write beside them

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Professional Development Books that Influenced my Teaching Practices
ByDana Huff January 23, 2014June 9, 2017

I am asked often enough for recommendations of this sort of thing that I thought I’d share. Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe was the first truly useful and completely life-changing professional development book I read. I utterly altered the way I taught after reading it. It seems obvious to think about larger…

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Professional Development | Teaching Writing | Wikis

Write Beside Them: The Opportunities in a Writer’s Workshop
ByDana Huff July 12, 2008July 12, 2008

In chapter 6 of Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them, the reader gets a glimpse into how a writers’ workshop might run. The first thing I wished was that I had a writing class all year next year on a block schedule. I really want to go out and try everything! Based on the schedule Kittle…

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Technical/Site Issues

To-Do List
ByDana Huff July 10, 2008

I am having some trouble with my computer, so until I can get it checked out, I have to share with my husband. We don’t have a history of being able to share very well! We’ll see how it works out. Unfortunately, if my hunch about the computer is right, it won’t be a cheap…

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Professional Development | Teaching Writing

The Teacher’s Daybook, 2008-2009
ByDana Huff June 25, 2008June 25, 2008

I just pre-ordered my copy of Jim Burke’s handy planner, The Teacher’s Daybook, updated for 2008-2009. The planner will not actually be released until July 10. Usually, it is released much earlier, and I wonder if some of the changes made didn’t cause a delay in publication. The planners usually run from July to June…

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Professional Development | Teaching Writing

Write Beside Them: This I Believe
ByDana Huff May 25, 2008

The main message I took away from the second chapter of Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them is that writing teachers will not be effective unless they are also writers. She says, “We don’t learn many things well just by following directions” (7-8). However, it was this remark that struck a chord with me: “[T]he instruction…

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Professional Development

Write Beside Them: It’s a Wonderful Life
ByDana Huff May 24, 2008

I began Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them, and even though I am posting at the Learners4Life wiki, I wanted to keep my own reading journal here. In this chapter, I felt Kittle outlined some of her core beliefs: Standardized testing does not rule how she teaches writing in her classroom. The single greatest influence on…

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Professional Development

Write Beside Them: Reading Schedule
ByDana Huff May 22, 2008

I created a tentative reading schedule for parties interested in reading Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them at the Learners4Life wiki. It’s not too late to join us if you are interested in participating. I received my copy of the book today, and it looks really good. I am feeling kind of tired, so I don’t…

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Professional Development

Write Beside Them: Summer PD Update
ByDana Huff May 18, 2008

As you may recall, I am reading Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them as part of a professional development project along with several other teachers this summer. I am very excited about this project. Using my experience with the UbD Educators’ wiki coupled with this upcoming experience, I plan to present a session at the next…

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Professional Development | Wikis

Learners4Life
ByDana Huff May 1, 2008May 1, 2008

Lisa Huff has created a wiki called Learners4Life where those of us interested in exploring Write Beside Them (which I mentioned in my last post) can gather, discuss, question, journal, interact, respond, and all the other million things you can do with a wiki. In order to join up, all you have to do is…

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Professional Development | Teaching Writing

Write Beside Them: Summer Professional Development Project
ByDana Huff April 30, 2008April 30, 2008

Because I purchase The Teacher’s Daybook each year for my lesson planning, Heinemann sends me catalogs and fliers about publications quite often. In my mailbox today, I received a promotional flier for Penny Kittle’s Write Beside Them. I was intrigued enough to check out the book’s page at Heinemann’s site. I watched the sample videos,…

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