good as a reminder but not as a teacher
581689
some explanations are a bit difficult to understand so if you want to learn from it might not be the best but very handy if you just need it as a reminder to knots you already know but cant just remember bits
209732
I thought that these cards would be a more useful tool for learning and practicing. I find the pictures very nice and I'm sure they'll be a nice decoration for my coffee table, but still do not know if I'll be learning anything from them. The system is not as quick as they advertise it. Learning chinese takes time no matter the resources.
1485652
ok for student, not really for life planning ....
4219898
I bought this book to use in my 6th grade classroom in a middle school setting. For years I had been using a program called "Daily Oral Geography" and wanted to try something different. Overall, I like the material, but much of it is too easy for my students. There is not much opportunity for them to use the classroom atlases, which is a big plus with the other program. I plan to use this as a supplement to the "DOG" program I have been using. I don't really see it as a stand alone for regular geography lessons. I do like the alignment with the National Geography Standards and the use of National Geographic's 5 Themes of Geography.
1418618
This is an easy book to read. Ideas are presented in a lucid style. I think there are some good ideas in this book but I think you should be aware before you buy the book that it is referring to learning skills and new habit patters, such as those needed to curb overeating (which is well explained) rather than learning facts like languages and formulae. I think that the message is more about life long learning, which may be what you want. You will learn about "ganus" and attitude and excitement in learning. I think that it could be an interesting resource to have in your collection of self-help books, but I am not going head over heels about it!
4286901
I received it in time for class. But it has some highlighting in it, which helps me but I don't want to be help responsible for it.
3585008
Initially I thought that this book would entail more about memory techniques.  Instead it details the competitions which are not the same thing.  The concept of mapping is interesting. What is stated is that if there are no differences then it will not really be memorable.  For example if you were asked to remember what you had for breakfast say three weeks ago you probably don't remember it. Why? Because it is breakfast it is a common daily event. What it suggests is that you create a mnemonic device for a given thought or lay it out in a place that you remember. There is also a debate within the book if someone is a savant or simply memorizing.

It does mention that the debate between knowledge being written versus being known goes back thousands of years.  If it is argued that memorizing things is wrong then why not simply just reduce all knowledge to a given textual form and just eliminate education.  If it is argued that writing actual data down is wrong then the efficiencies of the modern era would be nullified. So naturally a balance would have to be established.

The book is not bad but the title implied it would be much more than what it has.
2422587
I teach math methods at a university and have a middle school aged granddaughter. I have two issues with this book: I believe it promotes a "Valley Girl" stereotype that girls are ditzy and materialistic, and it teaches procedures, not concepts. As a female, I'm a little insulted by chapter titles that deal with crushes, shopping, and shoes. Is this really what our girls are all about? Skills reminders are just memorized steps. I see little if any math understanding. I do like the encouraging "You can do it!" attitude. This piece is badly needed in a world where girls seem to think they can't "do math" once they hit junior high. But I recommend an approach that has more respect for the complexity of adolescent girls.
4306421
This book is based  on the author's  own philosophy about teaching in an art museum.  She spends an hour or more with a group of students,  exploring  a single work of art.  She wants students to come up with their own reactions,  opinions and views.

The author  recounts sessions that she has had with students at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other museums.  For example,  one chapter is devoted to  an hour  session at the Met discussing a French tapestry.  The students are seated on stools  around the work, and the author describes their discussion.

The author does not address how this  approach would work with docents on public museum tours.  Docents, who are usually volunteers,  must guide  visitors though the museum  in a set period of time.  Members of the public would be surprised to cover only one work on a docent tour (unless they knew in advance that the tour covered one work only).

 The author  has little practical advice  about how volunteer docents in museums should give public tours.  She believes in having a dialogue with the visitors, but she doesn't believe that docents should ask questions. (Chapter 6).  She seems to question  whether volunteer docents  should  even play a role in the "museum of the future."  From the last paragraph of the  book:

"But in the museum of the future, educators move from the periphery to the center. Responsible for the continuing  translations of meaning that occur in the  new museum, the educators who teach are the most accomplished members of the education department, best qualified to shape and animate museum programs.  They lead the department,  define its philosophy and mission, and overturn the historical definition of teaching as a peripheral, volunteer, or entry-level activity." Page 152.

If you would like to read about  this author's own experiences with  art education, the book might interest you.  It will not be helpful to  docents  who are looking for  concrete and practical  guidance in giving tours to the public.
681572
This was suggested to me as a Higher Education professional. I thought it was good, but I still haven't been able to stick to the routine. I think that it would be useful if I was committed, but I thought it was a pretty easy read.
4613529
This book contains some useful advice for teachers. Even simple ideas, such as focusing on the goals of teaching first rather than the lesson plan, are worth the price of the book. However, the book is a bit long-winded. The authors make their point, again and again and again. I think the authors might have been better served by collecting their advice in a small booklet. Some of the book's advice, such as the lesson plan forms, involve way too many steps, to the point where it might discourage some professors from actively using the lesson plan forms. Still, worth reading for new teachers.
812764
I like this book, and it does the job of getting kids to memorize rules, but let me just say...It's boring. I find myself droning on and on, reading the same things every day, and I don't even remember what I am saying! But my daughter does, so I guess it does the trick. I am please with the fact that it had 3rd graders diagramming sentences, memorizing poetry, and learning rules of grammar. You do have to have both the teacher book and the student book to do these, however. The student book will not stand alone. I think a better format would be to combine them, because a student could then do it independently.
1107965
I was curious what the author would have to say about making it through the myriad of difficult situations many people are currently dealing with.  I can't say that I learned anything new by reading this book.

I was a bit put off by her constant reminder that humans are ruining the earth.  The song "Circle of Life" kept jumping into my mind at times while reading this book.  Now, I do reduce, reuse and recycle so I am open to environmentally friendly messages.  I just question why preaching about saving the earth and constant reminders that humans are destructive / thoughtless creatures (rather than good stewards of the earth) is necessary here.  The book presumably is meant to give hope to people and not make them feel guilty or feel worse than they already do.

Aside from the preaching, the book contains a lot of common sense that shouldn't be much of a revelation to most people.  However, while in a crisis, you may need someone to remind you of what to do and this book is good for that.  It reminds you that you are not alone and gives you many examples of other people's difficulties.

If you are looking for a book to give to someone to offer help because you don't know what to say...this may be fitting.  If you are looking for a book to read personally that offers a roadmap with concrete steps to take day by day, look elsewhere.
298785
nice choice of verses but  I was disappointed at the  Helps to memorize part. I expected more activity type things, not just "have them memorize it".
4585055
There were some good organizing tips in the book, but not as much as I expected. Many of the tips would work better for elementary or reading/English teachers. Still, I have used several ideas in my class, so it was useful.
40706
This is a basic workbook that covers all areas of the grade level. I would use it more for a guide as reminded of what they should be learning. If using it as a supplement to homeschool I would definitely not use it for my child's work. I am talking like 2 pages max of a handful of problems. But it is a good GUIDE book of what to cover in that grade and go to pinterest or other websites to find more hands on work. This is NOT sufficient if you want them to retain the knowledge.

It is also a good book to get an idea at the beginning of a new year of what you may need to go over before starting a new grade. But I would not use this as an all inclusive teaching tool unless your goal is to teach your child as little as possible and very likely forget it before the next page.
3161274
I purchased this to use during our Community Health unit when we teach about the school nurse and how to appropriately use him/her.  There are very limited resources available for the topic.  This is an entertaining book, but had little teaching value.  I ended up closing the unit with this as kind of a fun ending.  I actually taught more about perception and how unknown isn't always scary than about the school nurse via this book.

Our school nurse did get a kick out of this, though, I think it would make a wonderful gift for a school nurse.