Stenhouse Newslinks
November 14, 2006
C O N T E N T S
1) Righting secondary writing wrongs
2) PD Corner: Literacy coaching resources
3) Stenhouse happenings at NCTE (and a coupon)
4) Literacy maps for integrating 21st century skills
5) The 65% Solution
Note: If you'd rather not receive Newslinks in the future, just
forward this message to unsubscribe@stenhouse.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------
1) Righting secondary writing wrongs
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Though there certainly are examples of excellent teaching
occurring in our schools, we have a long way to go overall to
bring many of our students up to the levels of writing proficiency
they will need to walk through those key gateways awaiting
them...clearly, as teachers of writing, our work is cut out for
us."
Kelly Gallagher presents a model for building strong adolescent
writers in his new book, Teaching Adolescent Writers. Focusing on
six key student needs--ample practice, teacher modeling, reading
exemplary writers, topic choice, authentic purposes, and
meaningful feedback--Kelly shares strategies and practices that
help students sharpen essential writing skills.
Filled with student examples and engaging anecdotes, Teaching
Adolescent Writers will help you motivate your students to write
and give you the instructional strategies to help them improve
their writing. The entire text of this new book is now online for
browsing:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0422.asp?r=n100
* Special for Newslinks subscribers *
Order Teaching Adolescent Writers on our website by November 30
and we'll waive the shipping charge (a $5 value!). Just enter the
discount code NLA at the bottom of the "Summary" checkout screen.
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Kelly Gallagher * 208 pp/paper * Available now
http://www.stenhouse.com/0422.asp?r=n100
----------------------------------------------------------------
2) PD Corner: Literacy coaching resources
----------------------------------------------------------------
*November Quote of the Month*
"It is virtually impossible to create and sustain over time
conditions for productive learning for students when they do not
exist for teachers."
--Seymour Sarason
The International Reading Association and the National Council of
Teachers of English have just launched the Literacy Coaching
Clearinghouse (LCC). With a wealth of resources for literacy
coaches, this site aims to create a professional learning
community of those interested in literacy coaching:
http://www.literacycoachingonline.org/
Many districts are hiring literacy coaches. Incorporating coaches
is just the first step toward implementing a coaching model. Nancy
Shanklin, director of the LCC and professor at the University of
Colorado at Denver, explores what it takes to be an effective
literacy coach in this short article:
http://www.literacycoachingonline.org/briefs.html
(Click on the "What is Effective Literacy Coaching?" link.)
The Fall issue of Northwest Education magazine, from the Northwest
Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), carries the theme
"Teaming Up with Literacy Coaches" and includes an article
featuring Stenhouse author Jeff Wilhelm:
http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/12-01/index.php
In her new book, Responsive Literacy Coaching, Cheryl Dozier
shares a coaching framework that empowers literacy coaches and
teachers through conversation, sustained engagement, and
reflective analysis. In Chapter 4, "Examining Language," Cheryl
reminds us that our language choices as coaches and as teachers
matter. We are challenged as readers to consider the impact and
consequences that our language choices have on others:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0463.asp?r=n100
(Click on the Chapter 4 link in the Table of Contents.)
----------------------------------------------------------------
3) Stenhouse happenings at NCTE (and a coupon)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Browse and buy Stenhouse books at our booth (#409) at the NCTE
conference in Nashville this weekend. You can also meet several of
our authors who will be signing their books at the booth:
Friday, November 17
Noon-1pm Ralph Fletcher
1-2pm Cris Tovani
2-3pm Teri Lesesne
Saturday, November 18
3-4pm Mary Cowhey
3-4pm Jeff Anderson
Sunday, November 19
10:30-11:30am Gail Boushey and Joan Moser ("The Sisters")
Follow this link for more information, including a list of
Stenhouse author presentations and a coupon for a free 32-page
professional development booklet with chapters from two recent
Stenhouse books:
http://www.stenhouse.com/ncte2006.asp
If you know any colleagues who will be attending the conference,
feel free to forward the coupon to them!
----------------------------------------------------------------
4) Literacy maps for integrating 21st century skills
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has developed a series of
literacy maps for the core subjects of English, geography, math,
and science. The maps guide K-12 educators through a wide range of
learning skill examples that connect information and communication
technology (ICT) to each subject. The English literacy map was
developed in cooperation with NCTE. All of the maps can be
downloaded here:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdlitmaps.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------
5) The 65% Solution
----------------------------------------------------------------
"The number of bureaucrats is endless...do we need two or three
curriculum directors in a school district? Do we need four
directors of instruction in a particular district? We're focused
on the bureaucracy rather than our kids and our teachers."
--Colorado state representative Joe Stengel
This recent piece from NPR explores recent state initiatives to
force school districts to spend 65% of funds "in the classroom":
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6415422
Colorado's ballot measure to institute a 65% rule was defeated 62%
to 38%.
The main national organization lobbying for the 65% Solution is
First Class Education:
http://www.firstclasseducation.org/
For a summary of the arguments against the mandate, see these
pages from the National Education Association and the National
PTA:
http://www.nea.org/65percent/index.html
http://www.pta.org/archive_article_details_1138313002656.html
----------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright (c) 2006 Stenhouse Publishers
Prices are subject to change without notice
