A century of research shows that traditional grammar lessons-those hours spent diagramming sentences and memorizing parts of speech-don't help and may even hinder students' efforts to become better writers. Yes, they need to learn grammar, but the old-fashioned way does not work.

How an AP teacher uses Google Drive successfully.

"We as educators need to concentrate on and share ways to make learning more purposeful and meaningful for our students. We need to develop good reasons for students to learn what we think is important, put more learning in a larger context, help students make connections and develop networks of learning, and provide more opportunities to apply learning. Purpose and meaning can come in very different forms."

"At the end of the day, I'm the kind of English teacher who struggles to reconcile an interior struggle between a traditional book snob and an anarchic punk rocker."

A "Connected Educators Month" in the United States - the rapid rise of Twitter PD - the coming of age of the Personal Learning Network. No question: It's been an historic year for connected professionals, including PLP's extended family of teacher and school leaders.

"Here's an example of a partially deconstructed standard. RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas or events. * Students can explain the differences between individuals, events and ideas * Students can attribute the organizational structure of text to the differences between individuals, events and ideas * Students can produce a generalization about the effect of making connections and distinctions between individuals, events and ideas * Students know how to integrate the elements of a well-structured text-based analysis * Students know how to produce the elements of a well-structured text-based analysis"

"There are a variety of tech tools and methods out there for teaching writing that can make the process easier and more fun for both teachers and students. While not every high-tech way of teaching writing will work for every class or every student, there's enough variety that there's bound to be something for everyone."