Monthly Archive: November, 2010
Writing as Gifts
We have three weeks until winter break in my school district. This is the perfect time for a unit about using writing as gifts. To begin this unit, we are asking students to… Read More
Nurturing & Nudging Independence
Last weekend at NCTE, I had the pleasure of attending a session co-led by Patrick Allen, author of Conferring: The Keystone of Reader’s Workshop. Patrick shared some questions that he and one of… Read More
Words that are Speaking to Me
Anybody can write an exciting story and make it interesting. The trick is to . . . write a quiet story and make it interesting. — Hemingway
Gratitudes
Oops, this was suppose to post yesterday. I’m thankful for . . . Silly jokes that make giggles come alive Ordinary moments captured with words Photos documenting life The privileged work of education A… Read More
Say Hello + Giveaway: Bullying Series
The message in Say Hello, which is written by Jack and Michael Foreman, is so simple. The message to young readers is that you should reach out to a person, who looks lonely… Read More
Twitter as PLN
I joined Twitter at the beginning of October. What began as an experiment in learning a new genre has become one of the best professional development experiences of my entire career. I’ve been… Read More
NCTE: A Very Brief Reflection
Hugged. Home. Unpacked. Can’t wait to talk with Andy. But first, a very brief reflection of NCTE. I promise more will come. Still, in a word, this is what I’m taking away from… Read More
Don’t Fall Apart Now!
This-coming weeks marks the time of the year that I recall a few of my former students falling apart. Why? Thanksgiving, which marks the beginning of the holiday season, falls out in the… Read More
Ugly Fish + Giveaway: Bullying Series
We’ve all dealt with people who subscribe to the philosophy of “what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine.” In fact, most of us have taught those children at least once (Let’s… Read More
Our NCTE Presentation Is Tomorrrow.
Ruth and I will be presenting at at the NCTE Annual Convention tomorrow afternoon. Our presentation on reflective practice will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Saybrook Room at the Disney Yacht and… Read More
End of a Fantastic Day
It’s been a long day at Literacy for All. We each attended great sessions (which I’m sure you’ll find out more about in upcoming blog posts), presented two different sessions, and are now… Read More
Literacy for All — Tomorrow!
We’ll be presenting at at the Literacy for All Conference tomorrow. Our presentations are will be at 10:30 and 3:30 p.m. If you’re planning to be at either of the presentations, then please… Read More
Words that are Speaking to Me
If the story is in you, it has got to come out. — William Faulkner
Parent Communication
As we venture into teaching writing in authentic ways, it is important to communicate with parents our teaching decisions. When using technology in writing and reading workshops, communication with parents becomes imperative. When… Read More
