My must read books for the summer. What are yours?

Dave Warlick has asked the question about what we will be reading “During the Great Silence.”

He will be reading:

• Flight of the Creative Class, by Richard Florida
• Interestingly, Amazon indicates that people who read Flight also read “A Whole New Mind…“, by Daniel Pink
• Don’t Bother me Mom–I’m Learning by Marc Prensky
• The Search by John Battelle (I’m finishing this one up right now, and it provides an interesting and valuable look at information “search” as an industry.)

For my educational reading, I will be reading a lot of work by Robert J. Marzano. He has several books that I will read this summer:

Classroom Instruction that Works : Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievementby Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock (Paperback – April 27, 2004)

Classroom Management That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher (Paperback) by Robert J. Marzano, Jana S. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering

As well as all of his research papers that are available for free on the Internet.

This is for several reasons, but mostly because educators that I respect and admire are touting his work. His work predominates several masters in education programs that I’ve been following. If you’re an administrator, you should consider reading his SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS: From Research to Results (Paperback) published in September of 2005.

In one of his research papers, Marzano proves the high correlation between effective leadership and higher test scores. His work is amazing and practical. (I can also understand his writings, which I like!)

I also love to read biographies of famous people. Last summer I started by reading about Peter Marshall in his wife’s book A Man Called Peter and proceeded to read all of Catharine Marshall’s writings. I enjoy pulling out authors who were popular from 20-30 years a go just to gain perspective that life hasn’t changed quite as much as we think it has. People are people.

I am planning on reading the Hinges of History series. I am fascinated with people who did the right thing throughout history when the “world was going nuts” around them. Those who persevere and overcome. The Hinges of History series is about those things that truly changed lives. I plan on starting with the one about the monks who saved history during the dark ages by copying many of the great works in solitude.

I’m also going to set up my students on think.com so they can blog over the summer in privacy without as much involvement on my part.

I also plan on making my blog into a blook, writing a few articles about using wikis to teach, and some other writing projects I’ve been wanting to work on. I also have to work with installing a new computer lab in my room, ordering some new textbooks, and potentially working with the setup of our new gradebook/ information system for the school. Besides this, my top priority is spending time doing fun things with my children. We love the mountains and the outdoors so I will be spending quite a bit of time away from the laptop!

What will you do this summer?