Stars in the Schoolhouse: Teaching Practices and Approaches that Make a Difference

It is acknowledged that today’s teachers are tasked with educating increasingly diverse students as well as with addressing their academic and social-emotional needs. The Stars in the Schoolhouse: Teaching Practices and Approaches that Make a Difference offers a visionary look at teaching skills and practices that focus on the classroom, technology, and specific content areas that are often ignored in educational conversations. Emphasis is placed on research-based strategies, practices, and theories that can be readily translated into classroom practice, whilst examining cutting-edge teaching practices that make a difference in improving general educator and/or student performance across the grade spans. This high-quality teaching resource will be of interest to regular and special educators, school administrators, guidance counselors, graduate education professors, and university students.

Chapter 1: Curriculum Design: Principles, Methods, & Strategies
Cindy Nelson Head, PhD, University of West Georgia
Angela C. Fain, PhD, University of West Georgia

Chapter 2: Lesson Planning for Success: Ensuring Education for All
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Michaela F. Rice, MEd, Woburn Public Schools

Chapter 3: The Inclusive Classroom: All Students Engaged and Learning
Angela C. Fain, PhD, University of West Georgia
Ellen L. Duchaine, PhD, Texas State University

Chapter 4: Scientifically-Based Teaching Strategies: Helping Students Excel in the Classroom
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Kristen Bonanno-Sotiropoulos, Bay Path University

Chapter 5: Teaching Practices that Make a Difference: Doing What Works for Every Learner
James Shivers, PhD, University of Connecticut

Chapter 6: There’s an App for That: Teaching with Technology in Mind
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Elizabeth Jean, EdD, Endicott College

Chapter 7: Mathematical Content for Teaching: Solving the Student Achievement Equation
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Dianne M. Young, MA, MEd, University of Massachusetts

Chapter 8: Writing Instruction: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
Anya S. Evmenova, PhD, Kelley S. Regan, PhD, Margo A. Mastropieri, PhD, and Thomas E.
Scruggs, PhD, George Washington University

Chapter 9: Preservice Teachers: How Colleges Are Preparing the 21st Century Educator
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Aimee Dalenta, MEd, Goodwin College

Chapter 10: The Potency of Learning: Teacher Professional Development with Promise
Nicholas D. Young, PhD, EdD, American International College
Amy Gallagher, MEd, Endicott College

Chapter 11: The Seasons of a Teacher’s Life: Career Stages and Developmental Implications
Christine N. Michael, PhD, American International College

Dr. Nicholas D. Young has worked in diverse educational roles for more than 29 years, serving as a principal, special education director, graduate professor, graduate program director, graduate dean, and longtime superintendent of schools. He was named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year; and he completed a distinguished Fulbright program focused on the Japanese educational system through the collegiate level. Dr. Young is the recipient of numerous other honors and recognitions including the General Douglas MacArthur Award for distinguished civilian and military leadership and the Vice Admiral John T. Hayward Award for exemplary scholarship. He holds several graduate degrees including a PhD in educational administration and an EdD in educational psychology. Dr. Young is also a regular presenter at state, national, and international conferences; and he has written many books, book chapters, and/or articles on various topics in education, counseling, and psychology.

Dr. Elizabeth Jean has served as an elementary school educator and administrator in various rural and urban settings in Massachusetts for more than 20 years. As a building administrator, she has fostered partnerships with families, various local businesses, and higher education institutions. She is currently a graduate adjunct professor at the Van Loan School of Education, Endicott College and previously taught at the College of Our Lady of the Elms. In terms of formal education, Dr. Jean
received a BS in education from Springfield College; a MEd in education with a concentration in reading from the College of Our Lady of the Elms; and an EdD in curriculum, teaching, learning and leadership from Northeastern University. She has written extensively on a variety of educational topics from preschool through PhD.

Dr. Teresa Allissa Citro is the Chief Executive Officer, Learning Disabilities Worldwide, Inc. and the Founder and President of Thread of Hope, Inc. She is a graduate of Tufts New England Medical School and Northeastern University, Boston. Dr. Citro has co-edited several books on a wide range of topics in special education and she co-authored a popular children’s series I Am Full of Possibilities. Furthermore, Dr. Citro is the co-editor of two peer review journals including Learning Disabilities: A
Contemporary Journal and Insights on Learning Disabilities from Prevailing Theories to Validated Practices. She is the mother of two young children and resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

Curriculum design, universal design for learning, lesson planning, content knowledge, technology, standards-based learning, diverse learners, evidence-based practices, brain science, personalized learning, mathematical content, writing instruction, Common Core, graphic organizers, professional development, teacher preparation, performance standards, lifecycle, stages of a career