That’s what the research process is truly about, wouldn’t you agree? So much of what we hope to teach can begin with what kids are passionate about, and many of the teachers I work with know from experience that when new learning journeys are fueled by passionate inquiry the rewards are great. How do we help kids define and begin chasing their passions as researchers? How do we help them integrate what they love with what we want them…
Over the last few days, I’ve been gearing up for a conference focusing on new ways to engage reluctant readers. In my travels, I’ve stumbled upon some valuable resources that have me reflecting on my own work with kids who don’t enjoy reading, and I’m blown away by the new potential that the web provides for getting students excited about books! I may not be able to use these discoveries in my own classroom this…
Yesterday, I was contacted by web developer Zsofia McMullin, who alerted me to The Stenhouse Blog, which launched in recent months and which also, I might add, offers educators a wealth of amazing resources to draw upon. In my work with kids this summer, I was blown away by how eager they were to try all sorts of less traditional writing. Blogging was the process of choice this summer, to be sure, but graphic novel…
Classroom teachers all over Western New York are heading home this afternoon to catch their collective breath for the first time in many days. I’ve been out of the classroom for several years now, but September still feels like the true beginning of the new year to me. I’m still filled with the same sense of excited anticipation, and I’m still looking forward to trying new things and seeing what can be learned in the…
I spent today exploring the practice of literature circles with a group of English Language Arts teachers from across our region. It’s always interesting when public and nonpublic school teachers come together to collaborate around any one best practice, but the disparity between these two factions of our education system with regard to resources is fairly outrageous. A good amount of time was spent discussing the beauty of the classroom library and the grief that some teachers feel…