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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Dennis OConnor

Dennis OConnor

6-Traits Resources: Barry Lane's YouTube Channel! - 17 views

  • This is a terrific mini lesson from Barry Lane. He shows (not tells) how to explode a moment into a full page of rich writing. The visuals in this video will catch any student's attention.
Dennis OConnor

Jeff Clark - Portfolio Illustrating Patterns in Data - 14 views

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    This is a tantalizing portfolio page of infographic generators.  As a writing teacher I see many applications. As an information fluency advocate I see a way to understand data that excites the mind. Many of these programs use social media sources to build visual comparisons and patterns.   What a find! 
Dennis OConnor

PrimaryWall - Web based sticky notes for schools - 2 views

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    Specialized wall wisher?  Filtered for school use.
Dennis OConnor

Teaching to the Text Message - NYTimes.com - 9 views

  • So a few years ago, I started slipping my classes short writing assignments alongside the required papers. Once, I asked them, “Come up with two lines of copy to sell something you’re wearing now on eBay.” The mix of commerce and fashion stirred interest, and despite having 30 students in each class, I could give everyone serious individual attention. For another project, I asked them to describe the essence of the chalkboard in one or two sentences. One student wrote, “A chalkboard is a lot like memory: often jumbled, unorganized and sloppy. Even after it’s erased, there are traces of everything that’s been written on it.”
  • My ideal composition class would include assignments like “Write coherent and original comments for five YouTube videos, quickly telling us why surprised kittens or unconventional wedding dances resonate with millions,” and “Write Amazon reviews, including a bit of summary, insight and analysis, for three canonical works we read this semester (points off for gratuitous modern argot and emoticons).”
  • And short isn’t necessarily a shortcut. When you have only a sentence or two, there’s nowhere to hide.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Rewarding concision first will encourage students to be economical and innovative with language.
Dennis OConnor

Engrade - Free Online Gradebook - 9 views

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    For those that don't work with an LMS, Engrade looks like a fine tool for educators.  It integrates some interesting power tools. Discussions, wikis, quizzes, messaging.  This might be an LMS substitute for those teachers looking for a free blended tech solution.  Worth investigating!
Dennis OConnor

NWP Works! - ...making the case for the National Writing Project - 1 views

  • The time to advocate for NWP is now! We need all teachers and site leaders to call their two senators on Monday, November 29. Please ask them to VOTE NO on Coburn amendment #4697 to S. 510 that would ban all congressionally directed spending in FY2011, FY2012 and FY2013. We expect a vote to be held on this amendment on Monday, November 29, 2010. Read about what's at stake: "Earmark Ban Would Result in Catastrophic Cuts for Children" (Huffington Post)
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    The possibility of the National Writing Project being killed by the Senate makes me physically ill.  Follow up on this article, call your senator. Stop the destruction of a national educational resource that we cannot let die.
Dennis OConnor

Report Spotlights Revolutionary Use of Technology in Teaching Writing - National Writin... - 10 views

  • New York, June 10, 2010 – "If school is supposed to help us in the rest of the world, shouldn't school look like what's going on in the rest of the world?" asks 10th-grade teacher Paige Cole, one of nine classroom teachers profiled in Writing, Learning and Leading in the Digital Age (PDF), a College Board–National Writing Project (NWP)–Phi Delta Kappa International (PDKI) report released today on the state of technology resources in the classroom.
Dennis OConnor

10 Free Online Courses for Writing Teachers - The Writing Teacher - Tips, Tec... - 8 views

  • Taking writing courses can help writing teachers become better writers, mentors, and readers. There are several free university level writing courses that can be taken online. Credit is not available for any of the courses and degrees are not awarded, but the opportunity to build new skills is undeniable. Here are 10 self-paced writing courses to explore in your spare time.
  • Taking writing courses can help writing teachers become better writers, mentors, and readers. There are several free university level writing courses that can be taken online. Credit is not available for any of the courses and degrees are not awarded, but the opportunity to build new skills is undeniable. Here are 10 self-paced writing courses to explore in your spare time.
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    "Taking writing courses can help writing teachers become better writers, mentors, and readers. There are several free university level writing courses that can be taken online. Credit is not available for any of the courses and degrees are not awarded, but the opportunity to build new skills is undeniable. Here are 10 self-paced writing courses to explore in your spare time."
Dennis OConnor

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the ... - Google Books - 12 views

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    This is a great book for any writing teacher. I bought my copy in 86 when it first came out. Here it is on Google books. Support Natalie Goldberg's work. Buy a copy!
Dennis OConnor

21st Century Literacy - 12 views

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    Teaching digital literacy, information literacy, citizenship literacy via journalism lessons and resources for 7-12 grade students. I like the combination of writing journalism with the deep thinking skills needed for information fluency.
Dennis OConnor

Time Management Tips for Teaching Online and E-Learning - UW Stout, Wisconsin's Polytec... - 9 views

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    A great page of advice on how to manage your time. If you are an online instructor, or an online student, you'll find valuable resources here. Now if you only had the time to follow this link right? Try it, you'll like it!
Dennis OConnor

Jim Burke: Organizing Curriculum Around Big Questions - 12 views

  • Jim Burke shares how a question-driven classroom engages adolescents of the digital age inside schoo... How big questions engage and motivate students who have grown up digitally
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    English teacher Jim Burke's short podcast on a big issue: How big questions engage and motivate students who have grown up digitally
Dennis OConnor

The Importance of Student Journals and How to Respond Efficiently | Edutopia - 12 views

  • Burdened by expanding curriculum and multiplying high-stakes assessment requirements, some of my respected colleagues might be forgiven for not integrating student journals into their courses. The most common objection: "Who has time?"
Dennis OConnor

Notable Sentences...for Imitation and Creation - 22 views

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    "This blog is a resource for teachers who wish to view grammar as something to be explored and not just corrected. "
Dennis OConnor

Script Writing and Screenwriting Help - 4 views

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    "Scriptwriting is an artform, and creating art is never easy. Everytime you watch a TV show, watch a film or even play a computer game you are taking in the work of a scriptwriter. With today being driven by the various mediums of entertainment scriptwriting has becomes one of the best page and attractive jobs going. Film scripts have been sold for in excess of $1 million. With that sort of money floating around it's no wonder people are becoming more interested in the idea of scriptwriting. "
Dennis OConnor

Seven Bad Writing Habits You Learned in School | Copyblogger - 13 views

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    "What is good writing? Ask an English teacher, and they'll tell you good writing is grammatically correct. They'll tell you it makes a point and supports it with evidence. Maybe, if they're really honest, they'll admit it has a scholarly tone - prose that sounds like Jane Austen earns an A, while a paper that could've been written by Willie Nelson scores a B (or worse). Not all English teachers abide by this system, but the vast majority do. Just look at the writing of most graduates, and you'll see what I mean. It's proper, polite, and just polished enough not to embarrass anyone. Mission accomplished, as far as our schools are concerned. But let me ask you something: Is that really good writing?"
Dennis OConnor

100 Little Ways You Can Dramatically Improve Your Writing | Online Colleges - 9 views

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    "January 17th, 2010\n\nSolid writing skills open up career-boosting opportunities for professional writers and for those with aspirations beyond their basic job description. Journalists, fiction writers, scientists, teachers, business professionals, law students and other professionals can all get ahead by inspiring and influencing others with their writing. Whether you're an undergraduate wanting tips to organize your papers; a novelist who needs help with character development; or a technical writer in search of tips to write more engaging copy, here are 100 little ways all of you can dramatically improve your writing."
Dennis OConnor

About The Internet Poetry Archive - 5 views

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    "The University of North Carolina Press joins the UNC Office of Information Technology in publishing the Internet Poetry Archive. The archive makes available over a worldwide computer network selected poems from a number of contemporary poets. The goal of the project is to make poetry accessible to new audiences (at little or no cost) and to give teachers and students of poetry new ways of presenting and studying these poets and their texts. "
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