Pennsylvania-based author Linda Oatman High led a session entitled "Writing to the Beat of a Different Drummer" at the KSRA Conference I attended this week. (My handwritten notes from her session, which provided an array of ideas for getting students to write, are located at the bottom of this post in a Scribd Document.) Oatman… Continue reading Writing About Historic Events, People, or Places
Author: Stacey Shubitz
Stacey Shubitz is a K-6 literacy consultant and former elementary teacher. She is the author of CRAFT MOVES and other professional books on writing workshop. Her forthcoming book, MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WORK FOR YOUR CHILD WITH DISABILITIES (Guilford Press, 2026), empowers parents to navigate the special education system.
SOLSC Meets Picture Book Illustrators
KSRA Authors Tea Mug & Chocolate (er, what's left of the chocolate) Originally uploaded by teachergal When I received the registration form for the KSRA Conference, I did something I don’t usually do. I signed up for the Author Tea. I figured I might meet some interesting people and have a nice afternoon snack. (After… Continue reading SOLSC Meets Picture Book Illustrators
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Join Us for Today’s Slice of Life Challenge!
Please link your Slice of Life Story to this post by leaving a comment.
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WordFest 2009
I presented at the Capital Area Writing Project's WordFest tonight. Just thought I'd share my presentation in this forum as well. SESSION NAME: Well-Chosen Words About Slices of Real Life BRIEF DESCRIPTION: Help your students find the beauty in their everyday lives by opening up your notebook and sharing your own writing with them. In… Continue reading WordFest 2009
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Personification, An Effective Ending, & More
A copy of Laurie Halse Anderon's The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School arrived at my home last week. I read it once and put it aside since I was unsure of what this book would be most suitable for teaching (i.e., there's so much it can be used for!). I took a week… Continue reading Personification, An Effective Ending, & More
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Today’s SOLSC Coincides with The National Day on Writing
Our weekly Slice of Life Story Challenge coincides with The National Day on Writing today. Celebrate this special day by doing one, or more, of the following things as a writer: 1) Craft a new piece of writing and link it below. 2) Peruse the National Gallery of Writing. 3) Take part in a live… Continue reading Today’s SOLSC Coincides with The National Day on Writing
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The Case for Record-Keeping
Ruth and I are putting the finishing touches on the Conferring Section of our book just as I'm starting to work on presentations for two separate school districts about conferring in the Writing Workshop. Hence, conferring has been on my mind a lot lately! Record-keeping is always a hot topic when you talk about conferring… Continue reading The Case for Record-Keeping
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A New Source for Finding Mentor Texts
I’m not recommending a children’s book you can use in your classroom today. Instead, I have something better. It’s a professional book about children’s books that every writing teacher needs to have improve their use of teaching with mentor texts needs to have. Earlier this year Susan Ehmann and Kellyann Gayer published I can write… Continue reading A New Source for Finding Mentor Texts
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Do You Ever Wonder If Kids Have Time to Wonder Anymore?
This past summer Pam Munoz Ryan, author of two of my favorite read aloud books (i.e., Becoming Naomi Leon and Esperanza Rising) spoke at the TCRWP Writing Institute. Her speech, "Reading to Write, and Writing to Read" took the audience on a journey of what she called "an unchoreographed childhood," which was the result of… Continue reading Do You Ever Wonder If Kids Have Time to Wonder Anymore?
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Anecdotal Writing = Slice of Life Writing
I'm presently working on a PowerPoint Presentation for an interactive workshop I'm leading at next Thursday's WordFest 2009: A Celebration of Writing, which is sponsored by the Capital Area Writing Project. My workshop is entitled "Well-Chosen Words About Slices of Real Life." The session description is: Help your students find the beauty in their everyday… Continue reading Anecdotal Writing = Slice of Life Writing
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There’s Still Time!
After grappling, for months, about what I would submit to The National Gallery of Writing, I finally wrote a piece about my transition to teaching from working in public relations. I submitted my piece to the Pennsylvania Council Teachers of English and Language Arts (PCTELA) Gallery last week. It's called "Transition to Teaching." It's not… Continue reading There’s Still Time!
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Developing Theories About Craft Moves
This past summer I spent a week at the TCRWP Summer Writing Institute. One of my week-long courses was about mentor texts. Emily Smith, the section leader, introduced us to a book, But That’s Another Story edited by Sandy Asher. This book contains shorts stories from a variety of genres, such as science fiction, folktale,… Continue reading Developing Theories About Craft Moves
