The focus of Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities is answering the most common question posed by schools... seeking to start their transformation into professional learning communities: Where do we begin? In the Introduction, the authors present the PLC concept, making the book accessible to those who have not yet read Professional Learning Communities at Work and providing a review of the framework for those who have. The main focus of the Introduction is that PLC is not a cookie-cutter approach, but rather a process that can be complex and non-linear. The book provides the reader access to a solid conceptual framework and concrete illustrations of how schools operate when they are functioning as PLCs, as well as to assessments for determining the effectiveness of their efforts.

The performance review. It is one of the most insidious, most damaging, and yet most ubiquitous of corporate activities. We all hate it. And yet nobody... does anything about it. Until now... Straight-talking Sam Culbert, management guru and UCLA professor, minces no words as he puts managers on notice that -- with the performance review as their weapon of choice -- they have built a corporate culture based on intimidation and fear. Teaming up with Wall Street Journal Senior Editor Lawrence Rout, he shows us why performance reviews are bogus and how they undermine both creativity and productivity. And he puts a good deal of the blame squarely on human resources professionals, who perpetuate the very practice that they should be trying to eliminate. But Culbert does more than merely tear down. He also offers a substitute -- the performance preview -- that will actually accomplish the tasks that performance reviews were supposed to, but never will: holding people accountable for their actions and their results, and giving managers and their employees the kind of feedback they need for improving their skills and to give the company more of what it needs. With passion, humor, and a rare insight into what motivates all of us to do our best, Culbert offers all of us a chance to be better managers, better employees and, indeed, better people. Culbert has long said his goal is to make the world of work fit for human consumption. "Get Rid of the Performance Review!" shows us how to do just that.

"It’s been six months, and I STILL can’t get my English language learners to participate in class!""How can I help my newcomers feel more... comfortable around other students?" "Am I doing enough to help my English language learners succeed?" Have you had these thoughts? Take heart, you are not alone. As schools and districts swell with growing numbers of English language learners, and as administrators and teachers wrestle with federal guidelines for educating these students, many educators are faced with these same challenges and much more. To meet these challenges, it is imperative for educators to learn about and use the theories and teaching strategies that will help English language learners succeed in the classroom.In Getting Started with English Language Learners: How Educators Can Meet the Challenge, Judie Haynes provides a practical resource to help educators who are new to the field of English as a Second Language understand the needs of English language learners. From learning how students acquire a second language to differentiating instruction to exploring practical strategies for teaching newcomers, this book will help educators learn how to create effective learning environments for English language learners. Real-life scenarios from actual classrooms are presented throughout the book. The book also includes a brief overview of different types of ESL programs used in the United States and a helpful glossary of common ESL terminology. New teachers, veteran educators working with English language learners for the first time, and administrators can all use this book to increase their knowledge, improve their practice, and, most importantly, effectively educate and inspire English language learners. Judie Haynes has taught in elementary ESL classrooms for the past 26 years. She is the author and coauthor of four books on helping classroom teachers with English language learners, and she is the co-founder of the award-winning Web site everythingESL.net.

The manual is intended for use as a supplement to a core college, principles, or financial accounting course. The Peachtree manual may also be... appropriate for Accounting Information Systems courses. This brief manual is intended to introduce students to the essential functions of the most popular software packages used by accountants.

Getting Started with Game Maker shows aspiring game developers how to create their very own, professional-quality computer games, no programming... knowledge required. Using Game Maker's simple, drag-and-drop environment and following along with the step-by-step instructions, you'll learn how to create arcade-style 2D and 3D games complete with graphics, sound effects, and music. Game Maker provides everything you need to create, test, debug, and run your games in a Windows environment. Even if you're brand new to game development, you'll be able to make a working game that you can play and share others. And not having to worry about the programming the game allows you to focus on the design and how to make the game more fun and challenging. Along the way you'll learn the basic principles of game development. And if you want to create more complex games you can take advantage of Game Maker's built-in Game maker Language that allows you to develop highly advanced games and applications. So let's get started!

This text puts the high-tech field of geographic information systems within reach for students like you. It provides a basic, non-technical, and... friendly introduction in one convenient source. It examines the basic GIS material that is traditionally found throughout the Geography curriculum—e.g., in Cartography, GIS spatial analysis, and quantitative methods. Clarke’s “learn-by-seeing” approach gives you clear, simple explanations, and an abundance of illustrations and photos.

Offers tips on juggling your newfound responsibilities as purchasing agent, librarian, repair technician, and, yes, teacher. Hear how to turn your first... rehearsal into a delight for both you and your students. Find out how to make your way through the maze of grades and awards.

Getting Started with Linux: Novell's Guide to CompTIA's Linux+ (Course 3060) introduces students to the knowledge and skills needed to manage all Linux... distributions. Specifically, this course covers the objectives outlined by CompTIA for its Linux+ exam and certification, an international industry credentials that offers proof of knowledge. Not only does this course prepare students for the ComTIA Linux+ exam; it offers an excellent way to begin preparing for the Novell Certification Linux Professional (Novell CLP) practicum exam. In fact, after completing this course, students will have acquired one-third the knowledge needed to become a full Novell CLP, the ideal certification for people interested in becoming Linux administrators.

Interpreting texts can lead readers on journeys that change their lives forever. However, many middle school students - unused to looking between the... lines, unused to building or amending their readings of a text - need your guidance as they learn to develop and discuss their own interpretations. In this smart and lively guide, veteran middle-school teacher Donna Santman shows you how to teach readers the skills and strategies of comprehension and interpretation within the framework of a reading workshop. Shades of Meaning takes you through Santman's own rigorous workshop, describing the teaching that allows students to stretch and empower their imaginations. Santman offers guidance in: creating curriculum and lessons that teach habits of mind that support interpretation, like naming the ideas hiding in texts and thinking about perspectives from which to analyze those ideas using reading workshop structures to teach students to practice articulating their thoughts, exploring others' ideas, and interpreting texts assessing students' interpretive skills and moving them toward deeper and more meaningful interpretations using standards-based rubrics and checklists to communicate expectations and track students' progress. With Donna Santman's assistance, you can teach readers the interpretive skills they need to help them find a foothold in their ever-changing world; with Shades of Meaning, you can teach readers ways to understand, interpret, and speak back to the texts in their lives.

GETTING STARTED WITH MACINTOSH OS X LEOPARD, ILLUSTRATED is a brand new offering from the Illustrated Series! This book will get students up and running... with Mac Leopard effortlessly. As part of the Illustrated Series, this practical, easy to navigate book provides instructions on the left page and large, full-color screenshots on the right page.

The purpose of this guide is to give a quick introduction on how to use Maple. It primarily covers Maple 12, although most of the guide will work with... earlier versions of Maple. Also, throughout this guide, we will be suggesting tips and diagnosing common problems that users are likely to encounter. This should make the learning process smoother.This guide is designed as a self-study tutorial to learn Maple. Our emphasis is on getting you quickly up to speed. This guide can also be used as a supplement (or reference) for students taking a mathematics (or science) course that requires use of Maple, such as Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Advanced Calculus, Linear Algebra, Discrete Mathematics, Modeling, or Statistics.

This guide covers Mathematica Version 6.0, which is a major upgrade to previous versions of the software. Several interactive features have been... incorporated into the user interface (e.g., animations have become very easy to work with and manipulations offer many opportunities for student demonstrations), commands have extended and more consistent syntax, more commands are now available without the need to load packages, and the standard packages have been reorganized.

MATLAB, a software package for high-performance numerical computation and visualization, is one of the most widely used tools in the engineering field... today. Its broad appeal lies in its interactive environment, which features hundreds of built-in functions for technical computation, graphics, and animation. In addition, MATLAB provides easy extensibility with its own high-level programming language.Enhanced by fun and appealing illustrations, Getting Started with MATLAB employs a casual, accessible writing style that shows users how to enjoy using MATLAB.Features* Discusses new features and applications, including the new engine of symbolic computation in MATLAB 7.8 (released March 2009)* Provides two sets of self guided tutorials for learning essential features of MATLAB* Includes updated commands, examples, figure, and graphs* Familiarizes users with MATLAB in just a few hours though self-guided lessons* Covers elementary, advanced, and special functions* Supplements any course that uses MATLAB* Works as a stand-alone tutorial and referenceVisit the companion website at http://www.oup.com/us/pratap for more information on updates to MATLAB software.