Teaching for Understanding: Linking Research with Practice Hardcover - 1997

First line

Teaching for understanding-the view that what students learn needs to be internalized, able to be used in many different circumstances in and out of classrooms, serving as a base for ongoing and extended learning, always alive with possibilities-has long been endorsed as a primary educational goal in the schools.

From the rear cover

Most educators agree that students need to acquire and use knowledge in ways that go beyond the rote memorization of facts and figures--to develop a level of understanding that will serve them well throughout their lives. Unfortunately, traditional teaching approaches fall short of achieving this goal.

This book presents an innovative approach to teaching that develops understanding. Based on a six-year collaborative research project of school teachers and researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the book describes what teaching for understanding looks like in the classroom, and examines how teachers have learned to design and enact such practices.

At the heart of the book is a framework that transforms traditional teaching by providing clear and coherent guidance on choosing curriculum topics, defining explicit goals, designing learning activities, fostering student understanding, and assessing students? performance. Most important, it offers a model to support the ongoing learning of teachers and students.

Written by a diverse group of researchers and teachers, this important resource will convince all who care about schooling that understanding is education's worthiest goal.

From the jacket flap

Most educators agree that students need to acquire and use knowledge in ways that go beyond the rote memorization of facts and figures--to develop a level of understanding that will serve them well throughout their lives. Unfortunately, traditional teaching approaches fall short of achieving this goal.This book presents an innovative approach to teaching that develops understanding. Based on a six-year collaborative research project of school teachers and researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the book describes what teaching for understanding looks like in the classroom, and examines how teachers have learned to design and enact such practices.

At the heart of the book is a framework that transforms traditional teaching by providing clear and coherent guidance on choosing curriculum topics, defining explicit goals, designing learning activities, fostering student understanding, and assessing students' performance. Most important, it offers a model to support the ongoing learning of teachers and students.Written by a diverse group of researchers and teachers, this important resource will convince all who care about schooling that understanding is education's worthiest goal.