Hacking Education: 10 Quick Fixes for Every School (Hack Learning Series)

One of the biggest challenges when reading books about reforming or enhancing education is that they are long on theory but short on practical, easily-implemented ideas. Hacking Education not only gives step-by-step directions, but the ideas they present make so much sense. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Mark Barnes and Jennifer Gonzalez give educators battle-tested and innovative ways to make lessons, classrooms, and school sites better!Ever wanted to find a practical way to get colleagues to learn from each other by visiting each other's classrooms? Try Pineapple Charts!Want to showcase the awesomeness happening in your classroom? Learn how to make social media your ally in creating a glass classroom!Have students be your Geek Squad! Collect meaningful data that allows you to build powerful relationships! Create a space of peace and quiet for your staff that allows them to focus on what they need to...As an elementary principal, this book has been invaluable to me and my staff! I finally found an easy way to get teachers to learn from each other by watching each other teach. My staff meeting employ "back channels" so that everyone can and does participate! Our new teachers are surrounded by "marigolds" rather than "walnut trees".A quick, easy, fun read with ideas you can implement tomorrow!!

This delightful e-book, which can be read in just over two hours, proposes ten “hacks” that once implemented, will solve those pesky problems that plague teachers or even a school system. In simple, uncomplicated prose, the authors, both practicing educators with worlds of experience, and themselves authors of books, have given us the benefit of their experiences plus some ideas they’ve curated, and shared them in this gem. These are quick fixes that can creatively address issues without fanfare and can be immediately implemented even by a single individual.The hacks are varied: some afford novices as well as veteran teachers, a more practical way of dealing with record keeping using Track Records, or allowing them a window into another teacher’s classroom with Pineapple Charts; The Marigold Committee has experienced teachers offer to be mentors to newbies. Other hacks involve students as in Student Tech Gurus, or providing independent reading books for those who can’t afford them as in The Book Nook. Regardless, teachers will benefit from reading this book, even if a single hack is implemented. I wish I had known some of these hacks years ago!

This book is different from a lot of books in the same genre. The authors have not forgotten what it is like to teach in an environment of too many demands and too little time.They offer practical solutions to problems teachers confront each day - age-old as well as technology-driven. I must confess that as I read the hacks, many seemed a little too good to be true, however the authors had anticipated my skepticism. Each "Overcoming Pushback" section gave voice to my qualms and increased the authors’ credibility with me. I also appreciated reading "The Hack in Action" about how real teachers recently implemented the hacks.I look forward to using some of these hacks and to learning about more in subsequent books in the series.

This is a book that makes teachers say "YES...I knew there was a better way to do that."I'm all about a solutions mindset for teaching. When it comes to professional reading, though, there's not much that satisfies that interest. Many books detail specific, one-off lesson ideas for teachers, or head-in-the-clouds theory for I'm not sure who. This book is the perfect mix of sound principles and easy-to-implement tactics that can lead to lasting change in your classroom, school or entire district.That leads me to the reason I love this book--it is broadly applicable while still being useful. Some of the "hacks" are directed towards building-wide initiatives, but they all can begin with the actions of a single teacher. Mark and Jennifer's choice to instruct teachers on how to take the first steps towards hacking their problems is empowering.Lastly, I love the extended analogy of hacking used in the book. The concept of finding the fastest effective route to a destination, improving process through iterations, and creating change that scales are just a few of the ways that these bright authors have brought the language of web developers into the classroom.Don't read this book unless you're ready to feel motivated, even compelled, to take action to improve your classroom, school or district.I'm glad I read it, and I'm ready to get started on implementing several of these "hacks."

As provocation, a nice book, suggesting ways to avoid repetition/reproduction in schools. The author indicates many “inventions” to shake school laziness in terms of doing ever the same instruction. Nevertheless, I find the argumentation insufficient, because learning is not well defined – what would be the reason for fixing school? It seems to that the reason is to care insistently for students’ learning. What is a catastrophe is lack of learning – students go to school, attend lessons, perhaps do homework, show up in exams (mainly in standard testing), but don’t learn. In the end, inventions are to much linked to “instruction”, not to learning.

I got the kindle version of this book and read it in one afternoon. After I finished the last page, I ordered a paper copy so that I could share it with my colleagues. Not all the "hacks" fit my needs, but I found some excellent creative solutions to problems that I didn't even know I had.Readable, thoughtful, thorough. I feel confident that if I implemented any of these ideas they would be successful, as the authors have done an incredible job of explaining and anticipating questions and concerns.

The title is misleading. The book might be useful for school principals but useless for college professors. Waste of money.

The book is a great help to start a new year of teaching with new ideas to try in the school.

great series - this book sums up some of the larger thoughts and is a great 're-think' to education

There's a few good ideas in here (pineapple charts), but certainly could have been a short article on WeAreTeacher. The hacks to "fix every school" seem unlikely to drastically change education and learning in a huge way... much unlike what some of the other hacking learning series discuss and explore. That being said, I'd head over to PBL or Gradeless assessment in the hacking series instead, much more useful tools and useable ideas.