Saint Joseph Digital Express - * embracing digital learning in the town that set the pony express in motion *

nancie atwell « The Reading Zone I have had a lot of questions over the last few days asking about how I run my reading workshop. For some reason, there aren’t a lot of resources out there about using reading workshop in grades 6-8. However, I have read a lot of professional resources, observed in various workshop classrooms, and modified a lot of activities originally for the primary grades. Over the next few weeks I will make it a point to post about different aspects of my reading workshop as I get ready for the new year and plan out my units of study. Today, I will take some time to recommend the professional resources that I have found to be the most important for my knowledge and planning. Books: 1. 2.The Reading Zone: HOW TO HELP KIDS BECOME SKILLED, PASSIONATE, HABITUAL, CRITICAL READERS by Nancie Atwell- In her newest book, Atwell focuses on the power of independent reading. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Websites: Beth Newingham’s Teacher Resources: Mrs. ReadWriteThink: Great lessons for literacy!

Digital Writing, Digital Teaching - Integrating New Literacies into the Teaching of Writing The Fischbowl Learning and Laptops Kristin's Blog 2¢ Worth Listen A few weeks ago I worked and attended North Carolina's ISTE affiliate conference. I opened the NCTIES conference with a breakfast keynote address and Marc Prensky closed it with a luncheon keynote the next day. I would first offer some constructive criticism to NCTIES , and to all such ed-tech conferences across the nation and around the world. The only idea I can think of is to have one or two session rooms devoted to unconference topics. Now to the surprises It was in the student showcase, a part of most ed-tech conferences that I often miss, using it as an opportunity to visit the exhibitors or dash up to my room for something or other. She then began telling me what they were doing, describing some of the communication skills they were learning as well as social studies and character. “No software. After my hesitation, she continued, “..the game master.” “Today we do not need content specialists in our classrooms as much as we need context specialists.” And then, Is this true?