Engaging a Writer’s Emotional Awareness
I’m on a path to understanding how emotions connect to engaged writers. Today I’m sharing some resources to bring you along with me.
A Quick Way to Deal with Bibliographies for Elementary School Writers
Have your upper elementary school students spent lots of time creating a reference list? Free up the time spent on making a reference list perfect by using an online citation tool.
Synthesizing: The Step Between Research and Writing
Synthesizing is that step we can’t skip when teaching our writers to craft research writing. It is within the wait time between the research and the writing that students gain their best understandings. Here are five strategies to help your writers fill that wait time with meaningful ways to get their gears in motion in a mixing of new thinking.
No More Cookie-Cutter Teaching
As educators, we need to take ownership of our teaching. If you think your tried and true lessons are lackluster, change them. Start with looking at your students and asking yourself, what do my students need? What are their strengths? Next, look at the VERBS in your standards. Precisely what is it your students need to master in this unit? Finally, embrace the art of teaching, follow their lead.
Using Writing for Research in the Content Area: It’s Not Just for ELA
Today’s guest blog post comes from Library Media Specialist, Shannon Betts.
Research is My Friend by Lauren Castillo
Lauren Castillo, a Caldecott Honor author and illustrator, kicks off this year’s Author Spotlight Series with a piece about how important research is to her artistic process.
Building Ideas in Research Writing
Research-based writing need not be collections of facts. Teach your students to interpret as they research and to use their ideas to expand their writing.
Crafting Nonfiction: Conducting Research and Organizing Information
Melissa Stewart, award-winning author of more than 150 nonfiction books for children, steps into our Author’s Spotlight today. In her post, she shares about the chunk and check process, which will help your students conduct research.
Conducting Effective Internet Research
Many students struggle with the research portion of research-based writing. Here are some tips to help students to conduct Internet searches safely and effectively.
The Payoff
I’ve been working with Keith Bollman and his fifth grade class on a research project. The end result is a tour of the solar system, completely planned, designed, researched, and … Continue Reading The Payoff
21st Century Research
This is the view from the beginning of my day. Our middle schools are working toward an Academic Learning Fair. We are being intentional about considering Common Core standards and … Continue Reading 21st Century Research
Informational Writing Can Be Informational Learning: A Guest Blog Post by Christopher Lehman
Students’ informational writing can change dramatically when we include an extra step in between: 1) take notes, 2) experiment with those notes by teaching-through-writing, 3) write a draft.
Another Kind of Share
We’ve been researching in Keith Bollman’s 5th grade class. Because Keith and I have been working together for years, I know he will let me play a little in writing … Continue Reading Another Kind of Share
QR Codes
My kids are junkies when it comes to QR Codes. They love spotting them. They are addicted to the thrill of scanning. They like the possibility of where the QR … Continue Reading QR Codes
Infographics
Words + pictures have always intrigued me. As a scrapbooker I use words + pictures to document life. As a blogger, I know when an image is included it always … Continue Reading Infographics
Martha Horn!
Martha Horn is coming to NE Indiana on October 14, hosted by the All-Write Consortium. I’m super excited to hear her thoughts about teaching our youngest writers. If you are … Continue Reading Martha Horn!
Words that are Speaking to Me
Fiction is not a dream, nor is it guesswork. It is imagining based on facts, and the facts must be accurate or the work of imagining will not stand up. … Continue Reading Words that are Speaking to Me
Nonfiction Writing Celebration
I’ve just gotta tell you, I attended an incredible writing celebration today. Not only was the celebration itself cool, but the way it evolved rocked too. It was a true … Continue Reading Nonfiction Writing Celebration
Fiction + Research
Some of you know I’ve been dabbling with writing fiction for the past six months. I’ve also had the pleasure of leading a fiction writing unit of study in two … Continue Reading Fiction + Research
