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Alan Sitomer The "However" category of 21rst century skills

There's a part of me that feels as if the discussion I raised the other day about how using technology in way that simply adds up to "digitalizing worksheets" devolved to a place where I feel I wasn't quite paying heed to the idea that I really do recognize the potential -- if not obvious… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on November 9, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments

Nancy Klemens Raisin in the Sun/civil rights

We'll be starting Raisin in the Sun soon. Anyone have some good-pre Raisin activities,>>KWL?...or whatever you've got. Can be about civil rights as well. Thanks much, Nancy K Continue

Added by Nancy Klemens on November 8, 2009 at 7:01pm — No Comments

Cindy Fallsen middle school reading

Middle school kids are quite the challenge. While all the Height Increase Shoes to hang with the girls and each classroom needs a Filtrete filter to hold back the body odor. Somehow the guys have not discovered that they need to wear deodorant. You would think their parents would tell them :)… Continue

Added by Cindy Fallsen on November 8, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Hamilton Salsich THE WISDOM OF NO EXPECTATIONS

Teachers, including me, often talk about having high expectations for students’ work, but there might also be some benefit in having absolutely no expectations. The word comes from the Latin word for “look”, and when we have expectations of any kind, we are looking for some particular kind of result. We have one specific goal for the students to aim for, and we look for that precise goal and no other. It’s a commendable and often necessary approach to teaching, but we have to realize ther… Continue

Added by Hamilton Salsich on November 8, 2009 at 2:51pm — 1 Comment

Amy Ziegert Teaching the rhetorical triangle to middle school students

I'm wondering if anyone out there has any ideas for teaching the rhetorical triangle to advanced middle school students. I don't want to make it too easy or too difficult. Any suggestions would be great. Continue

Added by Amy Ziegert on November 8, 2009 at 2:20pm — 3 Comments

Jennifer Smyth What Does "Rigor" Look Like in an English Classroom?

I've been frustrated lately by the way we use the word "rigor." It seems to be a buzzword right now (my state is focused on "Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships" as the three Rs), but I'm having trouble finding a good definition. I know that rigor means challenge, but what does that challenge look like? How do I know that what I think is challenging is truly rigorous? What if I'm wrong? Policy-makers seem to be setting this as the "new" standard for instruction without clearly defining it… Continue

Added by Jennifer Smyth on November 8, 2009 at 10:34am — 3 Comments

ellen pham Journey to the End of Coal

Wow, this is a powerful documentary about coal mining in China. It is presented in a "choose your own adventure" format. You can return to any step on the journey and take a different path by clicking Show Map icon. Click on the image to go to the site.

… Continue

Added by ellen pham on November 7, 2009 at 2:28pm — No Comments

Alan Sitomer Skeptical of drinking the 21rst Century Digital Future Kool-Aid

There was something exceptionally cool going on in Indianapolis this week during the NMSA annual conference where I just presented. Yet, it was also exceptionally troubling. In the back of the exhibit hall somebody had set up a “Classroom of the 21rst Century”. Essentially, what they had… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on November 7, 2009 at 5:30am — 33 Comments

Teresa Bunner Priorities and Time- Have I Done Enough?

I can’t think of a school year where I didn’t wish for more time with my students. I find myself thinking “If we just had a little more time we could…” But I know as each semester and each year ends, that I must realize that the learning process is ongoing and no matter much time I spend with them there will always be more for us to learn. That is part of what I love so much about this job that I do. I’m finding myself in a quandry this week in regards to this subject of time. Perhaps it is mor… Continue

Added by Teresa Bunner on November 6, 2009 at 8:04pm — 7 Comments

Hamilton Salsich WALKING THROUGH BOOKS

As I was driving hurriedly to meet some friends for a quick lunch today, I began thinking that this is probably the way most of my students read – by hurrying. When they’re reading the popular vampire books, they most likely speed through the pages, restless to get to the next exhilarating point in the story. There’s probably very little lingering or savoring when they’re reading for pure pleasure. Like me rushing to lunch today, my students no doubt rush from chapter to chapter as they’re swept… Continue

Added by Hamilton Salsich on November 6, 2009 at 4:03pm — No Comments

Steve Shann How to improve literacy rates: a simple plan

Our government in Australia is considering a simple plan. To improve literacy you mandate regular high-stakes multiple-choice national testing in our schools. This keeps teachers on their toes and students focused on what matters most. I’ve just come out of a classroom where literacy rates seemed to have improved quite unexpectedly and dramatically. For eight weeks, a group of 90 postgraduate students, all of them training to be teachers in secondary classrooms, have been doing a course called… Continue

Added by Steve Shann on November 6, 2009 at 2:06pm — 14 Comments

Gayle Brooks Harkness Discussion Update 11/4/09

My students have been reading The Waste Land and I wasn't sure how the discussions were going to go with a complex text like this. However, much to my surprise, the girls are becoming quite astute with their discussions and have actually enjoyed reading The Waste Land! I am fully committed to this way of "teaching" after the experience with this text. Below is a diagram outlining the discussion path during one discussion on The Waste Land. As you can see, it's quite balanced… Continue

Added by Gayle Brooks on November 6, 2009 at 9:46am — No Comments

Heather Stringham Changing English II to a Reading and Writing Workshop

I apologize that this blog may not be very organized. Last year I taught all seniors with two Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. I switched to a different school, and now I am teaching four classes of sophomore English and one class of freshman English. After two years of primarily teaching with the skills necessary in Advanced Placement, I am now struggling with students who are not readers or writers. I read Kelly Gallagher's Readicide, and I started a Silent Sustained Readi… Continue

Added by Heather Stringham on November 6, 2009 at 7:05am — 4 Comments

Alan Sitomer Bullets just took another student's life and it doesn't make any sense.

In addition to doing Professional Development for schools and districts, I also do student assemblies (with my YA author hat on.) And the truth is, while I like doing to adult events, the kids just smoke the grown-ups on the "fun for me" scale... it's not ev… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on November 6, 2009 at 4:00am — 5 Comments

Lauren B. Other Duties as Required

I think most teaching contracts contain a phrase like this. One which suggests that you will have to do things outside of your regularly scheduled classes, but which is vague enough so that you have no real way of knowing what it is that your school expects. Now, some unions mandate that you can only be asked to provide substitute coverage for one class a week, or supervise one lunch period, but what happens if your union does not specify this in your contract, or if, like me, you work in a priv… Continue

Added by Lauren B. on November 6, 2009 at 2:07am — 4 Comments

Teri Lesesne NCTE

Hope to meet some of you at NCTE, I am there for almost a week since I stay for the ALAN Workshop after the conference,too. I am presenting Thursday afternoon about new YA books. I am speaking at the Middle Mosaic Saturday afternoon, a session not to be missed (and not because I have 5 minutes) for all the fabulous authors who will be there. I am chairing a couple of sessions and doing a roundtable on censorship. And, speaking of censirship, if you have anything you think needs the attention of… Continue

Added by Teri Lesesne on November 5, 2009 at 4:44pm — 4 Comments

Hamilton Salsich ON NOT CHOOSING FOR OURSELVES

The right and the ability to choose for oneself has generally been considered a privilege teachers should increasingly bestow on students as they move up through the grades, and I agree – sort of. Certainly I want to help my students develop the ability to sort through options on their own and then make an informed choice. That’s a known requirement for intelligent participation in an adult democratic society. In fact, the journey from childhood to adulthood might be described as the journey fro… Continue

Added by Hamilton Salsich on November 5, 2009 at 3:00pm — No Comments

Teri Lesesne books about death of family members

Jim alerted me to a request for books that deal with death in family. Here are a few off the top of my head. These are historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, realistic fiction, novels in verse. WINNIE'S WAR: historical fiction about devastating flu in early 1900s in Texas. Also FEVER, 1793 by Anderson. MESSED UP WILLOW LOVE, AUBREY EVERYTHING IS FINE ALAN AND THE ANIMAL KINGDOM CHOCOLATE WAR DEADLINE DEAD CONNECTION BRETT MCCARTHY, WORK IN PROGRESS JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL ALL THE BROKEN PIECES H… Continue

Added by Teri Lesesne on November 5, 2009 at 11:36am — 4 Comments

Traci Gardner What’s the Best Plagiarism Detector?

Should you look for a tool that ensures bibliographic citations are perfect? Can you help students avoid plagiarism by comparing their finished drafts to resources in a database or search engine? What is the best way to determine when a student plagiarizes? My answer is in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog.. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 5, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Alan Sitomer Is the Race issue dead?

I think people have become numb to the issue of race in our schools. And to bring it up, I think people just roll their eyes and feel a bit exhausted by it all. It's like we've all heard about the Achieveme… Continue

Added by Alan Sitomer on November 5, 2009 at 5:30am — 12 Comments

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Emily Coates replied to Katie Rojeski's discussion 'Satire example?' in the group Teaching Texts
I also use articles from the Onion. I bring in 5 or 6 articles and each group is responsible to reading the article, discussing whether it is effective and/or funny. I then have students write brief satiric pieces.
8 minutes ago
Emily Coates added a discussion to the group Teaching Texts
Huck Finn and Hero Journey
Hello! I recently began to teach Huck Finn to my 10th graders and I'm planning on using the Hero Journey for the first time. I am introducing it using Star Wars, but since I've never taught this before, does anyone have any ideas helping students ...
11 minutes ago
Lynne Kelsey commented on Amy Ziegert's blog post 'Teaching the rhetorical triangle to middle school students'
I found both texts online, but you can't post a file to a blog! Jennifer, can you very briefly describe what you expect your students to discover? (Forgive my laziness; it's 5:39 a.m. here and my brain is consumed with Hamlet, which we begin today.)
47 minutes ago
Jim Burke left a comment for Joseph Scotese
48 minutes ago
Tatyana Claytor added a discussion
Looking for poems to complement multi-cultural literature
My students are doing literature circles with young adult multi-cultural books. The books all focus on the difficulties of different groups (Holocaust, Cuban men trying to get to America, Nepalese girl sold in to the sex trade, etc) so I'd like so...
51 minutes ago
Jennifer Sekella replied to Daniel Woods's discussion 'Student resistance in Adolescent Literature courses' in the group Adolescent Literature
Wow. I never have looked at YA authors as the same as "classic" stories like "The Sun Also Rises." I love YA literature and it's not less than classical lit - just different. It is still worth reading and honestly, how are we to engage most of our...
52 minutes ago
Alan Sitomer added a blog post
There's a part of me that feels as if the discussion I raised the other day about how using technology in way that simply adds up to "digitalizing worksheets" devolved to a place where I feel I wasn't quite paying heed to the idea that I really d...
56 minutes ago
Kimberly Hager replied to Kimberly Hager's discussion 'Good short stories for teaching theme' in the group Teaching Reading
Thanks for all the great suggestions -- I'd gladly take any more that are out there! We are starting our endeavour with theme today. I'll let you know how it goes! Our next endeavour will be symbolism. Any ideas on stories that work well for that ...
1 hour ago
Fran Dundore replied to David Beck's discussion 'Teaching "The Book Thief"' in the group Teaching Texts
David - I follow the reading of the book with a "Power of Words" research project that I will attach.
1 hour ago
Fran Dundore Does anyone remember who posted the (great) idea about weekly argument practice w/ prompts? I found it and lost it - HELP!
1 hour ago
Naitnaphit Limlamai replied to Naitnaphit Limlamai's discussion 'Literary Analysis Writing Rubrics' in the group Teaching Writing
Bing, I like the wording and the categories of your rubric. I grabbed several things from what you have to add it to what I'm making now. I split the supporting examples into a row for general content (with grading for the intro and conclusion par...
1 hour ago
Jonathan Siegal replied to Suzanne Rogers's discussion 'Use of Animoto.com' in the group Teaching with Technology
Those look like excellent examples. I just wish that the videos were of a higher quality through Animoto. I know you can purchase DVD credits to get rid of the pixelation, but I'd have a hard time showing that on a large screen. Has this been an i...
1 hour ago
Joseph Scotese left a comment for Jim Burke
1 hour ago
Explore Academy replied to Explore Academy's discussion 'Looking good short memoir excerpts for 5th grade writing project' in the group Teaching Middle School ELA
One of my favorite books, but you are right, we could use parts -- The opportunity is amazing!
1 hour ago
Christine Trala left a comment for Ron Shapiro
2 hours ago
Joseph Scotese added a video
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2 hours ago
Elisa Waingort replied to Carol Ann Scheese's discussion 'Neighborhood Book Clubs' in the group Book Group! What Are You Reading?
The Help has sparked a lot of discussions on a couple of online listservs I belong to. A great read...
2 hours ago
Steve Shann replied to Michael Umphrey's discussion 'Ethics of Authenticity, Chapter 1'
Thanks for kicking this off Michael. I find Taylor intriguing but somehow elusive. I have to read what he writes quite a few times before I begin to get a handle on where he’s going and what he’s saying. I’m not sure why this is. Something about ...
2 hours ago
Joseph Scotese replied to Gretchen's discussion 'Ballads' in the group Poetry Corner
When we do Anglo-Saxon ballads, I ask for volunteers the day before - give them a cd with music and lyrics and the next day we have Karaoke Ballads in the classroom. I want the kids to know that ballads such as Lord Randall were sung and not spoke...
2 hours ago
Suzanne Rogers replied to Suzanne Rogers's discussion 'Use of Animoto.com' in the group Teaching with Technology
Ron, Animoto makes it very easy. Just clck on add text. The number of characters makes you really evaluate which words to incorporate. (less than Twitter) The first line is shorter than the second.
2 hours ago

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