Mentor Text: Monday, November 4, 2013 from The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater Techniques: Introduction Infusing Narrative Into Informational Writing Background: Our washer died a couple of months ago. This is relevant because it means that since we haven’t taken the time to buy a replacement, I’ve been spending time at the laundromat each weekend. And […]
Recently …
The First Two Minutes: Practicing Close Analysis with Opening Sequences
If you want students to write deep analysis, try starting with a medium and “text” that’s familiar to them: The opening sequences of their favorite TV shows.
100 Days of Summer WRITING!
Summer reading is part of the school norm — we want ensure students’ engagement over the summer, we want to prevent “summer slide” in literacy. And yet, we tend to ignore writing slide. The Moving Writers staff have been asking: What happens to our writers over the summer? So we are gearing up to share a […]
We Went A ‘Long Way Down’…
Though I read All American Boys a couple of years ago, I was weirdly late to the writing of Jason Reynolds. I read his Miles Morales novel this winter, and when I saw it being lauded so strongly in my Twitter feed, I picked up a copy of Long Way Down. If you’ve read it, […]
Student-Led Mentor Text Talks
We have officially arrived at the point in the year where panic ensues. The fourth marking period is here and there is still. so. much. to. do. And with the additional pressures of AP and state testing season, to say I’m feeling overwhelmed would be an understatement. The truth is that it’s when the going […]
Books That Move Us: Project-Based Writing by Liz Prather
Today’s guest writer is Jennifer Brinkmeyer, who teaches Reading Strategies and U.S. Lit Honors in Iowa City, IA. Jennifer loves teaching students how to commit rebellious acts of literacy. She is constantly seeking ways to bring her writing life into the classroom to help students validate their own writing lives. Today, Jennifer shares about a […]
Mentor Text Wednesday: Forging Dictionary Poems
Mentor Text: forge by Leslie Anne Mcilroy Techniques: Constructing meaning Poetic form Background: This week, I’d like to share another gem of a poem that came through my Twitter feed. One that lets me bring two things that I love into my class. With a 5 year old and a 7 year old, I get […]
Teaching From My Twitter Feed: In Praise of Twitter Chats
Usually, my Teaching From My Twitter Feed posts are about a great article or image that popped up in my feed right at the right time. This week, however, I want to focus on a different way my twitter feed has impacted my teaching–Twitter chats. If you’ve never participated in a twitter chat, this awesome […]
Teaching Writing Through Video Games, Part II
Today we present Part II of Sarah’s thinking on building student interest in your writing classroom by weaving in video games and video game writing. You can read her full post from Wednesday here. On Wednesday, I discussed a few small ways teachers can use to bring video games into their classrooms. Today, I want […]
Google it: 3 Ways to Turn Students into Vocabulary Explorers
We want our students to be flexible thinkers who can not only survive, but thrive in their explorations beyond our classroom walls. Taking a cue from Google and shifting our vocabulary instruction from defining to exploring is one way to move toward that goal.
moving writers 