HC English Department

""They're all great readers," she said, noting that nearly 90 percent are reading at grade level. "But I have a hard time getting them to engage with the text, read for understanding and deeper meaning. I have a hard time getting them to read and think and write critically about fiction and nonfiction alike.""

"We need to do something unobvious in our reading choices: we must choose complete fiction and non-fiction texts that can be easily read and grasped literally by all students, so that summarizing is easy; yet, be texts in which the main ideas are not obvious. Otherwise, there is little use for true comprehension, specific strategies, or distinctions between ideas and information."

"The point of fiction is to cast a spell, a momentary illusion that you are living in the world of the story. But as a writer, how do you suck your readers into your stories in this way? Nalo Hopkinson shares some tips for how to use language to make your fiction really come alive."

" Is grading the focus, or is learning the focus? Yes, grades should and can reflect student learning, but often they can get in the way and actually harm student learning. The Dreaded Zero"

"To remedy the situation, and grow fruitful and happy students within the confines of the syllabus you are bound to, start to fix the problem yourself by creating an atmosphere of problem-solving in your classes. Create situations where students have to think for themselves. Here are some ideas:"

"The Harkness method of teaching and learning is a discussion-based education method involving small groups of students (usually 8-12) seated around an oval table to share thoughts and ideas and to learn good reasoning and discussion skills. These discussions involve minimal interjection from instructors in order to encourage student engagement. The challenges for each participant in a Harkness discussion will vary. For example, students who are naturally outgoing and comfortable speaking in front of their peers are challenged to listen more and encourage introverted students to share their thoughts. This educational method requires students to share their unique insights while listening to the insights of others and treating each other with respect."

"If given the proper scaffolding, young writers can develop revision skills and strategies and may even learn to love the art of revising (or at least tolerate it!).  Here are some ways to make revision less daunting:"

"More than test scores, or my desire to introduce students to great novels and great questions, I teach so that students feel someone believes in them and they feel empowered to learn, grow, and succeed. Measuring success on that mission requires hearing directly from students."

"The important lesson from our study is that quality matters -- that in many situations it would be better to place more emphasis on the design and use of the assignments than on the number or size of them." In a collaboration between the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Council of Writing Program Administrators, the study's authors gathered with the help of colleagues a list of 27 writing practices that are said to be effective. "

"In terms of pedagogy, the primary purpose of an assessment is to provide data to revise planned instruction. It should provide an obvious answer to the question, "What next?" What now?""

"This is the first post in a three part series explaining how I take my students from interacting with sources, to interacting with each other, to interacting with a larger discourse community through social media and multimedia text."

Seven minute video on storytelling: "For the award-winning writer George Saunders, the process of crafting a good story means not condescending to your reader. It means creating sentences that clue them into something unnoticed about the character, and allowing them to figure it out. "A bad story is one where you know what the story is and you're sure of it," he says in this short film, George Saunders: On Story."

"so much depends upon a red cup filled with coffee or holiday latte fixins.  But does it really? Rutherford's William Carlos Williams started his famous 1923 poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" in a similar fashion, yet a recent controversy swirling around one particular red cup is either a non-issue unworthy of verse or a revealing commentary on modern culture, depending upon who you ask."

Literary quotations with related writing prompts

Interesting article on grading policies and inquiry. Some of the ideas could be applied to portfolio assessment.

"You talk to people everyday. But do you really feel like you're communicating? These talks will help you go beyond small talk, to the conversations that nudge along understanding."

"A new book says it's possible-but only if teachers get their students to care about learning for learning's sake."

"List of advice on writing presented here over the years on Brain Pickings, featuring words of wisdom from such masters of the craft as Kurt Vonnegut, Susan Sontag, Henry Miller, Stephen King, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Susan Orlean, Ernest Hemingway, Zadie Smith, and more."

"The eight minutes that matter most are the beginning and endings. If a lesson does not start off strong by activating prior knowledge, creating anticipation, or establishing goals, student interest wanes, and you have to do some heavy lifting to get them back. If it fails to check for understanding, you will never know if the lesson's goal was attained. Here are eight ways to make those eight minutes magical."