Matters to You, read this book.
Review: Teachers, this book spells out in plain language what works. It explains each strategy in detail, gives examples, and summarizes the research on how effectively that strategy works. The strategies are in order of effectiveness. It doesn't matter what subject you teach; it does matter HOW your teach it. The book is beautifully written, just 178 pages, and POWER PACKED! A crucial read for educators.
Rating:
Summary: Simplistic Listing of the Obvious
Review: There have to be more thought provoking monographs about the application of research in the classroom. Sanitized statistics, silly stories, a frighteningly short list of references and text that probably does not read beyond the 6th grade level disturbs me. Does Mr. Marzano think that all educators are semi-literate morons? His ideas are not new in the science classroom, and most ideas he covers are reiterations of something old for me. I was required to use this book and its sister workbook for a GRADUATE LEVEL education course. I would recommend NEITHER.
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