I am thinking of using digital portfolios this year. I have a wiki for my classes, and it would be easy for students to have a page on the wiki where they can collect their pieces and also pull in other items, like Glogs, images, videos, and audio. I really liked the idea of an [...]
Entries Tagged as 'writing'
Digital Portfolios
August 4th, 2010 · 18 Comments · Assessment, Teaching Writing
Tags: digital portfolios·writing
Image Grammar
December 21st, 2009 · 4 Comments · Professional Development, Teaching Grammar, Teaching Writing
I have been on the lookout for books, websites, and other materials to help me teach grammar. If you have some good ideas for resources, please leave them in the comments. A couple of things I have been trying with my students seem to be working fairly well. I used the Sentence Opening Strategy activity [...]
Tags: grammar·henry noden·image grammar·professional reading·writing
Editing Checklist
April 29th, 2009 · 21 Comments · Teaching Grammar, Teaching Writing
Let’s create an editing checklist. I think it’s helpful for students to have a guide for editing or peer editing. Suggest your idea for something that students should check for in the comments, and I will create the document and make it available here for free. Here’s my contribution: Mark every instance of the words [...]
I Need a Rewrite: Week in Reflection, 1/26-1/30
January 31st, 2009 · 6 Comments · Reflection, Teaching Writing
Teaching composition is difficult. I think I had to teach it for several years before I felt comfortable. One strategy I frequently use is peer editing. Interestingly enough, students are often more able to help each other edit and revise than they can edit and revise on their own. I’m not precisely sure why this [...]
Tags: reflection·writing
Writing and Reflecting
July 12th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Professional Development, Reflection
After I viewed some pieces on the DVD that accompanies Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them, I thought about my improvement as a teacher over the last few years, and I have decided that a lucky confluence of two events contributed to making me a better teacher: I began teaching at Weber four years ago, and [...]
Tags: reflection·writing
New Handouts
July 1st, 2008 · 9 Comments · Teaching Grammar, Teaching Literature, Teaching Writing
I began the process of adding more handouts and other content to this site. I removed some handouts I didn’t really think would be useful. It made me wonder about content in general. What would be helpful? If I have it, I can put it up. I have some great research paper stuff that I [...]
A Writing Teacher’s Pet Peeves
March 13th, 2008 · 10 Comments · Assessment, Issues, Teaching Writing
In my ten years of composition instruction, I have developed a set of pet peeves associated with the body of student writing I have read. Any of my students reading this should keep in mind that I do not direct this at any particular student — this list is a synthesis of common writing errors [...]
Tags: pet peeves·writing
The Best Laid Plans
November 20th, 2007 · 5 Comments · Issues, Teaching Writing, Technology, Wikis
Some weeks ago, I shared exciting news that my students were collaborating with a girls’ school in Israel on a joint wiki writing project. Just as we got our wikis off the ground, a teachers’ strike in Israel put our plans on hold. The strike has now lasted more than a month. If it is [...]
Tags: collaboration·education·israel·wiki·writing
Flat Judaism?
October 16th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Teaching Writing, Technology, Wikis
Many of my students feel a strong connection to Israel and have visited Israel at least once. Some of my students are Israeli. When an opportunity for my students to work with students in Israel on a “flat classroom” type of project, I jumped at the chance. I am pleased to introduce you to our [...]
Tags: collaboration·education·israel·wiki·writing
Best Practices for Teaching Writing
October 3rd, 2007 · 3 Comments · Teaching Writing
I want to thank everyone who commented on my previous post, “Writing: Best Practices.” I said I would share my own thoughts, but wanted to hear what you all had to say first. First of all, I am a firm believer in teaching students how to write using the process model. I can’t tell you [...]
