By Judy Ameline & Judy Chyung
In this issue we dig into just a few of the many new books on a timely issue: teaching and learning online. This list was curated by librarians at the TDSB Professional Library in the Library Learning Resources and Global Education Department of the Toronto District School Board.
Links to TDSB Professional Library Catalogue records have been provided, however, items are available for loan to TDSB staff only.
Jump, J. (2020). 50 strategies for your virtual classroom. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education. (eBook)
This book will ease the stress of teaching in remote learning environments by providing a variety of strategies from building community and engaging students to culturally responsive teaching and project-based learning. It also provides tips for virtual classroom management and learning environments such as independent and hybrid learning and includes an annotated list of useful applications and websites in addition to student activity pages.
Serravallo, J., (2020). Connecting with students online: Strategies for remote teaching & learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. (Print)
Connecting with Students Online gives concise, practical answers to teachers’ questions about how to effectively switch to remote learning. Focusing on the importance of the teacher-student relationship, the author explains how to:
- effectively prioritize what matters most during remote, online instruction
- schedule the day to maximize teaching and learning (and avoid burnout)
- streamline curriculum units and roll them out digitally
- record highly engaging short lessons
- confer, work with small groups, and drive learning through independent practice
- partner with the adults in a student’s home.
Eisenbach, B., & Greathouse, P. (2020). Developing adolescent literacy in the online classroom: Strategies for all content areas. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. (eBook)
Today’s secondary virtual teachers must design and implement effective instructional approaches for online literacy learners. Methods of reading and writing within the online classroom differ from those within the traditional school setting. Though online students are often separated by time and space, it is possible for virtual teachers to use literacy strategies that actively foster student learning and engagement. This book provides virtual teachers a variety of strategies for adapting traditional literacy instruction and assessment for the online classroom.
Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2021). The distance learning playbook, grades K-12: Teaching for engagement and impact in any setting. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. (eBook)
The Distance Learning Playbook is a hands-on guide to preparing and delivering effective remote learning experiences. This resource helps teachers discover what works best with distance learning while maintaining a focus on equity. Chapters discuss topics such as teacher-student relationships, instructional design, assessments, and grading, along with the equity challenges associated with distance learning. This resource offers a variety of instructional approaches, including direct instruction, peer learning, and independent work that foster student self-regulation, and particular guidance provided for teachers of young children.
Mune, C. D. (2020). Libraries supporting online learning: Practical strategies and best practices. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited. (Print)
This book describes current issues in online learning and teaches librarians how to adapt library services — including instruction, reference, and collection development — to online education. Each chapter outlines best practices for supporting online students and teachers: facilitating access, creating community, and building engagement. Topics covered include creating digital literacy tutorials and dynamic content, providing patrons with open access and open educational resources, avoiding copyright issues, promoting peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing, and posting to social media. The tools and practical examples in this book will be useful for all educators interested in increasing the effectiveness of online learning.
Brennan, J., (2020). Engaging learners through Zoom: Strategies for online teaching across disciplines. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (eBook)
This is a practical book for educators who need to deliver remote learning structures to students at home. The book shows how to use the different features of Zoom, such as polls, chat, and breakdown rooms, to create an active and engaged learning experience for students. The author also shows how to minimize Zoom fatigue, use virtual backgrounds and profile photos, and integrate apps to instructions on Zoom.
Darby, F., & Lang, J. (2019). Small teaching online: Applying learning science in online classes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (eBook)
The authors of this book believe that minor changes that you can make in your online teaching practice can result in significant learning gains. Small teaching online quick tips are provided in each chapter: backward design, learning through engagement, using media and technology tools, building community, giving feedback, fostering student persistence and success, creating autonomy, making connections, and developing as an online instructor.
Lemov, D. (2020). Teaching in the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (eBook)
This book describes the most effective teaching practices observed in the online classrooms with the real-world examples. It shows the strategies to connect and engage students in synchronous and asynchronous online learning; the importance of pause points, and procedures and routines, particularly in an online classroom; the new techniques of assessing students online; and help with online classroom technology.
Small, M. (2020). Teaching math online: Great ways to differentiate instruction and support parents, K-8. New York: Teachers College Press. (eBook)
In this new book by Marian Small, she shows the value of open questions and parallel tasks for differentiating instruction in the K-8 online teaching, and the strategies for adapting them for an online environment. She illustrates how to incorporate home resources for math lessons in remote learning and demonstrates how to build online communities with students and involve parents without overwhelming them.
Green, J. P, (Ed.). (2020). Thriving as an online K-12 educator: Essential practices from the field. London: Routledge. (Print)
This is a collection of writings by expert authors on their educational technology experiences and approaches. The chapters in the book describe the distance education mindset, the online teaching tools, and equitable and inclusive teaching practices and strategies for student learning and engagement that also recognizes the importance of home and school connection in remote learning.
Judy Ameline is a librarian at the Toronto District School Board Professional Library with almost 30 years experience providing reference service. She is passionate about providing TDSB teachers and leaders access to current, cutting edge information in the field of education to support their professional development needs. Check out the Library’s Pinterest Boards and follow her on Twitter @AmelineJudy
Judy Chyung has extensive experience providing Education Reference and Online Services to the educators and leaders of Toronto District School Board at the TDSB Professional Library. She enjoys reading and learning about the trends in education literature, and assisting TDSB educators with their information needs whether for their classroom support or for their professional learning. One of the current initiatives that she leads is the curated Resource Guides for Heritage Months celebrated by TDSB. You can check out the Guides at http://bit.ly/DirectoryHeritageMonthListsPL. Her daughter, who is currently in a middle school in TDSB, keeps her in touch with the pulse of a school life and daily issues our kids face in a school.