Teaching English in Central California

First graders blog about what they learned this year.

Article about using Twitter (and similar applications) in class.

Inquiry based curriculum at Stanford

NYC schools using the Common Core Standards

Mandating a Gay History lesson in public schools in CA...I thought gay people wanted to feel just like everyone else? Looks like this alienates them even more so. I get that this was done with good intentions, but it will backfire.

This year's challenged books list includes Sherman Alexie and Suzanne Collins.

"At the cutting edge is New York City, which, under former Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, sought to disrupt the usual hierarchies and create "inquiry teams" within schools to investigate problems of practice. These inquiry teams, for example, identify struggling students within a school, use data to analyze why these students are struggling, and craft an intervention for them with the hope that this work can be a building block for schoolwide improvement. What's distinctive about this model is its emphasis on seeing schools less as implementers of programs from above, and more as coherent learning and problem-solving organizations that analyze and address problems of practice."

Important article about education reform.

Great article about effective school systems worldwide

A group research writing assignment using a wiki.

My book review of Bruce Penniman's Building the English Classroom

An interesting article that discusses how to use technologies students have at home

The FLAP grant a good thing? You be the judge.

A brief article about teacher preparation programs. CSUF is considering the co-teaching model. What do you think?

Student created illuminated text.

Writing project that uses technology--link to an illuminated text inspired by a Hemingway short story.

Information about why CA did not adopt the preface to the Common Core Standards

Practical advice about classroom management from a teacher who taught at Fresno High for 20 years.