Book Reviews
ARCHON FUNG
Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor and former Academic Dean at the Harvard Kennedy School - Harvard University
"The COVID pandemic has forced millions of teachers in elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities around the world to re-think their basic craft. How can we facilitate learning through a thin stream of electrons that produces fuzzy images and delayed audio? Every single one of us should read Teaching Effectively with Zoom. Written by one of the most effective teachers in the business, Dan Levy offers highly practical guidance about how to utilize the many features of the ubiquitous Zoom platform — from polling to chats to breakout rooms — to achieve a wide range of pedagogical objectives. This book will certainly make you a better teacher on Zoom, but it will also make you a better teacher in the classroom when we don’t have to rely on Zoom anymore."
DAVE MEYERS
CEO and Co-founder of Teachers Connect
"Thank you, Dan Levy, for taking us beyond backgrounds and breakout groups – and for putting the student experience at the center of the online learning discussion. The sudden COVID-induced shift to e-learning has been a ferocious jolt; in a blink, the methods used by K-12 teachers to assess student understanding in real-time, get students collaborating on rich and meaningful problems, and keep the learning exciting and engaging have been ripped away. In his “what-to-do” manual, Levy combines a strong base of the science of learning with real-life examples from his classroom and those of his colleagues to put those learner-centric goals within reach again. And the techniques are doable! As I read, I kept thinking, “I can do that.” Check out Chapter 4 on the variety of ways to use polls to get a quick check on student understanding. In my career as a K-12 classroom teacher, instructional leader, and teacher developer, I’ve always wondered about how much attention higher ed professors pay to teaching outcomes. In 15 years of “talking shop” with Dan, I can say with great confidence that he’s an outcomes geek, and I’m grateful that he’s directed his energy toward this absolutely essential guide. Read it today, and reach more students tomorrow!"
ALLISON PINGREE
Senior Instructional Coach, Harvard University, and Winner of “Bob Pierleoni Spirit of POD Award,” the highest honor that POD bestows on a member
"This eminently practical, reader-friendly guide offers instructional wisdom that will make newcomers’ entry into teaching online easier, and gives even seasoned instructors some fresh strategies and tips. As Dan Levy pulls back the curtain on his own teaching journey, he shares a wealth of detailed explanations, frameworks, and grounded practice. His approach to the book mirrors his commitments as an educator and colleague: when learning comes first, effective teaching will follow."
RODRIGO WAGNER
Professor at Universidad Adolfo Ibañez Business School, Chile
"A few minutes ago I finished reading Dan Levy's book. Amazing. Superb. Timely. The book is easy to read and full of tricks you can immediately apply. It is useful both for those who teach and for the many others that have to engage audiences online, like when presenting in a board meeting. The companion website is also very useful. I am recommending the book to all my colleagues in the US and Latin America. Value for money."
ANN KOUFMAN-FREDERICK
LearnLaunch Strategic Advisor and former Superintendent of Watertown Public Schools
"If you want to quickly know how to successfully engage middle and high school students online, then pay quick attention to Dan Levy's "Teaching Effectively with Zoom." As COVID was forcing a shift to remote and hybrid learning, Dan's Zoom techniques get to the heart of student learning through authentic engagement and thoughtful activities that help teachers understand their students' learning needs."
Alejandro Poiré
Professor and Dean, School of Social Sciences and Government, Tecnológico de Monterrey
"I love this book. At my institution, we have been pioneers in online learning for many years. We have extensive experience training our faculty, but I had never come across a resource as on-point and useful as this book. I learned a ton. Simply masterful!"
Susan Carter
Associate Professor, United States Military Academy, West Point
"I found “Teaching Effectively with Zoom" super helpful in my teaching. Here are two of the many things I did as a result of what I learned in the book: First, I kept a list of students and marked off those who had participated. I then cold-called students who had not. I couldn't get to everyone but I got some people that would not have otherwise talked. Second, I had students draw a graph on their own paper, and then called on someone to show the class their paper by lifting it up to the camera. Overall, I was happier with the percent of students who were participating. One of my favorite quotes from the book: "Be rigorous with the answer but gentle with the student.”
Fernando Reimers
Professor of Practice in International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
"I read several books on online learning this summer, in preparation for an academic year fully online at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I have also taught online at the Harvard Extension School for over a decade. Dan Levy's book 'Teaching Effectively with Zoom' stands out: highly readable, eminently useful and practical. Dan's interest and deep knowledge of pedagogy shines throughout, the prose is clear and engaging, the ideas are sensible and valuable. This is the book for the hour!"
Ben Gomes-Casseres
Professor of Business and Society, Brandeis University
"This book is timely and TERRIFIC! I just read it cover to cover and found many new tips, and confirmation for other things I have experimented with in my teaching. The pedagogical philosophy is dead on and the insights into nuances of using Zoom are worth the time spent reading this. I say this from having taught Strategy courses by the case method for 35 years, and having done so on Zoom this past Spring. Wish I had this book then! The companion website is also useful and full of tips."
Russell Poldrack
Professor of Psychology, Stanford University
"This is a really excellent book on how to level up your online pedagogy - highly recommended!"