Choosing which education publications to read can be instrumental in understanding the latest teaching trends and methodologies across all subject areas and instructional levels. In fact, curricular requirements for prospective teachers often include taking courses about current issues in education and recommend educational periodicals as supplemental reading materials. By making wise subscription choices, future educators can also gain insight about the skills and abilities necessary for teaching success by tapping into professional mindsets and practices.
Types of Educational Publications
There are as many types of educational publications as there are teaching specializations. Students can choose from these to determine which ones best address their curricular needs. Often, they will receive advice or direct recommendations from professors as to which publications they should read. Educational publications may be general in scope such as Education Week. Alternatively, they may be written specifically to teachers of:
- particular grade levels, as does The Elementary School Journal, which publishes four times yearly;
- core subject areas, as with The History Teacher published by the The Society for History Education;
- or exceptional learners and educational niches like special education, reading, gifted and talented, English language learners, urban education or technology, as with the Journal of Industrial Teacher Education.
Formats for Educational Publications
Educational journals and magazines have evolved and today include online publications as well as traditional print formats. These give students options for obtaining information about their chosen field of educational study. Online publications are especially helpful for those on a budget as many can be accessed for free. Some organizations may require annual membership and charge a fee in order to read online offerings. An example of a free online publication is the Mathematics Teacher Educator published jointly by the Association of Mathematics Teachers Educators and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics every March and September. Print publications, meanwhile, often publish three to six times per year and typically charge a subscription fee.
What to Look for in Education Publications
Publications worth considering for education majors include those that have a variety of ideas based on research and professional teaching experiences. Topics of interest that cross all grade levels, subject areas and learning types include curriculum planning, instructional methods, best teaching practices, innovative materials, inclusive classrooms, collaborative teaching, cooperative learning, student diversity, sociocultural effects on learning, improving student proficiencies, learning strategies and assessments. By choosing publications with this type of content, students in education will gain understanding about what it takes to teach in professional settings. Following are some examples of reputable publications for education majors:
- Academic Exchange Quarterly, a print periodical based on research about effective instruction across grades and subjects
- Journal of Developmental Education, a print periodical geared towards basic skills education and practical teaching applications
- Tech & Learning, an online offering for technology teachers
- Teacher Librarian, an online journal for school library professionals
- TEACHING Exceptional Children, a online journal focusing on practical application of instructional methods to address learning differences
In the field of education, knowledge grows with experience and choosing the right educational literature is important. For future teaching professionals, this means investigating and then applying modern teaching theory through diverse education publications that illustrate best practices in teaching and learning methods.
