True learning—the kind that stays with students long after the grades are in—requires risk. Ownership. Change. But what does it look like for students to really understand your subject? How can you structure assignments so that Googling becomes an asset, not a threat, to demonstrating knowledge? Veteran teacher Mickey Kolis invites you to reflect on how you “do learning” in your classroom. Real-life classroom examples demonstrate how you can shift the drive for learning into students’ hands—while still meeting your learning benchmarks. From making assignments meaningful to students to assessing the results, Powerful Ideas in Teaching explores key ideas for creating environments where students want to learn.

"Kolis and Krusack have written a book for those seeking to make changes to education in the 21st century. The book is divided into 19 chapters that are content rich, easy to understand, and appropriate to multiple audiences. The book begins with a chapter on self-reflection. This chapter sets the stage for the reader to focus on the significance and role of self-reflection in professional development. The authors begin with the importance of beliefs and explore the power of learning, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, appropriate expectations, inquiry, and flexibility. Toward the end of the book they note that parents and the community are included in this process, and this insight reflects the book's theme of interconnectedness. The final chapter brings the reader back to the first chapter in which they list their 19 ideas. The authors indicate that the point of the final chapter is to invite the reader to think in terms of influences on belief rather than causes of beliefs. People act on what they truly believe. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers, undergraduate students, and professionals" - CHOICE