Learning and Teaching Books
These books have helped me to better understand learning and teaching, and I have related my newly gained knowledge to the online classroom.
Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching
This book was written by Charlotte Danielson.
This book focuses on the 22 components or domains of teaching responsibility, and can be related to the shells of the turtle.
Enhancing Professional Practice is a book that is based on the Praxis III: Classroom Performance Assessments criteria and has been compiled by the Educational Testing Service. Responsibilities of teachers documented from sound research has been proven to promote and improve learning. The book tells what teachers should know and be able to do in the context of their professional journeys.
The four domains of teaching responsibility contain 22 components. The four domains consist of the following parts or shells: Planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. All components are individualistic, yet related. All affect and work together.
There are many frameworks that exist, but these frameworks define what teachers should be able to do as teachers and what they should know.
The Four Domains
Each component in the domain defines part of it. Since all of the components are different, yet related, it is important to realize that teacher planning and prep time affect the actual teaching. Reflecting on practice by teachers too affects teaching, planning and preparation. When I reflect on lessons and my practice I find that I can make alterations, yet at the same time keep and use what works well.
This book states that all professions that exist possess a framework for their professional practices. The framework is a way to define expertise and procedures involved in the practice itself. This framework is a promise to the public and those the professional serves that adherence will be made to the highest quality of standards. The framework for teaching helps teachers and also the entire community. This is because it shows that teachers hold themselves accountable to the highest standards.
Danielson begins her book by a forward from Frances Faircloth Jones, explaining her nervousness on her first day of teaching. Without a framework all teachers face the nervousness described, one that never goes away. With a plan, students excel and teachers are highly effective.
The Framework
