Learning That Lasts: Challenging, Engaging, and Empowering Students with Deeper Instruction

by Ron Berger, Libby Woodfin, Anne Vilen

A practical guide to deeper instruction—a framework for challenging, engaging, and empowering students of all ages For schools to meet ambitious new standards and prepare all students for college, careers, and life, research has shown unequivocally that nothing is more important that the quality of daily instruction. Learning That Lasts presents a new vision for classroom instruction that sharpens and deepens the quality of lessons in all subject areas. It is the opposite of a 'teacher-proof' solution. Instead, it is predicated on a model of instruction that honors teachers as creative and expert planners of learning experiences for their students and who wish to continuously grow in their instructional and content knowledge. It is not a theoretical vision. It is a model of instruction refined in some of the nation's most successful public schools—schools that are beating the odds to create remarkable achievement—sited primarily in urban and rural low-income communities.

Using case studies and examples of powerful learning at all grade levels and in all disciplines, Learning That Lasts is a guide to creating classrooms that promote deeper understanding, higher order thinking, and student independence. Through text and companion videos, readers will enter inspiring classrooms where students go beyond basics to become innovators, collaborators, and creators. Learning That Lasts embraces a three-dimensional view of student achievement that includes mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality work. It is a guide for teachers who wish to make learning more meaningful, memorable, and connected to life, and inspire students to do more than they think possible.

Genres: Education, Teaching

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2016

Reviews

[Stuart Macalpine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I call 'the emperor has no clothes' on this one. There are rave reviews from lots of famous people... but it makes you wonder if they are incompetent or haven't read it. I really want to find good books on student directed learning and this isn't one. It rehashes things from elsewhere as if they were new, but in doing so often fails to understand their power... the thinking is messy, not elegant... It feels like a few bad DIY fixes on a broken system, rather than a profound addition to educational thinking. I'll still read his other books in the hope they are better. This was a disappointingly bad book.

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding book about education/teaching. In the preface the president and CEO of EL Education eloquently introduces this title, "This book is about teaching quality. It is about the capacity of teacher-all teachers-to get better at what they do. It honors their creativity and independence, but also provides them with the tools and inspiration they need to grow as professionals. This is also a book about the capacity of students. When they are challenged, engaged, and empowered through deeper instruction, they can fulfill their highest aspirations as students and people."

I love how this book goes more in depth with the workshop model-offering two possibilities in a reading workshop (each for different purposes) and how workshop can be used in other disciplines and at various levels. The appendix contains clear teaching protocol-based lessons, a primary source close reading guide, and even a "Kid Curator Rubric." I learned how I could better support a math/science teacher as a literacy coach. In addition, I especially like how this book values grappling and how lessons must feed student curiosity and connection. Finally, I adored the chapter called Teaching in and through the Arts.

My copy of Learning that Lasts is filled with my annotations - affirmations, questions of application to teachers/literacy coaches who I am working with, and phrases and supporting research that I want to remember. This will be a resource that I will return to again and again (and recommend to colleagues-K-12). I realize that I must read Leaders of Their Own Learning and Transformational Literacy - titles written by the authors of Learning that Lasts.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should start with a disclaimer. This book features my school and our work around creating a culture in math throughout the chapter on deeper mathematics instruction. So I am biased.

Putting that aside, this is the most practical and comprehensive guide to deeper instruction that I have ever read. Ron Berger, Libby Woodfin, and Anne Vilen have drawn on the rich experience of teachers in EL Education schools and the best theory on what works in strong learning communities to paint a picture of how all our schools can and should be. They not only provide a vision for challenged, engaged, and empowered students, through Learning that Lasts they provide a road map to get there.

[Brandy Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book that was required reading for my Master’s class, I immensely enjoyed this one. Ron Berger tells us ideas and strategies that have worked, gives us examples, and includes videos with this edition. I wish that all required reading books were this exciting and valuable. I also loved that Berger had ALL content and did not simply focus on Math and ELA. Most books that offer strategies do not include electives, Science, or Social Studies. And as a Social Studies teacher, that is quite frustrating. Ron Berger did an excellent job of incorporating these contents and also of expanding on the examples he provided within these contents.

Overall, this was an easy read with a look of good and realistically applicable information. I recommend it to anyone interested in strategies that can be used in the classroom.