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Ring in the New Year by Remembering the Good
The weekend after Sandy Hook (see my brief thoughts here) I began thinking of ways to access the topic in different and more effective methods for my classes. They had left on that Friday not knowing what had happened. Of
The Past 3 Months of Education in a Nutshell
It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged for my own site. I’ve been finishing up my masters this semester, and blogging for my own enjoyment fell off my plate in the process. Nevertheless, here I am, back on the horse. In
New Shakespeare Collaborative Project: Anyone Interested?
Rarely do I hit up my readers for help, but I’m looking for classrooms to participate in, what I believe to be, a cool interdisciplinary Project Based Learning opportunity that combines Shakespeare and the digital era. I was talking to
Middle School Classroom Management Tip: Collaboration and Fluid Grouping Trick
Here’s a little fluid grouping trick I’ve written about in the past. I thought it might be fun to just record something to make it a little more tangible. The basic thought is that you can insert a little content
Edutopia Post: How Can We Make Assessments Meaningful?
My most recent post for Edutopia focuses on Meaningful Assessments. I’m currently working on that chapter for my new book, and it’s been on the brain as of late. In this post, I talk about using the 4Cs (Creativity, Critical-Thinking,
What’s In a Name? – The Questionable Branding of the “Common” Core
Every staff meeting, in every school, is the same. OK, so maybe that’s hyperbolic, but I’m sure we’ve all been there at one time or another: an administrator comes in and declares the new instructional practice du jour. There are
40 Strategies for Teaching ELD Students
I love the teachers in my Language Arts department. Ever since I became department chair, they have been willing to go on so many curricular adventures with me. If I ask to try a collaborative website, they are game. If
The Common Core Tabloid: Truth vs. Hearsay
So much is hearsay right now about the Common Core, it feels like the educational system has become a tabloid in their interpretation of what does not even exist yet. In fact, from this level of speculation has sprouted a
CATE keynote: Project Based Writing
I recently presented at the CATE conference to a great audience of enthusiastic teachers. CATE, the California Association of Teachers of English, is a great organization with an amazingly supportive group whose heart beats with the love of the Writing
New Edutopia post: The Power of Project-Based Writing in the Classroom
It seems like it’s been forever since I wrote an actual post for my beloved Tweenteacher site! But I guess it’s a happy problem as I’ve been writing here and there in the edublogosphere for these past couple of weeks.
New Edutopia Post: 7 Tips for Digital Learners
My latest post on Edutopia just went live. “7 Tips for Digital Learners” picks apart some of the skills that students of any age should have in order to succeed online. Of course, that’s not to say that there aren’t
Teaching Beyond the Bell
In celebration of The California Writing Project and Digital Learning Day, I was asked to write a post on some of what I’m doing with technology in the classroom. So I decided to write about what I’m actually doing
Tweenteacher Class on Project Based Writing
Hey all, Guess what? I’m going to be facilitating a class for Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach’s Powerful Learning Practice. The six-week course is on Project Based Writing, a strategic way to bring in authentic assessments and meaningful learning into any Language Arts
Edutopia Post: Trying Something New in Your Classroom for 30 Days
I’ve just recently posted a new article on my Edutopia blog, one that challenges teachers to try something new in their classroom for 30 days. As many of my readers know, my students are currently working on their Advocacy/Memoir speeches
A Tribute to Tony, our School Counselor
At times, I find myself in awe of some of the dedicated and self-sacrificing individuals that have devoted themselves to our students. These are the diamonds, the people who live this work, who breathe it, who take home the lost
Sharing the Responsibility: Should Senior Citizens be Exempt from Funding Education?
I work in a Title I school district some 15 minutes away from home. I live in a school district, however, that is ranked in the top 4% of those in my state. Our state assessment scores rank 125 points
Choosing a Topic for our Ted.com Speeches
I’m currently prepping my classes for another research unit, this one a blend of Memoir, Advocacy, and Speech Writing. After all, never in real life are genres categorized. They blend together; and the Common Core assessments to come recognize the
Edutopia Post: Common Core Standards and Persuasive Writing
My new post at Edutopia, “Persuasive Writing is a Key Focus in Common Core Standards,” has just gone live. I’m in high hopes for this new wave of assessments because I see more authenticity and real world application. For one
The Parent Portal: The Pros and Cons of Transparent Gradebooks
The Parent Portal is now open. No, this isn’t some Dr. Who vortex waiting to suck away all parents who can’t seem to drop their kids off on time. It’s the 24/7 online access to a teacher’s grade book. A
How the Interactive Whiteboard is Really Ed Tech’s Laserdisk
I’m taking a class at Walden University right now, and a recent prompt asked us to identify a future technology. I took a moment to reflect on this country’s current enthusiastic roll-out of Interactive Whiteboards, and why I feel strongly
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