With summer having officially arrived as of last week, we’re pleased to present to you our first-ever CTLL Summer Reading List.

The team here at Teaching Academic would like to extend our appreciation to Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Director Dr. Mary Carney and English professor Dr. Diana Edelman who helped make the list a reality by submitting some of their favorite titles on the subject of teaching effectiveness.

We hope that these selections will not only prove inspiring and helpful in your quest to master the classroom but will also spark an ongoing discussion among UNG faculty on creative and novel ways in which we can all make teaching and learning more impactful and compelling for ourselves and students.

With that in mind, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below; if you have read a book or listened to a podcast on teaching effectiveness in the past or are currently reading or listening to one you would recommend, please take a minute to let us know.

2018 CTLL Summer Reading List

1. Teaching Naked: How Moving Technology Out of Your College Classroom Will Improve Student Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen, (ISBN-13:978-1118110355; ISBN-10:1118110358, Publication Date:  2012-08-04)

Dr. Edelman: “Bowen’s Teaching Naked reframes the academic conversation around instructional technologies, which are often perceived as “add ons” that we can “give or take.” Bowen suggests that we conceive of higher education in terms of game theory, but he also offers practical (and interesting) ways to harness technology that will free up class time for higher order thinking and activities. While Bowen argues for moving technologies out of the classroom, the techniques and resources he offers can be used both inside and outside the classroom to facilitate information delivery, engagement, and assessment. The theoretical framework is research-based, but the writing and tools discussed are accessible and include examples for implementation. An excellent read!”

Summary (book cover): “Teaching Naked” shows how technology is used most powerfully outside the classroom, and when used effectively, how it can ensure that students arrive to class more prepared for meaningful interaction with faculty.”

Bonus: Teaching Naked Techniques:  A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson, (ISBN-13: 978-1119136118; ISBN-10: 1119136113; Publication Date:  2017)

Dr. Carney: In this useful and insightful guidebook, “Bowen and Watson offer an up-to-date, accessible book filled with the best research on teaching and learning. With real-world ideas and examples, it guides us in how to motivate students and deepen their learning.”

2. Classroom Assessment Techniques by Thomas A. Angelo, K. Patricia Cross, (ISBN: 1555425003,  Publication Date: 1993)

Dr. Carney: “This highly-respected resource is organized by discipline, so you can find ways to assess the kinds of learning specific to that subject. It’s exceedingly accessible and guides you through a quick, easy ways to get insights into what students are learning.”

Summary (book cover): “How well are college students learning? How effectively are faculty learning? Teachers themselves are the closest observers of learning as it takes place in their classrooms—and thus have the opportunity to become the most effective assessors and improvers of their own teaching. But in order for teaching to improve, teachers must first be able to discover when they are off course, how far off they are, and how to get back on the right track.”

3. Understanding by Design by Jay McTighe; Grant P. Wiggins, (Call Number: LB2806.15 .W54 2005, Publication Date: 2005-01-01)

Dr. Carney: “The McTighe books are excellent introductions to the steps course design. For those unfamiliar with strategies for course design, these books offer an excellent approach.”

Summary (book cover): “Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, Understanding by Design, 2nd edition, offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.”

 

4. Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook by Jay McTighe; Grant Wiggins, (Call Number: LB2806.15 .M37 2004, Publication Date: 2004-01-01)

Summary: The workbook by McTighe and Wiggins, “Provides resources to educators in developing curriculum and assessments and includes templates for designing a unit or course, criteria for reviewing curricular designs, workshop activities, and graphic organizers.”

 

 

 

5. Classroom Assessment and Research: An Update on Uses, Approaches, and Research Findings by Thomas A. Angelo (Editor), (ISBN: 0-7879-9885-0; Publication Date: 1998-12-02)

Summary (book cover): “This sourcebook explores how classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are now being used to build student learning skills, and examines current research on how classroom assessment has changed both teaching and learning. It also introduces new uses for CATs–to promote effective student teamwork, help institutions answer the call for more accountability, and guide new teachers in developing their teaching philosophies.”

 

6. Extra Credit Assignments:

Further Reading: If you’re interested in even more options, follow the link to Dr. Carney’s expanded list.

Further Watching: Video clip of Jose Antonio Bowen giving a TEDX Talk at LSU on Teaching Naked.