Introduction “I want to facilitate learning that helps students be the best versions of themselves.” “I teach to inspire a new generation of book lovers!” “I teach to change lives!” “I teach to show students how BRILLIANT they can be!” These are the words of four … Continue reading Closing the Door on Standardized Test Preparation and Opening the Door to Next Generation Literacy by Vicky Giouroukakis & Maureen Connolly
Writing is Elemen‘tree’: A Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Framework for Navigating the Writing Process by Lyndi Maxwell
Abstract This article describes how teachers can use manipulatives, visual aids, and poetry to help students navigate a process-approach writer’s workshop. The workshop is presented as being analogous to how a squirrel navigates an oak tree, as the squirrel represents the writer, each part of the oak tree represents a stage of the writing process, … Continue reading Writing is Elemen‘tree’: A Visual, Auditory, and Tactile Framework for Navigating the Writing Process by Lyndi Maxwell
Dogmatism and Teaching Writing by Alexandra Glynn
The great writing textbooks seldom prompt aspiring writers to be certain. The ancients assumed that they would already be, so there was no need to discuss it. The moderns deride certainty. But how many times have writing teachers had to correct an “I think that the political atmosphere is…” by deleting the “I think”? And … Continue reading Dogmatism and Teaching Writing by Alexandra Glynn
Analyzing Poetry and Songs by Scott Hall
Find a song that has been recorded by several artists (at least 4) over the past 30-60 years (or re-recorded/re-mixed in a new style by the same artist). Listen to each version of the song and take notes about the style. Style includes sounds, vocal delivery, pacing, beat, structure, and lyrics. YouTube is a good … Continue reading Analyzing Poetry and Songs by Scott Hall
Comics, Dickens, and Teaching by Serial Publication by Michael MacBride
Teaching the "huge" text s-l-o-w-l-y: taking your time with Dickens and Comic Books How do you teach a 500- or 900-page Dickens’ novel—heaven forbid a 1,500-page Richardson novel? (1) How do you teach a comic book, like Detective Comics, that has been running since 1937, or a comic strip, like Katzenjammer Kids, that's been around … Continue reading Comics, Dickens, and Teaching by Serial Publication by Michael MacBride
The iPad Invasion by Cassandra Scharber
"What I hope for you ... [is] that you think of technology as a verb, not a noun; that poetry drives you, not hardware." - Red Burns Setting the Scene In January 2010, the iPad was born and its birth instantaneously ignited a craze within K12 schools around the county. The iPad’s invasion of Minnesota’s … Continue reading The iPad Invasion by Cassandra Scharber
Exploring Whiteboard Apps in the Classroom by Emily Brisse
Although the topic of tablets in the classroom may be considered old news, it is still just as important to examine how this technology is being used in our districts and campuses and how we can improve its effectiveness. I’ve worked in a 1-to-1 iPad high school for the past two years, and now that … Continue reading Exploring Whiteboard Apps in the Classroom by Emily Brisse
SWOT and the Analysis of Literary Characters by John Banschbach
Like many teachers, I have a collection of teaching activities that can be used in different situations and that require little preparation. Freewriting, for example, can be used as an invention activity for writing or class discussion or it can be used as a classroom assessment technique (e.g., the “muddiest point” assignment). Another activity is … Continue reading SWOT and the Analysis of Literary Characters by John Banschbach
Promoting Literacy Outside the Classroom by Mitzi Watkins
“Ms. Watkins, my family and I took your book bag with us on our trip to Mexico, and we read the books in the car on our way there and back. Thanks for letting me take these books home!"---Esmeralda, 2nd grade student Before my first year of teaching, I had many delusions about what my … Continue reading Promoting Literacy Outside the Classroom by Mitzi Watkins
Rhetorical Empathy in the Writing Classroom by Erin Kunz
When developing a college composition course, content and methodology are always important considerations, but as instructors we also must consider how we can develop good practices in order to foster an intellectual environment. We try to create community for our students, but because of a number of issues—resistance, apathy, and misunderstanding, to name a few, … Continue reading Rhetorical Empathy in the Writing Classroom by Erin Kunz
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