I've been looking for a good story about Christmas to share for quite a few weeks. Most of the books I've received were either too religious for use in public school classrooms or didn't seem like they'd inspire students. But then, I received a review copy of Xavier Garza's Charro Claus and the Tejas Kid… Continue reading Bilingual Christmas Story + A Giveaway
Social Bookmarking
I attended a workshop led by Troy Hicks yesterday. It was exceptional. Everyone brought their own laptops and he led us through day of trying things out, setting things up, and thinking things through. One of the new resources I learned about are the Common Craft videos on YouTube which teach about different tech tools… Continue reading Social Bookmarking
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Blog Tour
Ruth and I were thrilled that four blogs decided to host stops on our blog tour last week. A big thank you to the following bloggers who read our book and posed thoughtful questions: Franki Sibberson of A Year of Reading Julie Johnson of Raising Readers and Writers Karren Colbert of The Write Brained Teacher… Continue reading Blog Tour
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SOLSC
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How’s Your OLW?
I think choosing a OLW (one little word) for the year is a great way to embark on a reflective life. When I chose vitality for my OLW, I knew I was in for a lot of learning. I expected to learn about physical health and healthy eating, but I also learned about spiritual and… Continue reading How’s Your OLW?
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Giveaway Announcement
There are four book giveaways I'm announcing today. Here are the names that were drawn for each of the following books: A copy of Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale goes to Annie Campbell. A copy of Eight Winter Nights: A Family Hanukkah Book goes to Kathie. A hard copy of Sammy and His Behavior… Continue reading Giveaway Announcement
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Words that are Speaking to Me
"Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable." ~Francis Bacon
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Why is being an independent writer important?
Someone posed this question to me earlier this week and since then it has been tumbling around my mind. It seems like such a simple question and one I would be able to spout off an answer to within seconds. I do have answers, but they seem to be in my heart and it's proving… Continue reading Why is being an independent writer important?
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Needs vs. Wants + 2 Book Giveaways
Every morning I receive an e-mail from Zulily.com, which entices me with products for my baby, who is supposed to arrive early next month. Zulily always has fantastic merchandise (e.g., clothes, toys, accessories) at a discount price daily. I want to buy nearly everything I see. However, I realize that I don't need most of… Continue reading Needs vs. Wants + 2 Book Giveaways
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Conferring Thoughts
Just a few things on my mind about conferring: It's a conversation. Just talk as a writer to another writer. Look for approximations. What is the student almost doing but not quite? Compliment this attempt and then help it become more standard. Enjoy the conversation. Listen. Listen. Then listen some more. Really listen. In addition… Continue reading Conferring Thoughts
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Figment: Where Social Networking and Literacy Meet
Figment.com just came out of beta and launched yesterday. This website is for teenagers to use to read other people's writing and to share their own writing. Figment allows teenagers to read and write using their computer or using their cell phone. To learn more about Figment and the possibilities that it could have for… Continue reading Figment: Where Social Networking and Literacy Meet
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Voice Matters
Jacques Steinberg, an education correspondent for The New York Times, appeared on "The Today Show" yesterday morning. He talked with Natalie Morales about college essays that worked and didn't work at some of the nation's most prestigious colleges. There were three commonalities I immediately recognized in the essays that worked. First, the well-written essays had… Continue reading Voice Matters
