Oh these books make me excited! The entire series is filled with such enthusiasm for teaching and so many great ideas for teachers that I actually get a little tingly when I read them.
First of all, I love the idea of creating choice boards (or menus) for students' assignments. It's such a great way to incorporate different means to a common end. This is good for a classroom in which many students may have IPPs so they have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways. More importantly, it empowers the students to make the choice themselves, so they can decide which assignments best play to their strengths. And, of course, it allows all of the students to feel they have choices, which is always good.
I esp. liked the "$1.00 contract" which encourages students to be more creative with their presentation materials since they can only spend $1.00 on them.
For my full review, visit my blogs, Cozy Little Book Journal or The Bookish Elf.