Books in the Hack Learning series

How to Go Gradeless -- Assessment That Makes Learning Visible"What's my grade? What's it worth? Is there extra credit? Is this for a mark? " It's time to shift the conversation and make learning visible. Now, you can easily stop reducing students to a number, letter, or any label that misrepresents learning. Now, you can help children see the value in every single assignment. Today, you can make assessment a rich, ongoing conversation that inspires learning for the sake of learning, rather than as a punishment or a reward. All you have to do is go gradeless. Throw out your grade book tomorrow!In Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School, award-winning teacher and world-renowned formative assessment expert Starr Sackstein unravels one of education's oldest mysteries: how to assess learning without grades -- even in a school that uses numbers, letters, GPAs, and report cards. While many educators can only muse about the possibility of a world without grades, teachers like Sackstein are reimagining education. In this unique, eagerly-anticipated book, Sackstein shows you exactly how to create a remarkable no-grades classroom like hers, a vibrant place where students grow, share, thrive, and become independent learners who never ask, "What's this worth?"Learn what formative assessment really looks like.Summative assessment is typically an end-of-unit exam or standardized test, but what is formative assessment? Many teachers struggle with the concept. Hacking Assessment not only explains what formative assessment is, it provides blueprints for implementation and examples from educators around the world, who use this strategy successfully every day.Read It and You Can Take These Actions Immediately:Shift everyone's mindset away from gradesTrack student progress without a grade bookCommunicate learning to all stakeholders in real timeMaximize time while providing meaningful feedbackTeach students to reflect and "self-grade"Deliver feedback in a digital worldCreate cloud-based learning archivesInspire Students to share their work openlyThis is not your average assessment bookHacking Assessment won't bore you with outdated research or unrealistic strategies. In her captivating, conversational style, Sackstein provides practical ideas woven into a user-friendly success guide with actionable steps for creating an amazing conversation about learning that does not require a traditional grade. Each chapter is neatly wrapped in this simple Hack Learning Series formula:The Problem (an assessment issue that plagues education)The Hack (a ridiculously easy solution that you've likely never considered)What You Can Do Tomorrow (no waiting necessary)Blueprint for Full Implementation (a step-by-step action plan for capacity building)The Hack in Action (yes, someone has actually done this)Teachers around the world are going gradeless, and you can tooScroll up and click the Buy Now or Add to Cart button; read Hacking Assessment now, and go gradeless tomorrow.

"Transform learning by reframing your view from what's wrong to what's strong. "At risk." "Low." "Title I kids." If you've worked with students, you've probably heard or said these coded labels that reflect deficit thinking. This focus on weakness is a pervasive, powerful judgment that continues to harm students long after they leave school. It's time for educators to hack deficit thinking. Nationally certified school psychologists Byron McClure and Kelsie Reed show teachers, administrators, and support staff how to unlearn student blame and reframe thinking to focus on student strengths. When we acknowledge the impact of teaching practices and the broader structural inequities, we can help everyone reach their highest potential"--

Whether you want to make subtle changes to your instructional design or turn it on its head-Hacking Instructional Design provides a toolbox of options. Discover just-in-time tools to design, upgrade, or adapt your instructional practices. Curriculum design experts Michael and Elizabeth Fisher show you how to: Prioritize and break apart standards Set targets and demonstrations of learning Create valuable experiences for contemporary learners Organize instructional elements into action plans Maintain a thriving curriculum culture ecosystemThese strategies offer you the power and permission to be the designer, not the recipient, of a contemporary curriculum. Students and teachers will benefit for years to come when you apply these engaging tools starting tomorrow.

“Look out, Socrates! Here comes Connie Hamilton, the newest innovator of questionology! — Marcia Gutiérrez, High School EducatorA fresh perspective on the art of questioningQuestions are the driving force of learning in classrooms. Hacking Questions digs into framing, delivering, and maximizing questions in the classroom to keep students engaged in learning.Known in education circles as the "Questioning Guru," Connie Hamilton shows teachers of all subjects and grades how to:Hear the music: listen for correct answersScaffold to trigger student thinking without doing it for themKick the IDK bucket to avoid “I don’t know” as the final answerPunctuate your learning time to end with reflection questionsSpin the throttle to fuel students to ask the questionsFill your back pocket with engagement questionsMake yourself invisible by establishing student-centered protocolsBe a Pinball Wizard and turn students into facilitatorsPraise for Connie Hamilton and Hacking Questions"Connie Hamilton is known by teachers and leaders as the Questioning Guru. She offers minor tweaks and major perspective shifts. You will be a better questioner tomorrow." -Dr. Dorothy VanderJagt, Professional Learning Coordinator"Connie Hamilton is a world-class presenter with expertise in the art of questioning. She provides a fresh perspective and practical tips on integrating research-based strategies." -Melisa Mulder, Intervention Teacher"Connie is an incredible driver of change in our focus on classroom questioning as a best practice instructional strategy." -Troy VanderLaan, Middle School AdministratorAnswers to your questions about questionsHacking Questions provides practical solutions to the universal questioning problems that teachers face daily. Find your answers now.

Welcome to the modern school library and librarianWhether students are using books, audiobooks, ebooks, or Chromebooks, school libraries are more relevant than ever. They are places for research, refuge, and reflection--where students create, collaborate, communicate, and develop skills in critical thinking and compassion.Learn 10 ways to create the library learning environment that every child deserves.In Hacking School Libraries, 2015 School Librarian of the Year, Kristina A. Holzweiss, and 2017 Sensational Student Voice Award finalist, Stony Evans, bring you 10 practical hacks that will help you create a welcoming and exciting school library program. They show you how to rethink your library to become the hub of the school community, whether you are a veteran librarian or just beginning your career. Hacking School Libraries isn't just for librarians. It's for any educator who wants to learn how totransform the spaceestablish meaningful housekeeping proceduresprovide hands-on learning opportunitiesempower your studentsbring curriculum to lifedifferentiate instructionfundraiseadvocate the importance of school librariesestablish global connectionscelebrate readingWhat the experts say:"When I learned that Kristina and Stony were writing a book to fit into one of my favorite series, I was so excited and couldn’t think of a better duo to do so! School librarians will find Hacking School Libraries such an amazing read and resource in so many ways. The hacks found in this book are terrific for any grade level and will help guide librarians to make a difference in their library, school, and community!" -Shannon McClintock Miller, Teacher Librarian and Iowa Future Ready Librarian Spokesperson"Authors Kristina Holzweiss and Stony Evans are two of the most respected thought leaders and practitioners in the school library field. Their book, Hacking School Libraries, is an essential resource for any modern-day library media specialist. It is filled with actionable tips and strategies that anyone can easily implement tomorrow." -Laura Fleming, Library Media Specialist, bestselling author of Worlds of Making and The Kickstart Guide to Making Great Makerspaces Grab Hacking School Libraries today, and incorporate library media centers into your learning community tomorrow.

50 Student Engagement Hacks just weren't enough33-year veteran classroom teacher, James Alan Sturtevant, wowed teachers with the original Hacking Engagement, which contained 50 Tips and Tools to Engage Teachers and Learners Daily. Those educators and students got better, but they craved more. So, 33-year veteran classroom teacher and wildly popular student engager Sturtevant is Hacking Engagement Again!Fifty Teacher Tips that make students love your classThe first step to real academic achievement is inspiring a love of learning, and the best way to accomplish this is to get students to love your class and your teaching. But rolling out worksheets and multiple-choice quizzes is a recipe for failure, so how do you engage students without these traditional tools? The answer is surprisingly simple: Dig into Hacking Engagement Again and grab 50 tools and strategies, good for any class on any day, and watch your students' light up.Hacks that make students love your class: Feng Shui Your Students Fascinate with the First Five Give Students Virtually No Instructions Apply the You Y'all We Template Dangle a Dilemma Inspire 100% Participation in Your Next Class Discussion Shove Your Next Class Discussion On to the Twittersphere Pull Up a Philosophical Chair Morph Student Identities Detonate the Boring Guest Speaker Template Teleport Your Students Back to the 1970s Transform Tedious Test Review Tease Out a Taskmaster with Google Calendar Encourage Students to Sneak Out of Your Room Find the Elusive Spark Issue the 1,000 Pushup Challenge Reboot with Kahoot Navigate the Rolling Seas of Controversial Topics Rebel Against the Bell ... and 31 more teacher tips and strategies that will engage your students like never before and make them love you and your classExperts rave about Hacking Engagement Again"Hacking Engagement Again provides readers with a ton of ideas, strategies, and resources that move students from on-task to engaged. Looking to tap into student's use of smartphones in a classroom activity? This book is for you. Do you want to leverage the power of Twitter and Socratic Seminar to move conversations from good to great? This book is for you. James Alan Sturtevant provides a well thought out game plan for highly engaging learning experiences in both the physical and virtual worlds."-Brad Currie, 2017 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the YearAre you ready every student to love your class?Start Hacking Engagement Again, now!

Writing Workshop Is More Than Just WritingAgility matters. This is what Angela Stockman learned when she left the classroom over a decade ago to begin supporting young writers and their teachers in schools. What she learned transformed her practice and led to the publication of her primer on this topic: Make Writing: 5 Teaching Strategies that Turn Writer's Workshop Into a Maker Space. Now, Angela is back with more stories from the road and plenty of new thinking to share.Print Creates Barriers for Talented WritersAs K-12 programs push for proficiency, the world continues to demand something different. Something more. "Writing is bigger than print today," Angela says. "When we diminish it, we diminish writers, too."Redesign with Making in MindIn Make Writing, Angela Stockman upended the traditional writing workshop by combining it with the popular ideas that drive the maker space.Now, she is expanding her concepts and strategies and breaking new ground in Hacking the Writing Workshop. In this easy-to-read-and-implement guide for all teachers of reading, writing, and making, Angela provides: Curriculum frameworks that bring students to the drawing board Firestarters that ignite even the most print-resistant kids Agility building strategies that integrate making and writing and invite loose parts play Assessment protocols and tools Supplemental resources for each Hack, accessed through QR codesReady to redesign your writer's workshop? Grab Hacking the Writing Workshop now and show your students that writing is bigger than print.

What happens when students actually choose to learn outside the classroom?They become independent, lifelong learners, who never need to be told: "do your work." It's easy when you say Goodbye to traditional homeworkThe research is done, the results are in, the debate is over. Kids hate homework, most parents hate homework, and many teachers only assign homework because administrators say it's school policy. Now, traditional homework is being hacked. Learning outside the classroom is being reimagined, and student engagement is better than ever.A new vision of out-of-school learningWorld-renowned author/educator Starr Sackstein has changed how teachers around the world look at traditional grades. Now she's teaming with veteran educator, curriculum director, and international presenter Connie Hamilton to bring you 10 powerful strategies for teachers and parents that promise to inspire independent learning at home, without punishments or low grades.In Hacking Homework, Sackstein and Hamilton show you how to: Work around the policies and Break Up With Daily Homework Teach Organization and Responsibility in Class so it translates to home Ramp up accountability and time management skills Establish positive relationships to motivate learning Customize Assignments to Meet Student Needs Be flexible with timelines Encourage Students to Play, so they'll want to work Support innovation and creativity Spark Curiosity Before the Lesson Make connections that generate interest in learning outside the classroom Use the Digital Playground and harness social media for learning Amplify Student Voice and Incorporate choice in how kids learn at home Team Up With Families and model instructional strategies for parents Display Growth and empower students to track their improvement and display their progressExpert educators love Hacking Homework"Starr Sackstein and Connie Hamilton have assembled a book full of great answers to the question, 'How can we make homework engaging and meaningful?'" -Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey, authors/presenters"I hope this book finds its way into the professional library of every classroom teacher and that it is also read carefully by administrators, policymakers and parents." -Ken O'Connor, author/presenter¿Are you ready to say Goodbye to traditional homework?Start Hacking Homework today.

Are you ready to engage learners like never before?Student engagement is the key to success for every teacher, and this is your engagement strategy blueprint.Boring lessons and assignments will disappear forever when you learn to build student avatars, banish blandness, ride the podcast tide, and become a total engagement guru.Many students are bored and disengaged Teachers are handcuffed by outdated textbooks, standardized curriculum, and disinterested students. What if you could solve these problems immediately and excite even your most reluctant learner daily? Read it Today and Engage tomorrow! 33-year veteran teacher, author, presenter, and engagement guru James Alan Sturtevant makes it easy, with incredible teacher tips and tools for both the veteran and student teacher--50 engagement tools that you can begin using right now, with no special training or boring professional development.Easily rebrand your class and connect with all studentsAre you the teacher students "hate"? Do kids groan when they walk into your classroom? Engaging learners is all about connecting and making education fun. With Sturtevant''s education tips and creative teaching tools, students will rebrand you and your class as their favorites. Best of all, they''ll engage with every lesson you teach, every single day!50 Tips and Tools Unlike other education books that weigh you down with archaic research and impossible-to-implement strategies, Hacking Engagement, the 7th book in the popular Hack Learning Series, provides 50 unique, exciting, and actionable tips and tools that you can apply right now. And there''s something here for every teacher--no matter what grade or subject you teach. Try one of these amazing engagement strategies tomorrow:Engage the EnragedCreate Celebrity Couple NicknamesHash out a HashtagEmpower Students to Help You Uncover Your BiasesAvoid the Great War on Yoga PantsLet Your Freak Flag FlyBecome a Proponent of the ExponentTrade Blah, Blah, Blah for ZenTransform Your Class into a Focus GroupCommit to Engagement Try at least one tip or tool now and witness an amazing transformation in your classroom and school.Are you ready to engage?Scroll up and grab your copy of Hacking Engagement now.

What if every single student loved to read? Isn't it likely that curiosity, creativity, and achievement would skyrocket?It's time to build a culture of readers at your schoolIn Hacking Literacy, classroom teacher, author, and reading consultant Gerard Dawson reveals 5 simple ways any educator or parent can turn even the most reluctant reader into a thriving, enthusiastic lover of books. Dawson cuts through outdated pedagogy and standardization, turning reading theory to practice, sharing powerful reading strategies, and providing what Hack Learning Series readers have come to expect--actionable, do-it-tomorrow strategies that can be built into long-term solutions. Ignite lifelong readers todayThe struggle to get students to read has ended. With a little commitment from teachers, parents, and school leaders, all of your students will read every single day! It all happens when you implement Gerard Dawson's powerful system, clearly outlined in this book: Focus on the Reader AdaptReading Culture to Fit Curriculum Develop a Classroom Library Implement Assessments that Build Community Spotlight Reading in Your School. What separates Hacking Literacy from other reading instruction books?Dawson provides step-by-step implementation strategies for putting books in kids' hands without breaking the bank and for sparking a genuine love of reading in even the most reluctant readers. This experienced, thoughtful, pragmatic classroom teacher shares amazing, real anecdotes that make you feel like you are a guest at a school filled with avid readers. Along the way, Dawson shares practical solutions that you and all stakeholders will love, using the revolutionary Hack Learning formula: The Problem (a single leadership issue that needs a Hacker's mentality) The Hack (a surprisingly easy solution that you've likely never considered) What You Can Do Tomorrow (no waiting necessary; you can lead from the middle immediately) Blueprint for Full Implementation (a step-by-step action plan for capacity building) The Hack in Action (yes, people have actually done this)Are you ready for your own culture of readers? Grab your copy of Hacking Literacy now.

Want to solve your biggest problems tomorrow?You have problems, but you don't have time for a 5-year plan. You're tired of philosophy, research and piles of data. You want practical solutions that you can implement immediately. You don't need a committee or another meeting. You need Hackers-experienced educators who understand your school's problems and see quick fixes that may be so simple that they've been overlooked. Hacking Education is the book that every teacher, principal, parent, and education stakeholder has been waiting for--the one that actually solves problems.Read it today-fix it tomorrow!In Hacking Education, Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez employ decades of teaching experience and hundreds of discussions with education thought leaders, to show you how to find and hone the quick fixes that every school and classroom need. Using a Hacker's mentality, they provide one Aha moment after another with 10 Quick Fixes for Every School--solutions to everyday problems that any teacher or administrator can implement immediately.Imagine being able to walk into school tomorrow and eliminate:Hours of wasted meeting timeClassroom management issuesInterruptions in planning timeThe need for more booksNegative attitudesTechnology issuesIf you want to improve teaching and learning at your school now, learn how to develop a Hacker's mentality.Discover How to Solve Problems withPineapple ChartsThe 360 SpreadsheetGlass ClassroomsTrack RecordsMarigold CommitteesThe TQZMore Impactful HacksNot Your Average Education BookHacking Education won't weigh you down with outdated research or complicated strategies. Barnes and Gonzalez provide brilliant ideas woven into a user-friendly success guide that you'll want to keep nearby throughout the school year. Each chapter is neatly wrapped in this simple formula:The ProblemThe Hack (a ridiculously easy solution that you've likely never considered)What You Can Do Tomorrow (no waiting necessary)Blueprint for Full Implementation (a step-by-step action plan for capacity building)The Hack in Action (yes, someone has actually done this)Are you ready to fix your school and your classroom?Get Hacking Education now, and solve your biggest problems tomorrow.