Interest in learning at work has captured the attention of many people around the world, often taking centre stage in policy debates. This book is about the everyday learning that goes on in workplaces – ranging from offices, factories and shops to gyms, health centres and universities. Each chapter presents evidence – taken from both private and public sectors – to illustrate how employers, researchers and policy-makers can Improve the conditions for nurturing and sustaining learning at work Build appropriate workforce development plans within given constraints Recognize that the creation and use of knowledge is widely distributed Mobilize existing workplace resources to support learning This topical book will appeal to an international readership of undergraduate and postgraduate students, vocational teachers and trainers, human resource professionals, policy-makers, and researchers.

Provides specific information on how to transform schools into results-oriented professional learning communities, describing the best practices that have been used by schools nationwide.

Your working memory is the information your brain stores for a short period of time, it is your brain's 'post-it note' if you like, and how much information you can remember has a huge influence on how well you do at school, and beyond. By understanding a child's working memory, you will be able to support his/her learning and concentration at school, and their concentration. Better working memory can be particularly useful to children with conditions where poor working memory is thought to be an underlying factor. Such conditions include: - dyslexia - dyscalculia - speech and language difficulties - developmental co-ordination disorders (motor dyspraxia) - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - autistic spectrum disorders. This book explains how to spot problems early and how to work with children to improve their working memory, therefore increasing their chances of success in the classroom. It also explains the theory behind working memory. Underpinned by rigorous research and written in a highly accessible style, this book will appeal to practitioners, parents and students as an essential guide to helping their students fulfil their maximum potential.

As a field, education has largely failed to learn from experience. Time after time, promising education reforms fall short of their goals and are abandoned as other promising ideas take their place. In Learning to Improve, the authors argue for a new approach. Rather than “implementing fast and learning slow,” they believe educators should adopt a more rigorous approach to improvement that allows the field to “learn fast to implement well.” Using ideas borrowed from improvement science, the authors show how a process of disciplined inquiry can be combined with the use of networks to identify, adapt, and successfully scale up promising interventions in education. Organized around six core principles, the book shows how “networked improvement communities” can bring together researchers and practitioners to accelerate learning in key areas of education. Examples include efforts to address the high rates of failure among students in community college remedial math courses and strategies for improving feedback to novice teachers. Learning to Improve offers a new paradigm for research and development in education that promises to be a powerful driver of improvement for the nation’s schools and colleges.

Build teacher capacity to promote students′ authentic intellectual work In spite of numerous reforms to improve rigor and relevance in the classroom, our schools have been slow to change. This work provides A research-validated, field-tested framework that can be applied across grades and disciplines A powerful professional learning component that emphasizes teacher collaboration Detailed examples of lessons, assignments, assessment tasks, and student work Backed by over 20 years of research, the Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW) framework helps school-based teams improve the quality of instruction, assessment, and curriculum for higher and more equitable student learning. "Newmann and colleagues offer a refreshing approach to research and professional development, which deeply honors teachers′ critical inquiry and collaboration. Thanks to their insights, educators finally have a framework for promoting rigor and relevance across all grades and subjects. Those who join this journey will reap the rewards of increased teacher engagement and improved student learning." Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Stanford University "Authentic Intellectual Work enables educators to overcome challenges to Common Core implementation. Newmann, Carmichael, and King explain how the AIW approach builds the culture of collaboration and trust required for successful school reform. Importantly, they show how collective professional development among teachers and school leaders can enhance educators’ learning and practice, leading to more equitable student outcomes." Greg Anrig, Senior Fellow The Century Foundation

Interest in learning at work has captured the attention of many people around the world, often taking centre stage in policy debates about improving economic performance, prosperity and well-being. This book is about the learning that goes on in workplaces – ranging from offices, factories and shops to gyms, health centres and universities – and how it can be improved. Such learning includes everyday work activity, on-the-job instruction and off-the-job training events. Improving Working as Learning is the first book to analyze systematically learning at work in different settings by developing and applying a new analytical framework. The Working as Learning Framework connects the particularities of work tasks with the way jobs are organized and the wider pressures and constraints organizations face for survival, growth and development. The authors convincingly demonstrate that the framework offers a sophisticated understanding of how improving the work environment – both within the workplace and beyond – can enhance and sustain improvements in learning at work. Each chapter presents evidence – taken from both private and public sectors – to illustrate how the Working as Learning Framework provides a means by which employers, researchers and policy-makers can Improve the conditions for nurturing and sustaining learning at work Build appropriate workforce development plans within given constraints Recognize that the creation and use of knowledge is widely distributed Mobilize existing workplace resources to support learning Enhance and extend our understanding of how workplace learning is shaped by relationships at, and beyond, the workplace This topical book will appeal to an international readership of undergraduate and postgraduate students, vocational teachers and trainers, human resource professionals, policy-makers, and researchers.

Improving Learning Transfer in Organizations features contributions from leading experts in the field learning transfer, and offers the most current information, ideas, and theories on the topic and aptly illustrates how to put transfer systems into action. In this book, the authors move beyond explanation to intervention by contributing their most recent thinking on how best to intervene in organizational contexts to influence the transfer of learning. Written for chief learning officers, training and development practitioners, management development professionals, and human resource management practitioners, this important volume shows how to create systems that ensure employees are getting and retaining the information, skills, and knowledge necessary to accomplish tasks on the job. Improving Learning Transfer in Organizations addresses learning transfer on both the individual and organizational level. This volume shows how to diagnose learning transfer systems, create a transfer-ready profile, and assess and place employees to maximize transfer. The book includes information on how to determine what process should be followed to design an organization-specific learning transfer system intervention. The authors focus on the actual learning process and show how to use front-end analysis to avoid transfer problems. In addition, they outline the issues associated with such popular work-based learning initiatives as action learning and communities of practice, and they also present applications on learning transfer within e-learning and team training contexts.

"This timely book is exactly what modern schools need, blending Fullan′s theoretical genius about change with practical strategies that can work in any school. Readers will discover that it is practical, easy to use, and empowering for educators, with lots of room for personal choices at the school level." -Lyn Sharratt, Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructional Services, York Region District School Board, North Toronto, ON, Canada "This book is an easy read and provides a well developed idea of framing the school context for student achievement. The author provides excellent resources, worksheets, templates, walk-through and reflection ideas, and additional support materials." -Rosemarie Young, Past President, National Association of Elementary School Principals Encourage sustainable reform practices that foster development for the entire school community! Need an inspiring approach to school change? Need staying power for school improvement initiatives? Organized to make learning contagious throughout the school, this user-friendly guide helps create a culture of learning that promotes the simultaneous development of students, teachers, and parents—addressing specific ways to maximize study groups, student data, classroom walk-throughs, and more. The interactive self-assessment protocols focus on: Achieving a sense of purpose Facilitating program coherence Invigorating classroom teaching Supporting the professional development of teachers Developing wider circles of leadership Issuing a call to action for all educational communities, this easy-to-use manual offers a visionary yet grounded approach to revitalize educators and reenergize their efforts for meaningful, lasting reform.

First Published in 2007. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

When teachers get together and apply their combined knowledge and experience to the challenges of teaching and learning, amazing things can happen. In this book, you'll find out how to set up collaborative analysis of student work in your school. Developed and refined with more than 100 elementary and secondary teachers, this adaptable system combines the best of action research, study groups, standards-based learning, student assessment, teacher reflection, and portfolio assessment. The authors guide you through each component with concrete, detailed descriptions and authentic examples. You'll learn * ideas for setting up effective study groups * strategies for documenting students' progress toward learning standards * methods for reflecting on professional growth * ways to share the benefits with colleagues and students. This system of professional inquiry challenges you to examine your beliefs about what students can do and helps you identify which teaching methods are working most successfully. You and your colleagues can acquire deeper insight into the link between your instruction and each student's learning--and enhance your ability to help every student succeed.