I-SS HS English Newsletter
May 5, 2017
Literature
18 Famous Literary First Lines Perfectly Paired With Rap Lyrics
Are you an aspiring rap lyricist? Have I got the tool for you! RapPad is a site where you can compose your raps with the help of rhyme lookups, syllable counters, and a library of beats. But even if you’re not planning on writing raps, it offers a unique kind of linguistic fun. With the “Generate Line” feature, you can give RapPad a line, and it will write the next line for you by pulling from a library of successful rap songs. As always, preview before using with students.
Nabokov in the Age of Snapchat
Whenever I assign a long reading for homework or offer to peruse one collectively, a tremendous sigh can be heard filling up the room. Groans of “Do we have to?” or “I’ve never read anything that long in my life” punctuate the anticipated boredom, and everyone settles in to (grudgingly) do the work.
For instructors, that isn’t a rare occurrence. Our roles require us teach basic tenets of literature, engage students in thinking about rhetoric and symbolism, and ideally guide them as they evolve into better writers and critical thinkers.
Using Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom
While Americans tend to view comics as “fodder for children,” people in Europe and Japan have a more positive view of the medium, explains John Lowe, of t the Savannah College of Art and Design. Lowe thinks comics deserve more credit, especially since they launched his interest in literature. “I started reading comics, and then I got into other types of fiction and literature. I stopped reading comics a little later, but I don’t think I would have made the leap [to literature] if it weren’t for comics.” In his case, he says, he literally went from reading “Batman to Faulkner.”
Writing
Writing Papers and Research Reports the Google Way
@jmattmiller
NCWiseOwl
It ensures that all of our public students have access to a collection of online resources for use in research projects and homework assignments, without regard to the economic status of their local school system. In other words, access free, high quality resources.
6 Smart Ways To Organizing Writing Content
End of Year Tips
Top 12 End of Year Activities-From Teacher Hub
Ah, the end of the year. Everyone’s tired and losing focus. Some tests are behind you (state tests, AP exams), some may be ahead of you, and probably no one – you or your students – is really at their best. So what’s a teacher to do? Choose a goal to make the last month of school an effective one. Here are some time-honored end of the year activities.
Goal: Review What We’ve Learned
You’ve got one last chance to review your material before exams (or the great mind-eraser of summer vacation).
Edutopia: 6 Engaging End-of-Year Projects
I don't know about your students, but so many of mine, coupled with Senioritis, were done after state testing. (The well had run dry, no blood from a turnip -- all those sayings applied!) With just a few precious weeks left in the school year, what do you do to keep the kids energized and on board with learning?
One thing I knew for sure when it came to my high school students: They had to feel as if they weren't actually doing work. (Yep, I had to trick them.)
Elena Aguilar: How to Stay Charged During the Final Weeks of School
Technology Tips
Flippity
8 Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle
@EmergingEdTech
Examples of Applying the SAMR Model can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace it.
The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, has gained a good deal of exposure in recent years. “SAMR” is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. The SAMR model provides a technique for moving through degrees of technology adoption to find more meaningful uses of technology in teaching and move away from simply using “tech for tech’s sake”.
Professional Development Opportunity
Journalism Education Fellowship provides tuition-free, graduate-level course in teaching design
N.C. Scholastic Media Association will offer a short-term summer course for North Carolina journalism teachers and journalism/media advisers. Please help us spread the word.
Journalism teachers and publication/media advisers can receive three hours of graduate credit — free of charge. The course, "Teaching Design in the Secondary School," will be offered July 9-15. The course will be taught in the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Current journalism teachers and publication/online media advisers -- and those who may soon find themselves teaching journalism -- are encouraged to apply.
NCSMA’s Journalism Education Fellowship Program allows teachers to enroll in a short-term summer course. N.C. journalism teachers and media advisers can apply for free in-state tuition, free lodging and free books on a first-come, first-served basis. (These fellowships are valued at $1,230 each.)
The course in teaching design will be taught by Professor Terence Oliver, visual communication faculty at UNC-CH.
NCSMA offers this free in-state tuition opportunity through its NCSMA Teacher Fellows Program. To inquire about fellowships covering tuition, residence hall accommodations and books, contact Monica Hill at 1-888-562-6276 or ncsma@unc.edu. Act soon. Fellowship application deadline is May 15.
For more information, go to ncsma.unc.edu
Expand Your Professional Learning Network
Eric Curtis
From Kim Busch, ELA Teacher at LMS
Control Alt Achieve-Transforming Education with Technology
I began following Eric Curts, Technology Integration Specialist, because of his work with special needs students and the awesome tips and adaptations he suggested for inclusion classes. His resources are great for any classroom or ability level and are curated in an easy to follow process
This is an example of a post from this week for ELA.
He also posts resources by subject area and updates them monthly.
*Google Slide Presentation with multiple resources and how they can be integrated into classes and content.
Caitlyn Tucker
Alice Keeler
Alice Keeler holds a Masters in Educational Media Design and Technology and is a Google Certified Teacher, New Media Consortium K12 Ambassador, Microsoft Innovative Educator and LEC Admin & Online and Blended certified educator. She is Co-Author of the books 50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom and 50 Things To Go Further With Google Classroom, A Student-Centered Approach.
Assessments
Edudemic: Teacher’s Guide to Assessment
Every Teacher's Guide to Assessment
Assessment 101
It’s not a stretch to say that assessment is a hot button issue in education; however, you’d be hard pressed to find an educator who doesn’t see the value in measuring student progress. Assessments themselves have been vilified, when, in fact, it’s why assessments are given and how the data is used that is really the issue.