All that is necessary for the triumph of damaging educational policies is that good educators keep silent. --- Alfie Kohn
750 Words: Update
Today was the fourth day in November that I wrote a piece on 750 Words as part of the November Writing Challenge. What's motivating me? Well first, the fiction writing I'm doing is a huge motivator. I have stories inside me to tell. In fact, I've had some ideas for children's picture books inside my… Continue reading 750 Words: Update
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Concrete Tools – Pilates & Writing Series: Part 3 of 5
On pages 62 - 63 of Day by Day, I talked about the role of Pilates and its connection to writing workshop in a detailed discussion called "Concrete Images for Support." Here I talked about one of many concrete tools, a ball, I used to help support my body as I did Pilates. I want… Continue reading Concrete Tools – Pilates & Writing Series: Part 3 of 5
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NCTE: A Little List
I. Am. So. EXCITED! I can't wait to present with Stacey, Patrick Allen, and Troy Rushmore. We are discussing the way our personal reading and writing lives influence our teaching. It'll be fast paced, useful, and fun. If you plan to attend, make sure to say hello. 🙂 I get to visit with people I… Continue reading NCTE: A Little List
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SOLSC
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And the Winner of Mentor Author, Mentor Texts is…
A record number of people left comments about Ralph Fletcher and his new book Mentor Author, Mentor Texts: Short Texts, Craft Notes, and Practical Classroom Uses (Heinemann, 2011). A special thank you to Heienemann for hosting a giveaway of his new book. Ellen Arnold was the fourteenth person who left a comment and since her… Continue reading And the Winner of Mentor Author, Mentor Texts is…
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Storytelling
One of the ways Martha Horn suggests launching workshop is to spend a significant amount of time steeping the workshop in storytelling. In fact, she suggests every child tell a story aloud to the entire class. She shares this approach along with Mary Ellen Giacobbe in their book Talking, Drawing, Writing (Stenhouse, 2007). She also… Continue reading Storytelling
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Words that are Speaking to Me
What we call little things are merely the causes of great things; they are the beginning, the embryo, and it is the point of departure which, generally speaking, decides the whole future of an existence. One single black speck may be the beginning of a gangrene, of a storm, of a revolution. - Amiel, Henri… Continue reading Words that are Speaking to Me
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Just Listen. Just Listen. Just Listen.
These two words cycle through my mind every, oh I don't know, maybe, every five seconds during writing workshop (and other times of the day, but I'll keep focused on being a teacher of writers). Just listen. Just listen. Just listen. It's a mantra that I'm trying to program into myself. I've been saying these… Continue reading Just Listen. Just Listen. Just Listen.
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Technology Articles from The NY Times
There are two articles that have been published in The New York Times in the past week that are worth reading if you teach or have young children. (1) A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute By MATT RICHTEL Published: October 22, 2011 The Waldorf School’s computer-free environment has become a draw for parents at… Continue reading Technology Articles from The NY Times
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Differentiation – Pilates & Writing Series: Part 2 of 5
If you do a Google image search for a "Teaser Pilates," hundreds of photos will come back to you. Many of the photos are of a person sitting on a Pilates mat with their arms and legs reaching diagonally into the air. Some of the photos are of a person sitting on a piece of… Continue reading Differentiation – Pilates & Writing Series: Part 2 of 5
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Twitter Tips
A few days ago Linda Baie asked me to share some ideas for using Twitter. I remember thinking the same thing. Remember the reason I started tweeting in the first place? I wanted to learn a new genre. What I didn't know I would find was incredible professional development and relationships with a variety of… Continue reading Twitter Tips
