HC English Department

"Anson Smith crossed the finish line of the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on Sunday 10 minutes ahead of his goal. He attributed the 1-hour, 40-minute performance to the 16-year-old waiting on the other side. "It's easy to run when you're thinking about people who can't do it," said Smith, the boys' soccer coach at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, N.J. Smith, 36, was among more than 22,000 people who arose at dawn to run the venerable 13.1-mile course through Center City. Many did it for the love of running. Others, like Smith, ran for a cause. Smith ran to raise money for Miguel Coelho, one of his soccer players, who was diagnosed with leukemia in May."

"Draft features essays by grammarians, historians, linguists, journalists, novelists and others on the art of writing - from the comma to the tweet to the novel - and why a well-crafted sentence matters more than ever in the digital age."

"Some high schools are now giving parents the ability to constantly check up on their children's grades online, and it has already become a source of stress and debate for parents and students. Lahey, a former teacher, is one of many parents who have chosen not to use the services for fear of creating a sense of distrust between her and her son. "For the time being, I choose to trust in the power of open communication and my son's emerging sense of responsibility and character," Lahey writes.

"Ah, listening, the neglected literacy skill. I know when I was a high school English teacher this was not necessarily a primary focus; I was too busy honing the more measurable literacy skills -- reading, writing, and speaking. But when we think about career and college readiness, listening skills are just as important. This is evidenced by the listening standards found in the Common Core and also the integral role listening plays in collaboration and communication, two of the four Cs of 21st century learning. So how do we help kids become better listeners? Check out these tactics for encouraging a deeper level of listening that also include student accountability:"

"The magazine story behind Sebastian Junger's celebrated nonfiction book A Perfect Storm ran in Outside magazine in October 1994. "The Storm" (4,765 words) told the story of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat out of Gloucester, Mass., that sank amid horrific weather, killing everyone aboard. It's a harrowing narrative, and particularly remarkable for being - by virtue of nature and fate - a write-around. Storyboard's questions and comments for Junger are in red; Junger's answers - which he kindly offered by phone - are in blue."

"In New York City, 26 percent of students in third through eighth grade passed the state exams in English, and 30 percent passed in math, according to the New York State Education Department. The exams were some of the first in the nation to be aligned with a more rigorous set of standards known as Common Core, which emphasize deep analysis and creative problem-solving. Last year, under an easier test, 47 percent of city students passed in English, and 60 percent in math."

"Why Teach Students to Craft Digital Writing?"

"Explore the power of language, look at the world with a fresh sense of wonder, and build reading and writing skills. These video segments, drawn from the PBS Poetry Everywhere series, capture some of the voices of poetry, past and present." Poems can be browsed through categories.

Short non-fiction pieces

Great tips!

"Back in January, when I asked high school seniors to send in college application essays about money, class, working and the economy, I wasn't sure what, if anything, would come in over the transom. But 66 students submitted essays, and with the help of Harry Bauld, the author of "On Writing the College Application Essay," we've selected four to publish in full online and in part in this column. That allowed us to be slightly more selective than Princeton itself was last year. What these four writers have in common is an appetite for risk. Not only did they talk openly about issues that are emotionally complex and often outright taboo, but they took brave and counterintuitive positions on class, national identity and the application process itself. For anyone looking to inspire their own children or grandchildren who are seeking to go to college in the fall of 2014, these four essays would be a good place to start."

Tips for teaching and studying non-fiction. Genre study

Great overview of the current education landscape

Writing rubrics aligned to the standards

great videos for standards, seminars, reflection, etc

simple ideas to improve grading and learning