Writing
How Writing Lights Up Your Brain
How Writing Lights Up Your Brain
I was putting together resources to support teachers in weaving writing into their classes when I came across an article…
Jay-Z Reminds Us that When Students Have Something to Say, You Can’t Stop Them From Writing
Jay-Z Reminds Us that When Students Have Something to Say, You Can’t Stop Them From Writing
I love scouring the internet for hidden gems of insight about learning and teaching. The other night, I was binge-watching…
Try Turning Classroom Talk into Writing with This
Try Turning Classroom Talk into Writing with This
As more and more schools turn their attention to teaching writing, I wanted to create easier ways for teachers to…
The Easiest Way to Quickly Add Writing to Your Lesson You Are Going to See Today
The Easiest Way to Quickly Add Writing to Your Lesson You Are Going to See Today
Some of the teachers I’m working with are struggling to add writing to their practice. Even though everyone is telling…
I Wrote Significant Portions of My Dissertation on the Train (Like Other Great Writers, Apparently)
I Wrote Significant Portions of My Dissertation on the Train (Like Other Great Writers, Apparently)
LitHub recently asked: What is it that makes trains such great writing spaces? Some might choose to write on trains,…
Nominations Now Open for the Best Education Writing of 2018
Nominations Now Open for the Best Education Writing of 2018
I walked into a bookstore last week. There were stacks of perennial Best books, but no book called The Best…
How to Turn Homework into a Game So Students Want to Do It
How to Turn Homework into a Game So Students Want to Do It
While working with a middle school literacy coach recently, we talked about how to make homework more meaningful to their…
Colbert’s Warning About the Dangers of Texting
Colbert’s Warning About the Dangers of Texting
It is easy for parents and teachers to feel uncomfortable with the ubiquity of cell phones in children’s lives. In…
The Semicolon That Almost Destroyed Texas
The Semicolon That Almost Destroyed Texas
Like me, you probably don’t fully appreciate the importance of punctuation and grammar in making society function. Fortunately, Malcolm Gladwell’s…
Is Texting the Future or Downfall of Writing in Schools?
Is Texting the Future or Downfall of Writing in Schools?
Leave it to a linguist like Columbia University’s John McWhorter to challenge popular fears that texting marks the end of language…
Stop Teaching Computer Science. Start “Embedding” It.
Stop Teaching Computer Science. Start “Embedding” It.
I’ve said it before: if we are serious about teaching computer science in K-12 schools, we have to reimagine how…
So, THAT is Where Letters Come From!
So, THAT is Where Letters Come From!
Etymology is one thing, but to look at the historical roots of letters themselves is just pure alphabetic joy.
Malcolm Gladwell on His Creative Process
Malcolm Gladwell on His Creative Process
It is a unique talent to translate complex phenomena to others in a way that is insightful, engaging, and avoids…
Fibonacci Sequence Poetry? Yes, Please!
Fibonacci Sequence Poetry? Yes, Please!
I’ll say it again: we must do more to blur the lines between the worlds of numbers and letters. This…
Teach Writing? This Podcast is a Must-Listen.
Teach Writing? This Podcast is a Must-Listen.
Pour a beverage of choice, plug in your headphones, and enjoy this fantastic podcast on the state of writing and…
The President Reminds Us Why We Teach Poetry
The President Reminds Us Why We Teach Poetry
It was 1963 and Robert Frost had died. President Kennedy offered a glorious eulogy for Frost, but it was also…