Bøger af Maria Piantanida

On Being a Scholar-Practitioner: Practical Wisdom in Action challenges the traditional dichotomy between practitioners and scholars. Grounded in the concept of praxis--thinking informs action and action informs thinking--this book explores a stance of Scholar-Practitioner comprising six qualities that characterize their work in education. Scholar-Practitioners cultivate a reservoir of Pedagogical Wisdom that guides their decisions and actions. Theoretical Understanding and Contextual Literacy support educators as they work at the intersection of complex social and institutional forces. Embracing the qualities of Ethical Stewardship and Aesthetic Imagination empowers Scholar-Practitioners to advocate for the educational well-being of individuals and the profession. Through Metacognitive Reflection Scholar-Practitioners become more than recipients of rational-technical knowledge generated by others; they become sources of wisdom for fulfilling the purpose of education.

When a student who is truly ready to learn meets a teacher who is truly ready to teach, both can embark on an intellectually exciting and emotionally satisfying journey. Deeply engaged learning, however, is demanding--often pushing both learner and teacher to the limits of their abilities. Dwelling in the uncertain space between what is known and what is still to be learned can be fraught with anxiety, an anxiety so great that we erect walls of protective resistance. Through this collection of personal essays, the author of A Call to Learning reflects on her own resistance to learning and invites readers to do the same. As she moves through the landscape of her life as a student, learner, teacher, and curriculum developer, she explores nooks and crannies in the walls of resistance. In these small spaces lie opportunities for meaningful learning. When students and teachers seize upon these opportunities, both can transcend the limitations of their ritualized roles and journey together toward greater knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.

The death of an adult sibling precipitates a flood of emotions in the surviving sisters and brothers. Feelings of grief are not easily "gotten over" in neatly ordered stages. Neither are efforts to make sense of the loss and come to terms with an irreparable hole in one's family constellation. In Part 1 of The Oxidation of Grief, Maria Piantanida shares her responses to her younger sister's death from renal cancer. Mingled with expressions of grief are Maria's struggles with notions of spirituality, faith, belief, and the meaning of life. Part 2 of the book consists of narratives of adult sibling loss. These narrative were crafted from interviews with thirteen men and women who lost one or more siblings under unexpected (sometimes catastrophic) circumstances, chronic disease, or terminal illness. In sharing both her own reflections and those of others, Maria hopes that others may find comfort in knowing they are not alone as they cope with the death of an adult sibling.