Book Review: Achieving Educational Standards Using the Big Six
This paper offers a structured chapter-by-chapter review of Janet R. Murray's Achieving Educational Standards Using the Big 6, examining how Murray applies the six-step teaching and learning framework to national content standards, information and communication technology literacy, and critical thinking development. The review evaluates the book's practical strengths — including sample lesson plans and clear overviews of educational standards — while identifying gaps such as missing empirical evidence and limited depth on the interrelationship between the Big Six and ICT education. Overall, the reviewer finds the text a useful, practical resource for educators and administrators seeking to align instruction with defined educational benchmarks.
- Introduction to the Big Six Teaching Method: Overview of the Big Six framework and Murray's book
- Chapter One: Educational Standards and the Big Six: National standards, No Child Left Behind, sample lessons
- Chapter Two: Information and Communication Technology Literacy: ICT literacy standards and Big Six application
- Chapter Three: Teaching Big Six Skills in Practice: Direct instruction of Big Six skills and lesson design
- Chapter Four: Critical Thinking and Deeper Application: Critical thinking emphasis and broader educational issues
- Conclusion and Overall Assessment: Overall evaluation of Murray's text for educators
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The review follows the book's own chapter structure, giving the analysis a clear and logical organizational spine that makes it easy to follow the argument from introduction to conclusion.
- The writer balances genuine praise with pointed critique in each section — for example, noting the formulaic nature of the Big Six as both a strength and a potential limitation — which lends the review credibility and analytical depth.
- Specific observations, such as the absence of empirical evidence and the need for more explicit guidance on teaching critical thinking, demonstrate close reading and independent evaluative judgment.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective evaluative synthesis: rather than simply summarizing each chapter, the reviewer consistently identifies what Murray does well, what is missing, and why those gaps matter to the intended audience of educators and administrators. This moves the review beyond description into genuine critical analysis.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief introduction to the Big Six framework and Murray's purpose, then proceeds through four chapter-by-chapter sections before closing with a short evaluative conclusion. Each chapter section follows the same internal pattern: describe Murray's content, assess its clarity and comprehensiveness, and note any weaknesses. This consistent structure makes the review readable and methodical, though the writer acknowledges the book's own organization is somewhat haphazard.
Introduction to the Big Six Teaching Method
There are a great many teaching methods and styles currently described and advocated for in academic literature. Many educational theories appear to be in direct opposition to each other, while others form a more inclusive framework that permits the incorporation of a variety of specific styles and practices. Many research articles have been written regarding the merits and drawbacks of these various approaches, and many volumes exist with the purpose of teaching specific methods of education to educators and administrators, some with greater degrees of success than others.
One of the most direct teaching and learning methods currently developed is known as the "Big Six." The title refers to six large-scale steps in the teaching and learning process. Though these steps are defined with subtle differences from scholar to scholar, they essentially involve: defining the task, choosing a strategy for obtaining information, locating and accessing information sources, extracting information from sources, synthesizing the various pieces of information obtained, and evaluating the results of that synthesis and the overall learning process. These six steps do not represent a larger educational framework; rather, they are meant to provide a direct and practical way to facilitate more effective education and learning. As such, they can be incorporated into many different classrooms, different overarching theories, and different general practices.
In Achieving Educational Standards Using the Big 6, Janet R. Murray bends this teaching tool and learning method toward the specific purpose of achieving explicit educational standards as laid out in various pieces of legislation, directives, and related documents. This book provides an excellent overview of the standards themselves, of the Big Six teaching method, and of how this method can be applied to those defined standards. By providing such a direct roadmap, Murray demonstrates both the practical usefulness of the method and the malleability and adaptability of its six steps. The organization of the book seems somewhat haphazard and is perhaps not as fluid as would be desired in what essentially serves as a manual for educators and administrators alike, but the information presented is clear and comprehensive.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.