If you live in North Carolina then you know that twin jewels bedeck its geographic crown: the mountains and the sea. What you might now know is that each coast also hosts a unique educational treasure: The North Carolina for the Advancement of Teaching. Begun in 1985 by the state legislature, NCCAT is a leader in providing professional development for… Continue reading There is No Place Like It In the World
At GCACS yesterday in my presentation, Jazz Up Your Students' Writing, I showed teachers my wiki and we discussed the differences between wikis and blogs. Joy Fisk of Arborbrook Christian Academy has used both and shared the primary distinction between the two. She said that although both allow students to post writing which can be… Continue reading Wikis vs. Blogs in the Classroom
At the Virginia State Reading Association Conference this past weekend, I gave three presentations for reading specialists and literacy coaches. As many of you know, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8 has specific mini-lessons to help students develop rich, in-depth characters and settings. One teacher suggested that after students have brainstormed a character… Continue reading Virginia is for Writers
Even for a writer, it is hard to describe the energy and enthusiasm of 20,000 reading teachers, principals, and literacy coaches who came together to learn the latest methods to teach reading and writing. The World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. was packed this week with educators to whom "Reading Matters"- as the pin, which… Continue reading IRA, 2008- Part One
Aren’t teacher appreciation days when you receive a stack of homemade thank-you cards from your students the best? On Saturday night when I came home tired and bleary-eyed from my drive back from Myrtle Beach and SCMSA, I found a large white envelope in the mail. My exhaustion turned to excitement when I read the… Continue reading
Despite icy roads and a 2 hour delay, my workshops at Plumstead Christian School on February 13 & 14th were well received. First, I taught the middle school faculty “How to Teach the Short Story” and we discussed the application to science, math, social studies, and Bible curriculums. That afternoon the faculty observed me lead… Continue reading My visit to Plumsteadville, Pa.
Two weeks ago I was in Cullowhee, NC for the NCCAT seminar; today I'm in Kiawah, SC presenting at the South Carolina Council of the Teachers of English. Believe it or not, it is colder along the coast of South Carolina than it was in the mountains! Such is the unpredictability of Carolina weather. Highlights… Continue reading From the Mountains to the Sea
Lured by my title, twenty-seven elementary and middle school teachers joined me yesterday at NWRESA in Wilkesboro, NC. With the common goal of improving students' test scores (the specter which haunts many language arts teachers), we looked at how students can improve their essays by adding voice, using "show don't tell writing", and utilizing effective… Continue reading Put Pizzazz into your Students’ Writing: Using Fiction Techniques to Write Grab-You-by-the-Collar Expository Essays
On Monday, Joyce Hostetter and I were welcomed to NCCAT, the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching. This retreat center, which snuggles into the Appalachian Mountains across from Western Carolina University, is a teacher's dream come true. For one week out of the year, North Carolina public school teachers are given the opportunity… Continue reading Is there a Children’s Book in You?
Looking for more information about teaching, blogging, & technology? Check out,Cool Cat Teacher Blog. I stumbled upon Vicki Davis' blog; she has lots to offer and her site is well organized and easy to navigate. Technorati Tags:blogging, teaching teachersAdd to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit |… Continue reading A blog about blogging