Schoolhouse Rock! on DVD

Schoolhouse Rock!
[DVD j 372.2 Sch]
For anyone who grew up as a kid in the 1970s, the little jingles of ABC’s Schoolhouse Rock are an unforgettable part of watching Saturday morning television. This two-disc set all 46 original animated tunes that taught us the basics of math, English language usage, politics, history, etc. “I’m Just a Bill!”, “My Hero, Zero”, “Conjunction Junction”, “Interjections!” and “Three is a Magic Number” will remind you about all the little shorts that were interspersed between Saturday morning cartoons. In addition to reproducing all the original shorts, this DVD set has some missing songs/animations, trivia games, documentary features and tons of additional information about how we were all educated along with our entertainment. I highly recommend this as a trip down memory lane for those of us in our 40s or older, but its amazing how well the original jingles have held up — they are still a great teaching tool for today’s young kids!

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Schoolhouse Rock: The Official Guide by Tom Yohe, as well as several CDs of music from all these educational ditties!] [Also available in traditional print format.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official Schoolhouse Rock web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

Have you watched this, or do you remember it from Saturday morning TV? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations!

Middle School: The Inside Story by Cynthia Tobias

Middle School: The Inside Story
by Cynthia Tobias and Sue Acuna [305.234 Tob]

As the mother of a daughter who will be starting middle school in August, I am looking for ways to help my daughter make the transition from grade school to middle school with as few surprises as possible. This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know how today’s adolescents are dealing with all the changes in their lives. One of the more practical applications of this book is a “Get Ready Checklist” for the parents of the middle school student. I was also impressed with the chapter on Learning Styles and Learning Disorders and how this applies to the middle school setting. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a middle-school aged child.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try John Rosemond’s Fail-Safe Formula for Helping Your Child Succeed in School by John Rosemond.]

[ official Cynthias Tobias author web site ]

Recommended by Kim J.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month. Click the tag for the reviewer's name to see more of this reviewers recommendations! 

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
by Tony Danza [Biography Danza]

Actor-singer-dancer, ex-professional boxer, ex-amateur wrestler, and problem student Tony Danza had a lifelong dream to be a teacher. In 2009-2010, he fulfilled it by teaching (under strict supervision) for one year at Philadelphia's largest public high school via Teach for America and A&E Television, which aired a short-lived reality series (Teach: Tony Danza) about it. Just shy of 60 years old, first-year teacher "Mr. Danza" shepherded 26 students through their 10th-grade English class. This chronicle of his eye-opening stint at Northeast High runs a wide range of emotions: charming, passionate, clueless, frustrated, comical, touchy-feely, hopeful, humble. When network executives wanted Danza to "create" more drama, he refused. They pulled the cameras, and he stayed put, refusing to bail on the kids or make an irresponsible representation of what was happening. Along the way, He came up with some creative ways to flesh out lesson plans and he developed a number of lasting bonds with his students. Who knew?! -- recommended by Becky W. C. - Walt Branch Library

[Also available in downloadable E-book format.]

[ official I'd Like to Apologize... web page on the official Tony Danza web site ]

Have you read this one? What did you think? Did you find this review helpful?

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Musical e-Motivation: Using Computer Technology to Motivate Students

Musical e-Motivation: Using computer technology to motivate students
-- an article in the Nov/Dec 2010 issue of Clavier Companion
article by Jeremiah Johnson [Periodical Clavier]

This was the winning article from the 2010 Clavier Companion Collegiate Writing Contest. The article is condensed from my longer Master of Music: Piano Pedagogy thesis project at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The article summarizes five different ways to use technology to motivate students in music: optimizing a challenge, absorbing the learner's attention, communicating clearly obtainable goals, promoting the autonomy of learners, and providing positive feedback. While the article pertains to music education, the ideals set forth certainly apply across a variety of disciplines. Ultimately, the article addresses technology's place in music education and disputes the claim that technology is a "distraction" to learning. -- recommended by Jeremiah J. - Bennett Martin Public Library


[ official Clavier Companion web site ]

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New reviews appear every month on the Staff Recommendations page of the BookGuide website. You can visit that page to see them all, or watch them appear here in the BookGuide blog individually over the course of the entire month.