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Annotated Bibliography

Kat Lien

ED698 Master’s Portfolio Spring 2024

University of Alaska Southeast

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Philosophy

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching & the brain. Corwin.

This book is one I have picked up again and again. It highlights the importance of building

awareness, knowledge, learning partnerships, and intellectual capacity. It encourages teachers to

respect and honor the cultural capital of all students. As it pertains to my philosophy of

education, the big takeaway for me is the description of a warm demander. Hammond depicts a

teacher who forms alliances with students, balancing high expectations and warmth. The

classroom of a warm demander has an air of acceptance, trust, guidance, and positive feedback.

Johnston, P. (2012). Opening minds: Using language to change lives. Stenhouse.

Johnston discusses the power of words in this concise and inspiring text. From the “power of

yet” to the types of feedback a teacher gives, Johnston highlights some of the most effective

ways we communicate with one another. My philosophy of education counts on interpersonal

connections, parental involvement, and positive feedback. So, this text has been most useful as

I’ve learned to distinguish between praise and being positive, as well as shallow praise instead of

productive feedback.

Learner Development

Slavin, R. E. (2019). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (12th ed). Pearson.

This is a comprehensive account of all the major theorists who have paved the way in

educational psychology. Slavin uses a typical textbook structure to inform readers about

cognitive and social emotional development, various theories of learning, effectively motivating

students to learn, and assessing student learning. I refer to this text when I seek clarity on

theorists, their research, and various approaches to teaching and learning.

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Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction: Understanding

by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This book provides a framework for implementing differentiated instruction aimed at meeting

each student where they are developmentally. The authors introduce the Understanding by

Design (UbD) approach to planning, which focuses on learning outcomes and designing

curriculum to meet those goals. This book describes the necessary balance between a student’s

construction of meaning and the teacher’s guidance. The authors teach us that students must

construct meaning for themselves, at their own rate, as they develop understanding based on their

own life experiences.

Diversity & Differentiation

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching & the brain. Corwin.

This book not only contributes weightily to my philosophy of education; it also aides my

teaching practice in a culturally diverse area of Alaska. In this text, Hammond classifies three

levels of culture: surface, shallow, and deep. I’ve observed students grasp onto these various

levels of their own awareness in my classroom, and always welcomed and respected their

cultural values. Similarly, Hammond’s Ready for Rigor framework has allowed me to build

partnerships with my students and their families, being especially sensitive to everyone’s cultural

capital.

Tomlinson, C.A. & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction: Understanding

by design. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This text demonstrates a useful curriculum design model meant to promote student success in

academically diverse classrooms. The authors posit that students differ in the way they prefer to
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process information, so it only makes sense they differ in preferred assessment options as well.

The authors urge educators to allow all students to experience curricula that require them to

make meaning at high levels through inclusion. This book encourages me to offer choices in

assessments, allowing students to show what they know in different ways that meet their unique

cognitive and cultural needs.

Planning Instruction

Fisher, D., Frey, N., Amador, O., & Assof, J. (2019) The teacher clarity playbook: A hands-

on guide to creating learning intentions and success criteria for organized, effective

instruction; grades K-12. Corwin.

Fisher et al. use what we know about backward design to help teams of educators clearly plan

instruction. The big idea is to talk about learning targets with students and display them in the

classroom, so that students will know what they’re supposed to be learning. Additionally,

teachers create success criteria with students, so they know the expected outcomes. In short, this

book is designed to show educators the importance of students taking some responsibility in their

own learning. The authors urge that students should know what they are learning about, why it’s

relevant, and how they can show they’ve successfully mastered the standard.

Nielsen, M. (2024). The 15-day challenge: Simplify and energize your PLC at work process.

Solution Tree Press.

This book has become a valuable resource to me as an educator. Nielson uses the terms

“boulders, rocks, and butterflies” to help teachers plan instruction. When teachers review grade-

level standards to teach, they can classify how much time and effort to spend on a unit using

these terms. Boulders represent what students need to know, rocks signify what is nice to know,
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while butterflies are lessons that are fun to know. Boulders are the high-priority foundational

skills that require more time to reach mastery. Rocks are not as urgent, but still standards that

need to be assessed. Butterflies are standards that have already been taught and will be covered

again and again; these don’t often require a lot of time. This method helps streamline my

instructional planning process.

Assessment

Landrigan, C. & Mulligan, T. (2013). Assessment in perspective: Focusing on the reader

behind the numbers. Stenhouse Publishers.

This text encourages educators to see beyond the numbers of a test score and look closer to find

out what students still need to know. The authors posit that purposeful instruction and

assessment go hand in hand, as we differentiate materials to meet our students’ needs. They

encourage high standards and developmentally appropriate materials. This book helps me

understand how and when to use informal versus formal assessments. It highlights the difference

between collecting quantitative and qualitative data, which is useful for teacher researchers as we

assess students’ progress and plan instruction.

Taylor, C.S., & Nolen, S.B. (2008). Classroom assessment: Supporting teaching and learning

in real classrooms (2nd ed.). Pearson: New Jersey.

This book highlights how assessment can drive our instruction in a positive way. Many teachers

and students feel negative emotions surrounding assessments. Ever conscious of this, the authors

have outlined a useful guide for teachers to plan assessment and instruction together to best

support students. This book solidified my understanding of pre-assessment, formative

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assessment, and summative assessments as evidenced in my correlating framing statement. This

allows me to plan instruction and assessment around learning goals and objectives.

Literacy

Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. Jossey-

Bass.

This is my favorite read from my MAT studies thus far. It is a practical and inspiring guide for

teachers who wish to transform their classrooms into vibrant reading communities. In today’s

elementary classroom, state mandates require teachers to spend a certain number of minutes

teaching core reading curriculum. But mandated minutes don’t necessarily create lifelong

readers. Donalyn Miller holds the notion that all students have the potential to become avid

readers and she nurtured her classroom environment by offering students choices in what they

read. She gave the power to choose to her students; she taught them to embrace a lifestyle of

reading in community with one another. She inspired me to begin “book commercials” in my

classroom, in lieu of traditional book reports. A book commercial is an opportunity for students

to give short, impromptu testimonials about books they’ve read and recommend (or don’t

recommend) to others. My students love it and so do I.

Miller, D. (2013). Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary grades.

Stenhouse Publishing.

This is another powerhouse instructional guide for teachers who want to foster comprehension

skills in students at all reading levels. Debbie Miller, like Donalyn Miller, believes in building a

supportive and engaging reading community at school. She teaches us to model our thinking

during instruction in order to show our students how we process and interpret information. Miller
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understands the importance of the pre-reading stage and inspires me to think about which topics

my students may or may not have background knowledge. I often project pictures and videos to

help build background knowledge before and during lessons. This book is a great resource for

educators who wish to promote proficient reading comprehension at the elementary level.

Science

Moline, S. (2012). I see what you mean: Visual literacy K-8 (2nd ed.). Stenhouse Publishers.

This book highlights the importance of visual literacy methods that can benefit any elementary

classroom. This resource helps teachers to strengthen their teaching practice across multiple

subjects as students develop the skills needed to interpret and create visuals in learning. Moline

posits that interactive diagrams are a beneficial way to interpret text; interactivity adds a deeper

meaning compared to just reading a visual text. This is paramount in science instruction when

we have so little time to dedicate to it. This book reminds me to use multiple modes of visual

information processing when teaching science.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe J. (2005). Understanding by design. Pearson.

This resource teaches us about backwards planning, which prioritizes desired learning outcomes

as the best way to plan instruction. The authors emphasize the importance of alignment between

instruction and assessment in order to best support student learning. Specific to science

instruction, the UbD framework inspires me to increase engagement by involving mystery, being

hands-on, and building upon real-life challenges. This framework has helped me to create some

really cool sensory experiences for students.

Math
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Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to

college. Jossey-Bass.

This text is an amazing resource that guides teachers in specific strategies to enhance student

achievement. Lemov covers 62 various techniques including classroom management, lesson

delivery, engagement, and setting high academic expectations. These real-world examples are

beneficial for beginning and veteran educators. When teaching math, I take a page out of his

book during my “turn and talk” routine. He suggests setting clear and succinct time limits that

maximize student engagement. In this way, conversation ends at the peak of students’ interest

and energy, instead of when it has already petered out. Lemov also dedicates a chapter to

circulating the room, which I often do during math instruction as a way to increase engagement.

These are just two of the strategies outlined in this comprehensive guide meant to prepare

students for success.

Van de Walle, J.A., Karp, K.S., & Bay-Williams, J.M. (2019). Elementary and

middle school mathematics teaching developmentally (10th ed). Pearson.

The authors emphasize a constructivist approach to math instruction in this resource. I

am encouraged to engage students in active learning and exploration by this book. We

can get so caught up in curriculum that we forget to let children explore math concepts

through play. When we allow kids to manipulate objects as they relate to mathematics,

they can create authentic connections to real-world situations. While teaching math, I

enjoy bringing candy or toys into the equations to try to make these types of connections.

This book provides a combination of theoretical frameworks, real-life examples, and

lesson ideas that benefit educators and students alike.

Social Studies
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Lesh, B. A. (2011). “Why won’t you just tell us the answer?”: Teaching historical thinking in

grades 7-12. Stenhouse Publishers.

Bruce Lesh provides students with a new way of practicing history, not just learning it by

memorizing facts only to retain information for a quiz. Students are given the tools to develop

their own questions and defend their answers using the evidence provided. This book will stay on

my shelf as a reminder to be bold in educating young people and to remember why I chose this

career path. Lesh posits that textbooks can be used to spur investigation of historical questions,

but it’s up to the teacher to decide what relationship the textbook has with historical thinking.

Ultimately, his advice is to “treat the textbook as just another piece of historical evidence and

move on” (p. 25).

Moline, S. (2012). I see what you mean: Visual literacy K-8 (2nd ed.). Stenhouse Publishers.

This book is an invaluable resource that explains and emphasizes visual literacy. The big

takeaway from this book are the various ways to differentiate lessons with visual literacy

options. This book offers ideas and opportunities to change the typical “turn in your worksheet”

method. Students benefit from options in assessment to show what they know. Specific to Social

Studies, Moline inspires me to try to deepen students’ understanding of maps and mapping skills,

like spatial awareness and navigation skills. This book sits on my shelf as a reminder to use

variety in teaching.

Koechlin, C. & Zwaan, S. (2014). Q tasks: How to empower students to ask questions and

care about answers (2nd ed.). Pembroke Publishers.

This resource is designed to empower students to develop their own questions and organize their

academic ideas. It is used time and time again in my classroom. Sticky notes throughout this text
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denote pages to copy for specific lesson plans. From promoting curiosity in the beginning of the

year to using Bloom’s taxonomy later in the year, my students use these Q tasks to explore,

question, and create. This book is not only used as a supplemental resource, but a chance to

promote deep thinking for my students.

Arts Integration

Beal, N., & Miller, G. B. (2001). The art of teaching art to children: In school and at home.

Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

This book offers useful techniques and practical lesson ideas to inspire educators to nurture the

art of teaching art, as the title suggests. The authors emphasize the importance of letting kids use

their own creativity and expression as they move through different developmental stages of art

exploration. This resource also teaches us to incorporate art in various content areas to allow

students to stimulate personal expression. This book is full of practical advice for teachers and

parents who wish to foster art appreciation in the classroom and at home.

Eisner, E. W. (2011). The arts and the creation of mind. Yale Univ. Press.

In this book, Eisner explores the benefits of arts integration into educational curricula and even

argues that the arts are crucial to shaping cognition and fostering creativity. He also posits that

art can enhance engagement across different content areas. This resource emphasizes how

teachers can enrich learning by cultivating the diverse talents of students as they make

connections between subject areas through art and creativity.

Learning Environments

Lemov, D. (2015). Teach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to

college. Jossey-Bass.
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This resource, which offers 62 practical techniques to foster healthy learning environments, is

one of my favorite resources to access when it seems engagement is waning in my classroom.

Opening this book serves as a reminder that even the smallest things, like circulating around the

room or offering precise praise, can make a big difference in the classroom. When teachers

strategically move around the room during instruction, we can “break the plane” and add energy

to the learning, rather than just staying at the front of the room or behind a desk. Lemov notes

that we can positively affect learning environments by circulating and offering precise praise to

show interest in our students and encourage them to be actively engaged at school. These are

just two of the strategies I utilize to enhance my classroom learning environment.

MacKenzie, R. J., & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom: A complete guide

to effective classroom management with a school-wide discipline plan (3rd ed.). Three

Rivers Press.

This book is a powerful tool for beginning teachers. MacKenzie and Stanzione stress the

importance of setting clear expectations, proactive interventions, and natural consequences in the

classroom. The authors include advice on how to address discipline issues as teachable

moments, instead of punishment for the sake of punishment. The book also includes sample

discipline plans that rely on collaboration within the school and how to effectively implement

them. This practical guide is a must read for new teachers and those who struggle with

consistent discipline practices.

Parents & Community

Lickona, T. D. (1994). Raising good children: From birth through the teenage years. Bantam.
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This book is really geared more towards parenting, but it also offers unique insights into

fostering moral development and good character in children and adolescents. Lickona draws on

educational psychology research to offer advice and strategies to help parents and teachers guide

children into being morally responsible and caring people. Although this book seems a bit

outdated in some respects, it is still a very beneficial resource for parents and teachers. The

author stresses that the parents of successful people place a high value on education. Similarly,

Lickona posits that partnerships between home and school lead to student success as we model

and teach key values to kids each day.

Mackenzie, R.J. & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom: A complete guide to

effective classroom management with a school-wide discipline plan (3rd ed.). Three

Rivers Press.

This resource is great for setting up discipline strategies in the classroom, but it also offers

unique insights into building good relationships between teachers and parents. MacKenzie and

Stanzione encourage teachers to involve parents in the encouragement process through a few

strategies, like positive phone calls home or unsolicited notes of encouragement. If the only time

teachers are calling home to families is to report bad news, trust and rapport is harder to come

by. This book reminds me to be intentional and positive in my communication with families.

Professionalism

Miller, D. (2015). Teaching with intention: Defining beliefs, aligning practice, taking action,

K-5. Hawker Brownlow Education.

This book guides teachers who seek alignment between their beliefs and practices about

education. It teaches me to be purposeful and authentic in my profession. Miller inspires

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teachers to build supportive classroom communities, set clear learning goals, and design

engaging lessons that are focused on student learning. Intentionality in the profession also

means attending to the needs of my students, both academically and emotionally. Miller’s

thoughtful consideration and insight in this book equip teachers with tools we need to create

impactful learning opportunities for our students.

DuFour, R., DuFour, R. B., Eaker, R. E., Many, T. W., Mattos, M., & Muhammad, A.

(2024). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at

work. Solution Tree Press.

This book guides educational professionals in collaboration with one another through a focus on

community. The authors describe the three key elements, or big ideas, of a Professional

Learning Community (PLC) which include a focus on learning, a collaborative nature, and a

results orientation. Professionals who focus on learning set clear learning targets with their

students and collaborate with team members to successfully reach those goals. By embracing a

Professional Learning Community, teachers can create more effective learning opportunities for

all students and grow in their profession.

Technology

Echevarría, J., & Graves, A. W. (2015). Sheltered content instruction: Teaching english

learners with diverse abilities. Pearson.

This resource is designed to help teachers working with English language learners in mainstream

classrooms. It also provides insight into how technology can benefit learners, especially ELLs,

through specific content instruction strategies. According to the authors, using videos and

pictures can be an effective way to make content more understandable for ELLs and students
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with learning disabilities. Incorporating visual clues can help students process information both

orally and visually. This book offers principles and practices to make classrooms more equitable

to all students.

Gargiulo, R. M. & Metcalf, D. (2017). Teaching in today’s inclusive classrooms: A universal

design for learning approach. Cengage Learning.

Gargiulo and Metcalf emphasize the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as the

best way to accommodate the needs of all students. The authors discuss inclusion, the

importance of differentiating instruction, and the use of technology to support inclusive learning.

The book highlights practical assistive technology supports ranging from no-tech, low-tech, and

high-tech for students with IEPs or 504s. This resource helps teachers create learning

environments that are supportive and accessible to all.