Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning (Unabridged) Audiobook, by Mike Schmoker Play Audiobook Sample

Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning Audiobook (Unabridged)

Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning (Unabridged) Audiobook, by Mike Schmoker Play Audiobook Sample
Currently Unavailable
This audiobook is no longer available through the publisher and we don't know if or when it will become available again. Please check out similar audiobooks below, and click the "Vote this up!" button to let us know you're interested in this title. This audiobook has 8 votes
Read By: Christopher Prince Publisher: University Press Audiobooks Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 4.00 hours at 1.5x Speed 3.00 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: September 2012 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN:

Publisher Description

Best-selling author Mike Schmoker describes a plan for radically improving student learning that is built on three core elements: a focused and coherent curriculum (what we teach); clear, prioritized lessons (how we teach); and purposeful reading and writing, or authentic literacy.

With this less is more philosophy, educators can help students learn content at a deeper level, develop greater critical thinking skills, and discover more clearly how content-area concepts affect their lives and the world around them.

Both a call to action and a blueprint for creating more effective classrooms, Focus: Elevating the Essentials for Radically Improved Student Learning will challenge your assumptions about schooling and show how educators who have embraced this approach quickly achieved spectacular results.

The book is published by ASCD.

Mike Schmoker is a former administrator, English teacher, and football coach. He has written four books and dozens of articles for educational journals, newspapers, and Time magazine.

Download and start listening now!

"We all want our students to be authentic readers, writers, and articulate communicators. Schmoker continues to remind us the need to be clear, simple and authentic with our curriculum, assessment and instruction. I appreciate this work because the message is concrete. We need to place our energy on what is taught, how it is taught, and authentic reading and writing experiences."

— Katherine (5 out of 5 stars)

Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning (Unabridged) Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 4.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 54.2 out of 5 (4.20)
5 Stars: 6
4 Stars: 7
3 Stars: 1
2 Stars: 1
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " This book validates workhshop teaching. Kids need to be thinking. Reading, writing, math and science...FOCUS! "

    — Jennifer, 2/15/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " While this book didn't tell me something I didn't already know (Tom Newkirk got there first with Holding Onto Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones), Schmoker conveyed his premise in a very compelling fashion. It was well-researched. Hopefully it will be well-received by my colleagues. "

    — jmjester, 2/13/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Wow, another great read for teachers. Would love to read with staff members since a lot of what it suggest would work best school wide. "

    — Kristin, 1/29/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Great book with wonderful ideas on how to make teaching more effective. In a word- KISS (keep it simple silly/stupid) "

    — Sharon, 1/16/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " What I love about this book is that Schmoker weighs the scattered, overwhelming explosion of standards, data, and best practices to make a unified argument about how to improve instruction. He doesn't leave anything out, just weaves the strands together into a useful fabric. "

    — Petter, 1/16/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Hope I end up with more than one star! "

    — Melissa, 1/14/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Shmoker's ideas are right on...less fluff...more reading and writing! "

    — Lindsey, 1/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Mike's latest book is an excellent reminder that getting back to basics by refocusing our efforts on best literacy practices is taking one giant leap forward in education. Check out my blog, The Essential Review, where you can read and respond to my review of Focus at drcarolwetzel.com. "

    — Carol, 12/21/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Great book with the practical suggestion that schools should FOCUS on what will work to help students... just three things. You have to read the book to find out what they are. "

    — Stephanie, 12/8/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I felt like this book confirmed my thoughts and my classroom practices. "

    — Kate, 12/5/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Another strong effort by Schmoker, who preaches the need to stick to the basics and keep it simple. Literacy is the key to everything in his world. "

    — Dave, 9/15/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " I enjoyed reading this book and comparing his recommendations to current practice. Great book for administrators. "

    — Ouida, 4/25/2013
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " Although required reading and a bit redundant, this book had some good points. "

    — Jlemerson27, 3/17/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " This is the next book for the Education Week Book Club otherwise I might not have chosen it. Yet, it is now a favorite and one that I definitely want us to use to guide us as we develop Esperanza's curriculum. "

    — Barbara, 3/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Take it with a grain of salt. I agree with a lot of Schmoker's arguments, but I think there is a balance. He does not mention creativity and innovation as 21st century skills, to me, this was an important omission. "

    — Emily, 2/4/2013