Nov 3
In Fly Away, Patricia MacLachlan introduces us to a family full of love, talents and secrets. Lucy, the main character, is struggling to find her voice, in her poetry and in her singing. Compared to the opera, rap and lullabies sung by members of her musical family, Lucy can’t carry a tune. Read more
By Lynne R. Dorfman
I have always known that research begins with a burning question – one that needs to be answered to satisfy that “Curious George” persona in all of us. As my students have engaged in content area learning in the past, I now realize that I was perhaps too quick to send them off on a journey (not always a journey of student choice either). We all know how important the three Cs are to student learning – choice, challenge, and collaboration. But what if your students don’t have a burning question to ignite their quest? Read more
By Lynne R. Dorfman
Women’s roles are constantly changing! As you are reading this blog post, there are women making history and baby girls being born who will be future history-makers. It is important to deliver more than half of the story as we discuss leaders, activists, agents of change, and everyday heroes with our students. While some might think that stereotypes and prejudices have vanished into thin air, they haven’t. Consider the Kappan article published this month,” Deconstructing the Pyramid of Prejudice” where author David Light Shields claims that stereotypical behavior in schools about the sexes are “…as common as pencils.” Read more
Nov 7
by Gaetan Pappalardo
The writing workshop is fluid. The currents and tides are in constant motion (literally and figuratively) because it’s fueled by the human element. I’m not going to lie. It’s a mess. I know this sounds like a headache. It certainly can be, but kids need this “mess” to find the gold. Barry Lane, author, speaker, and musician, states in his book, But How Do you Teach Writing?, that real writing needs time, space, and freedom. Read more
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