Because one of the reasons I continue to teach at an urban comprehensive high school is there is never a dull moment and because some of my previous posts have been just too serious, I have some fun anecdotes to share with you from my first week o…
Month: August 2010
Learning Principles… « What Ed Said
In my post for Leadership Day 2010 , I wrote about the McTighe ‘Schooling by Design’ model, in which programs, practices, hiring of staff and allocation of resources all rest on the foundation of the mission statement (what we stand for) and learn…
Foreword to Bring It to Class – National Writing Project
Foreword to Bring It to Class By: Kylene BeersDate: May 2010 Summary: Students’ backpacks bulge not just with oversize textbooks, but with paperbacks, graphic novels, street lit, and electronics such as iPods and handheld video games. Bring It to …
The Bounty that is Google Sites
I know many of y’all know about Google Sites. I know that you may have made several sites with it, but have you played around with their templates recently? Seriously, go check it out—especially if you’re an educator. I just did this today. Ther…
Enrique’s Journeyisms 2
Olga Sanchez Martinez…what a saint. After having cancer, being in a coma, losing parts of her fingers at work in the tortilla factory, being left by her husband for another woman, she still finds the strength to help so many migrants like Enriqu…
A Generation of Our Children Growing Up Without One or More Parents
Many of you have already seen this clip. It moved me to tears. Many of the reunions happened at schools, and I wondered, “How many of our children are having to do without a father or mother because he or she is serving our country? How many will …
Enrique’s Journeyisms
According to Sonja Nazario, there are roughly 48, 000 children who enter the US from Central America and Mexico illegally without a parent. Two-thirds of those will succeed past US INS. Counselors in a Texas detention center estimate that of the c…
Reading Enrique’s Journey
As part of my work with North Star of Texas Writing Project (NSTWP), I am participating in research about Culturally Mediated Writing Instruction (CMWI). It focuses on how to strengthen academic writing for ELLs. The research group is reading Sonj…
From AA to AU….What a Difference a Letter Makes
When I leave school for the summer, I like to be able to detach myself from all things DISD for however many weeks it may be possible. I shut down as much as possible because 1) I want to focus on family, 2) I need a break, 3) I need time to conce…
Teachers Are the Center of Education: NWP, College Board, & Phi Delta Kappa
NWP, College Board, and Phi Delta Kappa join forces to celebrate and share the powerful work of teachers. This particular report looks at teachers who use technology in writing instruction. Hats off to these three organizations for realizing that …
Persistent Pondering 