Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Tools of the Trade’ Category

Sep 14

2 Comments

Tools of the Trade: Making Connections

 

by Rita Sorrentino

 

How many of us grew up with the adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” or perhaps, as a teacher, have been the recipient of a golden, gala delicious treat? For me, yes and yes.

Recently, I came across an earlier version of the popular apple/doctor relationship: “Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An’ you’ll make the doctor beg his bread.”[i] For some of us, in our brown bag lunch toting days, this healthy snack was a favorite and often made its way onto the teacher’s desk continuing another long lasting tradition of the apple/teacher relationship.  Before the establishment of public education, poor farmers would pay for their children’s teachers from their crops and apples were often abundant. In the ensuing years of low teachers’ wages, the gift of an apple provided good nutrition and economic support.  Conceivably, in today’s many underfunded schools, a bright shiny new Apple product would be a welcomed gift of choice to service the needs of students in an ever-changing world.

With Google, Microsoft and Apple companies offering goods and services to the world of education, teaching and learning are moving to new realms of possibilities. Other digital tools and products extend learning beyond the classroom, connect learning with passion, and provide opportunities for continued professional development.

Read more

Jul 20

2 Comments

Tools of the Trade: Know Talking

by Rita Sorrentino

What do James Britton, Fisher and Frey, and Vicki Spandel have  in common?  Let’s review some facts.

James Britton (1908­-1994) was an influential British educator and researcher who developed a theory of language and learning that helped guide research about the teaching of writing in school.

Fisher and Frey are renowned educators, prolific authors and leaders in the field of language and literacy education.

Vicki Spandel is a well-­respected author of numerous books and instructional materials, and was co­-director of the team that developed the 6 Traits model.

Hmm. All three have something to do with the components of language; the use of oral and written communication to better understand ourselves and the world around us.  Let’s take a closer look.  Read more

Jun 8

5 Comments

Tools of the Trade: Google Docs – A Tool for Taking the Writing Conference Beyond the Confines of the Classroom

By Kelly Virgin

“By truly listening to students when we confer, we let them know that the work they’re doing as ‘writers’ matters.” -Carl Anderson

For years I have struggled with finding the time to truly listen to each and every writer I teach and as a result I know I have failed in letting many of them know how much their writing matters. As a high school teacher, the confines of a 42 minute class period and the average class size of 25 or more students made it logistically impossible for me to engage in meaningful writing conferences with every student regularly. That is until I took our writing conferences beyond the confines of the classroom through the use of Google Docs.  Read more

May 11

1 Comment

Tools of the Trade: Multimedia Posters and Charts

By Rita Sorrentino

Tools of the Trade: Multimedia Posters and Charts

Pick a letter from A to Z. Did you say C? Right. The letter C gives us many avenues for brainstorming the benefits of infusing technology into our teaching and learning environment: curiosity, connectivity, creativity, choice, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Good start. Oh, did someone just mention chaos and control?  Yes, technology can usher in a less-orderly classroom as the focus shifts from teacher-centered to student-centered activities with a wide range of information sources, productivity tools, and personalized on-demand learning.

There is a lot to consider when making decisions to transform teaching and learning with technology that encourages students to ask questions and find problems in need of solutions. With the colossal amount of information available today, our students still need strategies to guide their learning, skills to evaluate sources of information and choices to demonstrate how to construct and curate their digital products. Pedagogy still matters as we strive to successfully infuse technology into our teaching and learning environments.  Read more

Apr 13

5 Comments

Tools of the Trade: Reading Response Journal—Doing Away with the Study Guide in an Attempt to Avoid Readicide

By Kelly Virgin

Recently, while reading Kelly Gallagher’s Readicide for the Strategies for Teaching Literature course, one of the participants posed the following question: “How can we tell if we are over-planning and overteaching a text; how can we better self-monitor?” Another participant very wisely answered, “If we know every question we want to ask and every discussion we want to have before we even pick up the book with our students, then chances are we are over-planning and in danger of overteaching.” Kelly Gallagher argues that the overteaching of books leads to readicide because “…the overanalysis of books:

  • prevents our students from experiencing the place where all serious readers want to be—the reading flow.
  • creates instruction that values the trivial at the expense of the meaningful.
  • spills over and damages our students’ chances of developing recreational reading habits.” (60)

When I think back to my first years of teaching, I know I was guilty of committing readicide time and time again. As a new teacher I felt panicky if I didn’t know exactly where I wanted to go with every page of every novel. Read more

Mar 16

2 Comments

Tools of the Trade: Pete&C

By Rita Sorrentino

petec_logoThink Hershey. What comes to mind: chocolate, adventure, shopping? Definitely. And here’s one more opportunity that might interest you – PETE&C (The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference). Yes, Hershey. PA has a lot to offer its visitors throughout the year, and as it plays host to this annual statewide event in February, it brings together educators, innovators, students, vendors and exhibitors all focused on efficient and purposeful uses of technology in the field of education. A few weeks ago, I attended the ninth annual Conference and was sweetly rewarded with many opportunities to learn, grow and connect in this fast-changing Edtech world. Here are a few of my gold nuggets (chocolate not included). 
Read more

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »