Engaging the Disengaged: How Schools Can Help Struggling Students Succeed by Dr. Lois Brown Easton won the nod as the 2009 Educator’s Award recipient. Honorable mention went to Dolphin Mysteries: Unlocking the Secrets of Communication by Drs. Kathleen M. Dudzinki and Toni Frohoff.
Dr. Easton directs the reader to the moral imperative of educating all students, specifically those students needing the most help. They are the “dis” kids: disinterested, disappointed, disenchanted, discredited, disenfranchised. This book describes practices and changes that educators have made to the culture of schools to better serve all learners, especially those who are disengaged. Easton’s book, Engaging the Disengaged, is a worthy contribution with a potential to influence educational practices.
Dudzinski and Frohoff provide an exciting and easy-to-read look at dolphins, their habitat and communication. Readers of Dolphin Mysteries experience unusual adventures as they accompany the authors in a comprehensive study of dolphin intelligence. Interpretation is given to dolphin behaviors observed and characteristics of a species under threat.
To qualify for the award, books must be written by a woman in one of the Delta Kappa Gamma’s 16 member countries and published in 2008. The Educator’s Award recognizes educational research which may influence the direction of thought and action necessary to meet the needs of today’s complex society. The Educator’s Award Committee also looks for broad appeal and a clear, informative style. The selections were made from 17 books nominated for consideration.
The Educator’s Award Committee is excited about both books. Members are encouraged to review the books at chapter meetings and share with others.