The first can be found at Teacher Places Book Clubs. In the past, this group has discussed Gardner’s FIve MInds for the Future, Medina’s Brain Rules, and Christenson’s Disruptive Class, all books which have had a huge impact on my thinking and understanding. They just have released there fall lineup, which looks extremely impressive as well:

First up is Kwame Anthony Appiah’s Cosmopolitanism.  Publishers Weekly says of the book:

Weighing in on a discourse that includes both visions of “clashing civilizations” and often equally misguided cultural relativism, Ghana-born Princeton philosopher Appiah reclaims a tradition of creative exchange and imaginative engagement across lines of difference.

Next is Beverly Tatum’s Can We Talk About Race?  The Boston Globe writes about this book:

A provocative and important book . . . What Tatum seeks to do above all is trigger sometimes challenging discussions about race, and infuse those discussions with a reality-based focus on how race affects us all. Her latest book does that beautifully, asking tough questions, and patiently, inclusively seeking answers.

Finally, for December, we are going to tackle Farhad Manjoo’s True Enough: Learning to Live in a Post-Fact Society.  The review from Publisher’s Weekly says:

Manjoo rounds out his analysis by examining the workings of “partisan news realities,” and he points out that the first casualty in these truth wars is a basic human and civic need: trust. Though several of the author’s ideas are repetitiously threaded through his narrative, Manjoo has produced an engaging, illustrative look at the dangers of living in an oversaturated media world.

All three books look to address key issues that we, as a community of colleagues and educators, need to engage if we are to help our students, our schools, and our communities to navigate a world where divisiveness and sophistry appear to reign.

Additionally, a group of teachers at Stevenson High School have begun a year-long book study on Don Tapscott’s Wikinomics. This book talks about how collaboration in the business place is beginning to change the way business is done. The focus of this group is to talk about how the ideas apply to education.

We have been invited to participate if you would like the schedule for the reading is not cumbersome. It is:

Timeline:
9/24 Read Intro through pg. 64 (Ch. 1 & 2)
11/5 Read pgs. 65 – 124 (Ch. 3 & 4)
1/21 Read pgs. 124-182 (Ch. 5 & 6)
2/4 Read pgs. 183-238 (Ch. 7 &
3/18 Read pgs. 239-287 (Ch. 9 & 10)
4/30 Read pgs. 288-315 (Ch. 11)

To participate in the conversation, visit the following blog – http://wikinomics-book-study.blogspot.com/

But how many of our families today have access to these tools at home? I know that my parents had some in our house, but I remember that as being the exception to the norm. The National Library of Virtual  Manipulatives has created a web site that provides access to a wide range of online tools and manipulatives which can be used to suppliment mathematics instruction.

The creators of this site have put together sets of online resources based upon grade level and mathematical concept. When you click in one of the areas, you are presented with a list of different activities which you can use online. These different puzzles and activities help explain math concepts from borrowing and carrying to sequencing of numbers.

A bonus with this site is that you can choose to view the site in English, Spanish, or French.