This book is intended for prospective secondary teachers, university
education and human development faculty and students, and in-service
secondary school teachers. The text focuses on the current environment
of adolescents. Physical growth, sexuality, nutrition, exercise, and
substance abuse receive attention. Social development depends on
consideration of advice given by peers and adults. Neuroscience insights
are reported on information processing, attention and distraction.
Detection of cheating, cyber abuse, and parental concerns are
considered. Career exploration issues are discussed. Visual
intelligence, creative thinking, and Internet learning are presented
with ways to help students gauge risks, manage stress, and acquire
resilience.
Peers become the most prominent influence on social development during
adolescence, and they recognize the Internet as their greatest resource
for locating information. Teachers want to know how to unite these
powerful sources of learning, peers and the Internet, to help
adolescents acquire teamwork skills employers will expect of them. This
goal is achieved by implementing Collaboration Integration Theory. Ten
Cooperative Learning Exercises and Roles (CLEAR) at the end of chapters
allow each student to choose one role per chapter. Insights gained from
these roles are shared with teammates before work is submitted to the
teacher. This approach enables students to select assignments, expands
group learning, and makes everyone accountable for instruction. The
adult teacher role becomes more creative as they design exercises and
roles that differentiate team learning. Using Zoom or other platforms a
teacher can observe or record cooperative team sharing. Involvement with
CLEAR can enable prospective teachers to apply this system to empower
their secondary students.
