12 for 2014 - Progress Report

In January I started my personal 12 Books for 2014 challenge in order to get myself to read more of the nonfiction I always plan to read but never quite get to.  I have another one and a half books checked off my list.  First, for the half, I read Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People.  To be honest, I did not finish it.  While the book was interesting, it was very long and wordy.  I did not make it all that far before it was due at the library.  I had seen a presentation on the same topic by the authors, and found that their presentation had been a fantastic summary of all of the ideas.  Therefore, I am feeling okay with not finishing it.

The other book, which I actually read cover to cover, was Design Make Play.  The book focused on using making and tinkering as a tool in STEM education and the idea that children learn important problem solving and engineering skills better when interacting with real world materials.  The book was filled with great ideas and examples of how those have been implemented by others.  While I originally intended to read it for my students, I also found myself liking a lot of ideas from the book for Xander's education.  I had the urge to run out and buy him every type of constructive toy I could find.  I also started collecting bottle caps and paper towel tubes for him to use to create.  While it wasn't necessarily a page turner, I am very glad I read it.  Maybe I need to add a STEM component to Xander's education! :)

My Twelve Books for 2014

In no particular order:
1.  The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller
2.  Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs by Ellen Galinsky
3.  Design Make Play by Margaret Honey 
4.  Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
5.  The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Champan
6.  Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood by William Pollack   (Stopped Reading)
6.  Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
7.  Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People by Robert S. Root-Bernstein
8.  Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
9.  Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley
10.  A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
11.  Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin
12.  Beyond Snapshots: How to Take That Fancy DSLR Camera Off "Auto" and Photograph Your Life Like a Pro by Rachel Devine