Educational Psychology: Windows On Classrooms

Our core goal in writing Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms has always been to prepare teachers to be able to use educational psychology in their teaching—to bring educational psychology into classrooms and into the work teachers and students do together every day. Application, application, application are three of the most important words that can be used to describe our book. Its subtitle—Windows on Classrooms—reflects how we attempt to accomplish our goal of bringing the theory and research of educational psychology into the practice of teaching. Every topic in our book is presented in the context of classrooms; we immerse educational psychology in the P–12 world of teaching and learning. This is why each chapter begins with a real story from a real classroom; this is why we carry and elaborate on that story throughout the chapter; and this is why we provide elementary, middle school, and secondary examples with the wealth of teaching guidelines found in features such as Theory to Practice and Classroom Connections. This is the driving force behind everything you will find in our book. We have spent and continue to spend a great many hours in P–12 classrooms, and we know that a deep understanding of educational psychology and an ability to apply it in practice are fundamental to being a great teacher. We believe that Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms can help provide you with this practicable knowledge and that this knowledge will serve you and your students for years to come. New to This Edition Expanded Coverage of Theory and Research Theory and application exist in a synergistic relationship; theory informs practice, and application demonstrates how theory is applied in classrooms. In our ongoing effort to provide readers with a firm conceptual foundation, we have significantly expanded our coverage of theory—placing the book on the cutting edge of theory and research—while retaining our focus on application. Topics that receive increased coverage in this new edition include: • Recent brain research including a discussion of the cerebral cortex and its role in thinking, problem solving, and language • Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of development • The social processes involved in the construction of knowledge • Current theories of cognitive development including socio-cultural and neo- Piagetian approaches • The implications of student diversity for our understanding of topics such as development, learning, and motivation • Assessment for learning, including informal and formal assessment, and issues involved with assessing English language learners and members of cultural minorities • The latest perspectives on memory and their implications for teaching and learning • Qualitative research and the controversies surrounding scientifically based research in education