Training Books

The course gave a great overview into SharePoint. While a good product, the SharePoint interface can be somewhat unintuitive. This course was great for bridging that gap.

I purchased this training video early on. I also took a class on Sharepoint. I found that the video was much more comprehensive than the class, and covered Sharepoint Portal and Sharepoint Windows. The topics cover all the nuts and bolts of setting up and managing a Sharepoint website. I would recommend it for anyone who is anticipating the installation of a Sharepoint site or is in the early stages of building and managing a Sharepoint site. Additionally the DVD on Sharepoint 2003: Development is also comprehensive and very useful.

This DVD provides a great overview of all the important Share Point functionality with an easy to navigate menu allowing easy toggle between topics. As the IT Manager for a large construction firm, this DVD allows me to easily review only the topics I need to focus on. Continuous visual images of the narrator provide the feeling of being in a classroom environment although probably not critical to getting the message across. A great purchase for any company deploying sharepoint! Recommended.

The topics covered in the video are very in depth. The video also provides a URL that allows you to download a virtual pc image to follow along with demos and labs. This video should be enough to get even the most novice Sharepoint users up and running.

Great training!! The best I have seen so far. It's well worth it. The topics covered are very comprehensive and the Virtual PC image is also great for practitce.

Lave's book provdes an excellent overview of the concept of situated learning. If you are looking for a theoretical background, than this is the book for you. Lave provdes several useful case studies to illustrate legitimate peripheral particiation. However, if you are looking for a more practical view of situated learning or are interested in learning how to encourage such participation to occur, you might want to consider another book.

In this academic book, the authors argue that most literature on learning ignores the social character of learning. The initial intention of this book was to "rescue the idea of apprenticeship." The authors studied the apprenticeships of midwives, tailors, butchers, and others. They found that learning, to a large extent, was taking place between peers, instead of coming directly from the master.

This book was written for academics, but has serious implications for practitioners.

Michael Beitler, Ph.D.
Author of "Strategic Organizational Learning"

I wonder if two people have ever had so much fun writing a book together as Jean Lave and Etiene Wenger. Lave's choice of a cover illustration supports my point: she found the artwork at a beer-fest while visiting friends and studying in Europe. Lave and Wenger are world reknowned scholars who would rather spend the afternoon in a butcher's kitchen than hobb-knobbing at the faculty lounge. With "Situated Learning," the reader is invited to follow Lave and Wenger as they ponder the consequences of doors, tables, timeclocks, work schedules, and union contracts on human development and potential.
After reading "Situated Learning," it is difficult to imagine the constellation of concepts that make up our modern thinking of what learning is without Lave and Wenger's contributions. Like the artwork on the book's cover, and the story of its origins, Lave and Wenger's analysis restoke the fires fueling the learning sciences. It is not an overstatement to say that this short, sometimes difficult to follow book, is responsible for a whole new generation of thinking and research on learning and its sociocultural consequences.
Their analytical objective was simple: dethrone the dominant conceptions of learning in the social sciences and everyday life. In their place, Lave and Wenger offer and illustrate a handful of concepts that students of learning across the social and applied sciences are now usings to inspire new insights on the origins of social ascension and strife.
I recommend that the reader, too, pick up this book with the intent of having some fun: let your inhibitions, and intellectual reservations, down for a couple of hours and enjoy the show as Lave and Wenger take off the Emporer's (modern psychology's, that is) clothes. Readers need to approach this book with a light-heart, as its simplicity and substance leave one feeling as if the dominant, 20th century schools of thought on learning have placed a blacksmith's anvil on the center of one's chest. Thank goodness Lave and Wenger have brought our attention to this matter.
Needless to say, I highly recommend the book.

If you are interested in the study of situated learning and social practice theory, this is the place to start - the origin of the terms `legitimate peripheral participation' (LPP) and `communities of practice' employed ubiquitously by researchers developing sociocultural critiques of Enlightenment thinking. The book is meant to open the mind, and one established notion that readers are asked to give up is a literal view of apprenticeship based on a single master and apprentice. The Lave & Wenger framework has received some criticism due to the explicit power structure associated with such a relationship and the uniform learning trajectory that is entailed, but this criticism is no doubt levied by writers who have not read the book, as Lave & Wenger are careful to note that in their quest to find a metaphor for learning that exists outside formal educational contexts and is based on social participation rather than the internal mental processing of the computer metaphor they aim to replace, they needed to take some artistic license. Their aim is to characterize a specific form of learning, LPP, and through their detailed examples, they illustrate types of relationships and forms of participation within which it emerges -- a broader and respecified notion of apprenticeship.

This book is programmatic - a specific metaphor for learning is described, it is elaborated through several examples, and major issues are discussed, but for details, you will need to look elsewhere. Wenger's (1998) Communities of Practice is an analytical treatment that is the antithesis of the light and vibrant Situated Learning, but that is the go-to place to understand LPP from every angle and in all its detail.

For those who hope to capture this genie in a bottle that is LPP, Wenger's (2002) Cultivating Communities of Practice explains how institutions can `plan for' LPP (it cannot be planned or managed, but it can be `planned for' by putting in place the conditions so that it is likely to emerge). But beware, as Wenger warns that few institutional leaders have the wherewithal to maintain the `hands off' policy required for LPP to be sustained over the long term (and the need for facilitative structures is also the basis for Lave's long-held skepticism about this form of learning appearing - at least in a positive form as educators intend it - in formal schooling).

Readers who are interested less in application than in the genesis and epistemological basis of a sociocultural, practice-based theory of learning will find Lave (1988) Cognition in Practice and Rogoff & Lave (1985) Everyday Cognition useful. They lay the groundwork for Situated Learning.

The book is easy to read, extremely interesting and gives a new perspective on learning. In this type of learning the learner models behavior of the teacher. Questions are not asked, behavior is not explained and all of the learning takes place as a result of observation and immitation of observed behavior.

As the only counselor in a middle school of 400 students, I had been searching for a book to help me address the needs of my students. Somehow, perhaps by 'divine intervention' I happened onto Dr. Murphy's book, "Solution-Focused Counseling in Middle and High Schools". It has become my bible. It is something that works in an environment of limited time and unlimited student needs. IT WORKS! It is so rare to find information that is road-tested and really works for those of us who spend our day in the real world of middle and high schools. Thanks to Dr. Murphy for his insight and wisdom. I feel like a very competent counselor and this book is a big reason for that confidence.

Murphy gives great tips and strategies for working with students in middle and high schools. The book is clear and crisp, and it should make wonderful addition to the bookshelf of anyone who works with students in secondary schools.

Great book for school counselor training programs. It offers a realistic, practical theory to complement other teaching. It also provides good examples. I highly recommend it!!

This is an excellent book! It is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to implement. Any counselor who is working or plans to work with middle or high school kids MUST have this book.

These days lots of schools are worried about how to work with "problem kids." The problem with that, as John Murphy explains in his great book "Solution-Focused Counseling...," is that we focus too much on what's wrong with kids and not enough on their strengths. Murphy's belief in the power of young people to solve their own problems with the right guidance shines through. A clear, entertaining read on a terribly important subject.

If you've ever looked at your pet and wondered what he was thinking, you will love this book! Spike has a great personality and the illustrations boldy show all of his emotions he experiences in reaction to the people in his life. It's my niece's new favorite bedtime story.
We laugh everytime we read it.

Filled with animated characters and colorful pictures, this book is a huge success in my classroom! Every year my students fall in love with Spike and I am thrilled to add her newest book to our collection!

We love Spike....he is so cool! He has great adventures and has such fun. I have two children between the ages of 5 and 9 and they both love to read about Spike and look at the bold and colorful illustrations. We have the first Spike books and were so excited to have a new Spike adventure to read before bedtime!!

Spike in Trouble is yet another wonderful book in the 'Spike' series by Paulette Bogan. My nephew was thrilled to find out what new things Spike has been up to. Spike is his favorite character (and one of mine too). We are both looking forward to finding out about his next adventure (and soon we hope).

Spike is a great character. My kids are crazy about him.
Paulette Bogan is a favorite author and illustrator for my two children. Spike always makes them laugh.

I am just starting out as a sub for grade school and wanted to be well prepared. I saw great reviews on this particular book and decided to go for it. I was not dissapointed. It has a lot of good tips and includes some handy filler/emergency tactics such as games and pages to copy to keep the day running smoothly. It also has lots of handy information that is grade specific so no matter where you go, you will have a reference and appropriate backup to refer to. I highly recommend it.

Very comprehensive excellent handbook on substitute teacher. The number one book recommended by many school districts.

This book is very handy and has been very helpful in giving a new teacher ideas for use in the classroom. Many activities and reproducable sheets are included as well. While most of the content on being an effective teacher I have read elsewhere in such titles as Harry and Rosemary Wong's 'The First Days of School', this handbook is recommended for teachers who are starting out.

This book is the best resource out there, and is currently being used at the local university. I am an education major and my campus uses this edition as well. There are many helpful bulleted lists for quick reference while in the classroom. Several supply freebies are printed up just waiting to Xeroxed st your convenience. Still, the best features are it's ease of reading and application of little details that make all the difference. This is the kind of "practical magic" you don't receive from a formal education that makes all the difference come game time.

This book provides some real insights and valuable suggestions for how to approach substitute teaching. In fact, I have used the techniques outlined in the book to solve other problems with regards to public speaking and small group leadership.

Overall, I have found the book helpful, although I do have one very minor complaint...Although the book makes every effort to be clear in its presentation (using reminder icons etc.) The headings threw me off. Generally you expect Larger headings to be the main point with smaller headings explaining subpoints; however the headings in this book kind of blurred together using the same fonts, so I had to go back in the reading to determine what the over arching themes were for the chapter.

As I said, very minor complaint!!! Otherwise, I would say...Buy this book first! The others just reiterate the same points, and they don't do it with half the level of thoroughness.

An outstanding and very well written source of information for the prospective as well as current graduate psychology student, this guide provides crucial information on all aspects of a career in psychology from choosing the appropriate degree to mastering a career in one's chosen area of expertise. I especially appreciated the chapters on the development of traditional psychological skills including teaching, psychological testing and assessment, psychotherapy, and consultation, as well as how to get and how to survive an internship. Having been in graduate school myself for over 6 years I also found the chapter on mastering stress quite useful. Information is also provided for students in special circumstances such as minorities, international students, and student couples.

The guide concludes with the prudent advice to keep an open mind and keep your eyes open concerning the many ways in which a degree in psychology can be put to good use depending on opportunities available, as well as the changing needs of society. I would like to conclude by saying I wish I had this book available to me as an undergraduate psychology student, and would like to offer my sincere thanks to Dr. Walfish and to my distinguished former professor Dr. Hess, for making this extremely useful and interesting text available. I will continue to tell as many fellow psychology students I can about this guide.

This book was one of the best books I read about grad school in psychology. What I loved about it was that it not only has useful information about applying and interviewing (which is why I bought it), but it also has chapters on many other aspects of grad school, including a few candid chapters that discuss departmental politics (a rarely broached topic). Another great chapter discusses how to juggle relationships and academia, strategies for landing jobs when your spouse is also an academic, etc. There's also a chapter on the clinical internship process, yet another topic that I have not read about in detail anywhere else.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to read more about what grad school is really like, and to hear great solutions to various hurdles that grad students face. Knowing more about the process, warts and all, made me all the more confident that I was making the right choice for myself.

This book is not only a good guide book for the freshman or sophomore plotting his/her strategy to get into highly competitive psychology graduate programs, it also tells the student what to do once he/she gains entry. The book covers topics many other guide books neglect, such as what skills one needs to obtain while in graduate school, the politics of graduate school, stress management techniques, et cetera. The best guide book I have purchased and a great deal considering it guides the student from his/her undergrad years to the doctoral phase and beyond.

At the recommendation of a teaching assistant in one of my classes at Dartmouth College,I purchased this book. I was really surprised about how little I knew about the application process to graduate school. If you have a friend or relative who is applying to graduate school in psychology (the toughest programs to get into, esp. clinical), you need this book to minimize the number of rejection letters you will receive in April. One note though: The authors need to include material on how to do a thesis.

The editors of this text have done a remarkable job of putting together a comprehensive user-friendly guide to assist anyone who is considering a graduate degree in Psychology or other areas within the helping profession. This guide addresses and clarifies the often complicated and ambigious process of selecting, applying, and untimately succeeding in a graduate level psychology program. I purchased a copy for a family member who is currently applying to graduate programs in psychology. She recently commented that the information in this book helped her to make some critical decisions about programs, and what options she will pursue as a graduate student and beyond. It is also an excellent resource for students already enrolled in or just completing their graduate studies. This is a must have resource for anyone considering a graduate program in psychology

Absolutely must for an IMG, has a lot of stuff starting on how to prepare a good application and also tips on writing personal statement and dos & dont,s for recommendation letters. I found it very useful and would definitely recommend it.

I bought this book on June/06, just prior the match season started. It totally changed my original plan. I was full of the info that is on the internet, the same that the thousands of applicants use. This book gives you in detail what you have to do in order to outstand from the rest. Focusing on the difficulties that an IMG has while trying to get a residency, set the profile of the SUCESSFUL IMG, and explains you how to become one. I relyed on this book only and obtained 10 invitations out of 30 applications, all from top centers like Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic, or Mayo Clinic. Definitively, the best tool for IMG's.

I would swear and curse with joy, but I shall hold back!

The author of this book is to be commended on the exemplary structure and layout of this little gold-mine... I was hoping to find this work earlier, and I am only thankful that I have it in my hands right now!!!

Getting to the US, into a top-notched residency programme, while being a foreign medical graduate are all difficult things to combine and accomplish skilfully. It is absolutely wonderful to see a physician who made it, and who made it BIG.
I found this book thoroughly informative, believe it or not, on ALL the major steps required for that arduous process. Most texts offer scarse little tid-bits of already well-known facts that I needed to add MUCH more to. This book does that splendidly.
I particularly enjoyed the Seventy-Thirty rule.

Guys out there looking for more than JUST a book on getting through the hurdles?... this book is for those who want to do it and do it WELL. It's plain, and simple, and easy to read. I recommend it above ANY of the other books on the market. THIS ONE is the ONLY one of it's kind...

Thank you to the author. A tremendously honest piece of work. Congratulations.

It's a very comprehensive book and the tips it gives are really great and deal with real life. The LORs and interview sections are marvellous. The author has an indeed deep understanding of the successful application process for a residency in the U.S. What might miss from this book: maybe how can IMGs find an observership in the U.S for which he/she wouldn't have to pay, just like it is possible in Europe!
I recommend the book in highest terms to anyone applying for residency.

This is THE book for IMGs. Forget first aid and others. Nobody explains the finer details, the minutae that can enhance your competitiveness better than Anagh Vora. The book is a truly outstanding read and will help the readers in the process of obtaining a US residency.

Best would be to buy it by the 2nd-3rd year of medical college and utilise all the guidelines mentioned. Its 140 pages of information for just IMGs, so very much detailed as to what to do and what not to do.

Buying it will be the best decision in you quest for a US residency.

I ordered my book and received excellent service. Got it in perfect time as well! Thank you Amazon ~ keep up the good work!

It was required for a class, but it turns out it very good.

The Pocket Guide is an excellent, affordable resource for all administrators as well as teachers. It is easy to use and offers guidelines to stay out legal difficulties. The price is right and content parallels his textbook "School Law and the Public Schools".

Nathan Essex has written a succinct, easy-to-understand guide that all teachers need to read to become "legalese savvy" in today's litigious educational climate. From understanding the procedures required for a legal search and seizure to knowing teachers' rights, "A Teacher's Pocket Guide to School Law" is a must read for educators at all grade levels. The book is exceptionally readable and covers the areas of school law that teachers find themselves mired in most. After reading Essex's book, I know that being apprised of the legal ramifications of what I do in the classroom is critical for my own safety as well as the safety of my students.

As others have said, this is an excellent book. I picked it as a quick reference/study guide for my Education Law class. Law has always been interesting for me, but I don't get much use out of books that say things like 'X decision rendered in (year) was a landmark, upholding X principle (insert legal jargon). A couple of my roommates in college were were law students, and I understand that junk, because I helped them study sometimes, and we talked about interesting cases they were studying, etc.
BUT, when I sit down to read about it, that's not what I want to know. I want to know what the court fight was about, what the court decision was, what it means, and how it affects my school and the classroom. That's exactly what Essex does in this book.
The chapters are mostly 10-15 pages long, cover approximately 5 essential concepts or factors, including all the major cases or a description of the key ideas, identify which law is relevant (usually state or federal, though district or school board policies often come into play), a summary of the key players, roles, principles, or components of the concept being discussed. If an actual court case is discussed, it ends with a summary of the argument, the courts' decisions, and the final result. And each 1-3 pages section finishes with a section called 'Guides' which provides a list of important things to consider, when addressing the policy or issue covered (Essex is usually very conservative with his recommendations, but at least you have an idea what needs to be considered).
It also includes handy things like a good index, a separate list of all the court cases discussed, appendices that include relevant sections of the Constitution, selected federal statutes, and descriptions of major organizations and how they can impact a teacher.
And finally, Essex is a good writer who makes the topics interesting by minimizing the jargon and focusing on why things are important. Several times, I've found myself reading for a while, after I looked something up, just because he makes stuff interesting.

After reading Gebhard's book, I decided to see what others thought about the book. I was quite surprised to see one reviewer give the book only one star. But, then I read the review and realized that this person had not actually read the book. He simply decided that he did not like the book because he thought the author had friends write the reviews. His review without reading the book is like not liking a person because someone told you a few things about her.

I like Gebhard's book because he does not claim to know the best way to teach. Rather, he wants us, as ESL teachers or future teachers, to learn how to make our own decisions about what to do in the classroom. He gives lots of examples of things we can do as teachers. (I especially like his section chapters on teaching skills -- conversation, listening, reading, writing -- and his chapter on culture and teaching.)He also provides real problems that real teachers have, and gives multiple examples of activities and materials that experienced teachers use. But, he does not tell teachers how they should teach.
The book is full of ideas and easy to read. As an ESL teacher, I can highly recommend it.

Excellent resource. I teach ESL to the Hispanic Immigrant Population in Anniston AL and have found this book full of useful suggestions and techniques for the classes we teach.

This is an absoulute work of superb scholarship. Dr. Gebhard is obviously speaking from years of both research and real-life experience. In an area filled with dull and lifeless preachings by secluded scholars tucked away in ivory towers, this work stands out as a testament to thorough reaseach complimented by understandable and readable conclusions. A must read for anyone in this field!

Have you been asked what TESOL is? This book gives you all the keys you need to understand teaching English to speakers of other languages. It works as an introductory texts for those majoring TESOl or will work in the ESL EFL arena.

This is a book on language teaching for language teachers. The book takes the view that language teachers must be responsible for making the ideas in the book real for their own particular contexts. The book starts with self-development as a theme and then moves on to teaching skills. Jerry Gebhard is careful to point out that he is not providing a bag of tricks as each application is backed-up with a sound theoretical perspective. The references in each section are excellent if the busy teacher has some time to read in more depth. Also, each chapter has activities that teachers can explore in order to apply the chapter information to their own particular context. What I especially like is that these activities encourage teachers to talk to other teachers and colleagues. This is where real self-development starts. This book, then, is a welcome user friendly addition to the field of English Language Teaching. If the user is a teacher, you have found the right book!

Run and buy... This book has a lot of good exercises and ideas for developing teams. I specially found it helpful dealing with group processes, e.g. how to work with roles, conflict, tasks, cooperation and other topics. I have read about 30 books about teams and games/ activities: These book is one of the top three. My best recommendations!

Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan designs activities and games for training programs and to improve human performance. Glenn Parker is a team-building expert. When the two of them paired up to create Teamwork and Teamplay, they were able to offer 38 team-building and training exercises that work.

The value of this book begins with its introduction. Thiagi and Parker start by identifying 7 different types of teams and guidelines for using the activities. Those guidelines include steps to take so you are prepared to facilitate the activity, steps to take during the activity, and what to do after the activity is concluded.

Activities include skill-building in consensus-making (don't miss "Escape from Gilligan's Island" here!), ethics, motivation, team effectiveness, stages of team development. . .and more.

Thiagi and Parker include three indices at the end of the book: a topical index, a primary use (team-building or -training activity) index, and a time/number index.

Trainers, coaches, facilitators, and team leaders will find themselves returning to this book again and again. I have worked several of these games into my training sessions, with great results, and am eager to try even more. The activities are fun and groups find them engaging and energizing, and the learning points are solid.

I met Thiagi few years ago when I was still in Bloomington, Indiana (when I was still a PhD student). I love his game and simulation seminar a lot. This book include a lot of his "tricks" and pratical guidelines for those trainers who would like to motivate the team sprit and so on. A highly recommend book

Being one of those relatively concrete-sequential, oldest child, ISTJ (for the Myers-Briggs aficionados) people, I started my consulting career a little wary of all these "touchy-feely" group activities that trainers use when working with groups. Well, times change and (maybe) people do, too. I have done a fair amount of group facilitation and training, and have found all kinds of activities to be very beneficial in getting people to identify, focus on, and move toward shared goals. Many trainers discount or are ignorant of the requirements of adult learners -- most adults won't sit still (literally) for traditional, classroom-style instruction for more than 45 minutes at a time.

This book is an excellent, concise, easy-to-follow resource for anyone working in either team building or team training environments. As explained in the book's introduction, team building "...increases the ability of an intact team to work together...," while team training "...increases the knowledge and skills of the participants in various aspects of teamwork and being a team player...." The book presents many exercises for each type of team experience.

Each of the 38 activities is organized in an easy-to-follow format that includes:

* purpose * team size (minimum/maximum recommended group) * required resources * time (to complete) * room setup * steps * debriefing * variations * templates, charts, overheads, as applicable

The book also includes appendices that sort the activities by primary use (team building or team training), time and participants, and by topic area (desired outcome or issue being addressed). These appendices make it easy to determine at a glance which of the 38 activities are most appropriate for a particular group or setting when designing training.

The value of the introduction bears emphasis. Many books have forgettable introductions; this book's introduction is an excellent short essay on the value, uses, and benefits of building and training teams. Read it slowly -- the authors make their points quickly. If you skim, you'll miss something important.

Whether you're a consultant or in-house trainer, regardless of organization size or mission, this book is a handy tool to improve the quality, participation, and outcomes from your groups training.

More is just what this phenomenal book of new and exciting trainings offers any aspiring and inspiring trainer. The trainings can be easily grouped and shared to produce high impact.

In returning from a weekend seminar of team building and communication courses, several trainings from this manuel helped to provide for a high-impact seminar with team-work problem solving, team interaction and production, opportunities for great transitional shorties between programs (adaptability is immense!) and communication inside the team.

Metcalfe, Our Team, ET, Escape from Gilligan's Island were among the courses used and combined with others throughout the seminar. Worthwhile trainings and with some ingenuity and creativity, easily adaptable to fit any size of audience!

I highly recommend this book for trainers looking to provide something new or something different in seminars on team work and communication.

I know I can't wait to implement more trainings from the book into helping others become better team players!