Literacy is a comprehensive resource book which provides students and researchers with support for advanced study of the topic. It introduces readers to a broad range of approaches to understanding literacy in educational contexts and in society.

Literacy:

• introduces key concepts and establishes the key terms, extending readers' techniques of analysis through practical application.
• brings together influential articles, sets them in context and discusses their contribution to the field. These core readings are all fully annotated.
• includes readings by David Barton, Norman Fairclough, James Paul Gee, Roger Fowler, Gunther Kress and Jay Lemke
• includes further sample material and activities that enable readers to engage more actively with the subject matter and encourages them to develop their own responses.

Written by a leader in the field, this book covers the key themes in the discipline, including Acquisition of Literacy, 'Academic Literacy' in Higher Education, Workplace Literacies, Literacy and Schooling and Multimodality.

Literacy is a comprehensive textbook which provides students and researchers with support for advanced study of the topic. It introduces readers to a broad range of approaches to understanding literacy in educational contexts and in society.

Literacy:

• integrates psychological, educational and anthropological approaches to literacy and its consequences for individuals and society
• gathers together influential readings from key names in this inter-disciplinary field, including: Catherine Snow, David Olson, and Mike Cole
• presents teachers, students and researchers with many diverse opportunities to explore for themselves a broad range of perspectives and methods of study.

Written by experienced teachers and researchers in the field, Literacy is an essential textbook for students and researchers of Applied Linguistics.

Better than Best Practice offers a new way of thinking about classroom practice, professional development, and improving teaching and learning. This companion book and website together offer a selection of rich and realistic video-based case studies, context and narrative, step-by-step guidance through key issues, and commentary and debate from a range of expert contributors.

Carefully chosen video clips from primary school literacy lessons show real teachers in a variety of often knotty situations: classroom conversations that take unexpected turns; grappling with assessment; managing disagreements, to name a few. The book explores the educational potential of classroom talk and, in particular, the promise and problems of dialogic pedagogy.

With an emphasis on the complexity and messiness of teaching, "Better than Best Practice" considers how to learn from observing and discussing practice in order to develop professional judgment. It offers practical advice on how to organise and facilitate video-based professional development in which teachers share their practice with colleagues in order to learn from one another s challenges, problems, dilemmas and breakthroughs.

This exciting new resource argues that critical discussions of practice, which highlight dilemmas instead of prescribing solutions, help to develop and support thoughtful, flexible, and insightful practitioners: an approach that is better than best practice."

Better than Best Practice offers a new way of thinking about classroom practice, professional development, and improving teaching and learning. This companion book and website together offer a selection of rich and realistic video-based case studies, context and narrative, step-by-step guidance through key issues, and commentary and debate from a range of expert contributors.

Carefully chosen video clips from primary school literacy lessons show real teachers in a variety of often knotty situations: classroom conversations that take unexpected turns; grappling with assessment; managing disagreements, to name a few. The book explores the educational potential of classroom talk and, in particular, the promise and problems of dialogic pedagogy.

With an emphasis on the complexity and messiness of teaching, "Better than Best Practice" considers how to learn from observing and discussing practice in order to develop professional judgment. It offers practical advice on how to organise and facilitate video-based professional development in which teachers share their practice with colleagues in order to learn from one another s challenges, problems, dilemmas and breakthroughs.

This exciting new resource argues that critical discussions of practice, which highlight dilemmas instead of prescribing solutions, help to develop and support thoughtful, flexible, and insightful practitioners: an approach that is better than best practice.