CSU_TLship

"As I read their writings, the extent of my students' eco-grief, a term used by mental health professionals to describe feelings of loss related to changes in the environment, became clear to me. It wasn't particularly surprising. But it was the first time I had really paused and thought explicitly about how our youth's developing minds were being impacted by the climate crisis."

"How to Teach Infographic Literacy There are plenty of ways to teach infographics in the classroom, but most experts and researchers believe in slowly scaffolding students' understanding of them in thoughtful ways. "

"Virtually every children's book requires illustrations. Before you even decide on an illustrator for your book (or, if you are an illustrator, before you decide what book you are going to draw) you need to decide on an illustration style. What is an illustration style? It is the type of artwork that you will use in your children's book, and there are many types. Additionally, there are also different types of mediums, used to create art, which can be used in a variety of styles, but all have a flavor of their own."

"When teens read a book of their choosing, they are more likely to engage with the text and internalize the concepts of the work. Even if they disagree with an author's or character's perspective, they can gain important insight into their own ideas by recognizing and reflecting upon thoughts that contrast with theirs.  "

"Have you ever thought that all learning is social and emotional learning (SEL)? This is something I recognize as an educator and as a learner. When teaching and learning new ideas, SEL is an essential part of the process. That's why you'll find social and emotional skills in state and national standards. SEL has many definitions with common ideas. At the core of SEL is noticing and regulating feelings and emotions to reach learning goals. SEL gives learners the skills they need to solve problems, work with others, and pursue interests."

"Why Genrifying Your Collection Makes It Harder to Find Things And therein is the fault with genrifying our libraries on the shelves; a title one person might classify as a mystery might be considered romance to another. Or what if it's both? Or both and also dystopian? You can add different tags if the book is in your library catalog. The book probably has multiple subject listings. Students and teachers have various search pathways: keyword, subject, title, and an advanced Boolean search. But it only has one location on the shelf."

"In contrast to typical readers, fact-checkers move laterally rather than vertically, opening multiple browser tabs to validate claims and checking who is behind a site before continuing to read the initial page. They recognize that they're at a disadvantage if they stay within a website, so they cross-check information across many sites to get a second-or even a third, fourth, and fifth-opinion. It's a modern approach to identifying misinformation online that Wineburg says should be much more commonplace in schools."

"StoryMap JS is a free tool that students can use to create a story map in a manner similar to Google's My Maps or the old Google Tour Builder. It is much easier for new users to master.  StoryMap JS enables students to tell stories through a series of slides that appear on a map. Each slide is matched to locations that you choose on your map. Each slide in your story can include images, text, and hyperlinks. "

"Instead of matching students to texts they can breeze through, literacy guru Tim Shanahan says that students should be engaging with challenging texts that push them out of their comfort zones."

"Read alouds also give children experience with decontextualized language-requiring students to make sense of ideas beyond the classroom and the here and now (see Beck & McKeown, 2001). A key aspect of this sense-making is the role of dialogue. Students need to engage in discussion with their teacher and classmates to make sense of the text. This emphasis on talk highlights the importance of careful planning of think alouds and questions. To be truly powerful and magical, the practice of reading aloud is actually quite complex. The following steps are crucial to enacting a powerful classroom read aloud."

"In a new study published in Reading and Writing, she and her colleagues found significant differences between students who read for pleasure outside of class-immersing themselves in fantasy novels or spy thrillers, for example-and those who primarily read books to satisfy school assignments. Not only was there a powerful link between reading for fun and stronger language skills, but students who disliked reading frequently attributed their negative outlook to experiences they had in classrooms."

"How, in this data-heavy world, are we supposed to convince young people that reading books matters? That the stories they consume while turning the pages are exercising their brains to become better at critical thinking and problem solving?"

"Revitalizing neglected library spaces is the biggest task to update the library collection. Untouched for five, ten, and twelve years, the collections are a time capsule of what was considered ideal reading for students: subject-specific nonfiction, classics, award-winners, and biographies."

"If you're not sure which books do or don't count as historical fiction, you're not alone. No one agrees on a definition! I don't even agree with myself, because I hold two opposing opinions. On one hand, I think books that illuminate a specific moment in history count as historical fiction, even if that point in time is very recent. But when I'm in the mood to read a historical novel, I'm thinking about a particular kind of book. "

"Picture books are an extremely valuable resource for learning. They come packed with amazing artwork, stories, humor, history, and science. They often teach about people in that wonderful genre of narrative nonfiction."

"A strong sense of justice can form in a young child's mind when they read books that tell the truth. When they grow into adulthood, that sense of justice can guide them in how they vote and where they work." An interview with Debbie Reese on the dangers of presenting white centric perspectives in children's literature

"Teachers can use stories and poems to boost students' understanding of math and science concepts while giving them extra reading practice."

"We know the many benefits of independent reading outside of the classroom: Research shows that it reinforces early reading skills and improves vocabulary, spelling, and writing. It can also ignite a passion for reading that bears fruit throughout their entire academic career. "

"Expedition Insects is a neat interactive book from the Smithsonian Science Education Center. The book was written to helps students in third through fifth grade learn about insects from all over the world. The book is full of pictures and videos to complement the text. Throughout the book students can click or tap on underlined words to quickly access their definitions." PDF available from the link, or download for free in Apple Books.

"Nontraditional books can help students make connections to content at the word level and deepen understanding by providing visual context. Let's look closely at the literacy work that can be done with comics and graphic novels in literacy instruction, particularly with upper elementary and middle grades students. While some strategies helpfully focus on work at the word level, these visual texts afford additional possibilities."