What I've been reading:
This post by @HollyClarkEdu about how Orlando schools are taking away recess in order to spend more time on test prep. I am planning on using this article from Bay News 9 or this article from FOX News to have the boys write something persuasive or argumentative about having recess.
This Huffington Post article about what MTV is doing for MLK day. Showed this to the boys this morning, and we had a good conversation about the symbolism behind making TV black and white for a day.
This article about how to develop writers. I really want and need to work on writing with the boys. I am also reading Writing Thief by Ruth Culham with some ideas about how to teach writing.
I also just downloading Reading in the Wild by Donalyn Miller. I read Book Whisperer this summer, and I LOVED her ideas and philosophy. The boys are reading much more this year once I figured out what kind of books they enjoy. Thank goodness these books have Kindle versions. Much easier to access them. :)
This awesome article contains the secret to a no-fail prewriting strategy that I cannot wait to try. In a few weeks we are going to take a stab at writing a "theme paper" looking at what The Samurai's Tale teaches about life.
Here's another article I am going to use with the boys as a springboard for a persuasive or argumentative assignment. Why should teachers use Minecraft in schools?
What have you been reading lately?
I think I just might like Reading in the Wild even more than The Book Whisperer, and that's saying something because I really love Book Whisperer! Have you read Going With the Flow by Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm? It's about engaging boys with literacy learning. Michael Smith's Reading Don't Fix No Chevys is also worth a look.
ReplyDeleteNo I will add those to my list! Thank you for the suggestions. Do you have a Twitter account or a teaching blog?
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