Stenhouse Newslinks
October 26, 2007
C O N T E N T S
1) Short texts open the door to literature
2) New podcast from IRA
3) PD Corner: Outdoor learning
4) Stenhouse authors across the country
Note: If you'd rather not receive Newslinks in the future, just forward this message to unsubscribe@stenhouse.com.
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1) Short texts open the door to literature
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"Shakespeare instructed us that brevity is the soul of wit; Wordsworth found freedom in the sonnet's scanty plot of ground.
For many of our students, exploring the small can also be intensely satisfying."
--Leila Christenbury, in the Foreword to the new book Less Is More
Do your students resist or refuse to complete long reading assignments? Do you struggle each day to teach a class where few students have read chapters of novels and long essays?
In Less Is More, Kimberly Campbell demonstrates how short texts can transform indifferent and reluctant readers and give them a way into literature. She presents structures and strategies that will support your teaching of short texts in a variety of genres-- short stories, essays, memoir, poetry, and graphic novels--without sacrificing required novels and long plays. For each genre you'll discover strategies to analyze literary elements and writing craft; reading strategies; and a rich collection of references and resources.
Less is More has gone to press and will arrive at our warehouse next week, but you can preview the entire text online now:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0710.asp?r=n125
Less Is More: Teaching Literature with Short Texts, Grades 6-12
Kimberly Hill Campbell * Foreword by Leila Christenbury
232 pp/paper * $18.50 * Available October 31
http://www.stenhouse.com/0710.asp?r=n125
About the author:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/authorbios_245.htm?r=n125
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2) New podcast from IRA
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The International Reading Association (IRA) recently launched "Class Acts," a podcast that draws on IRA journals and books to focus on specific literacy teaching practices such as phrasing for fluency and phonics through shared reading:
http://www.reading.org/resources/podcasts/index.html
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3) PD Corner: Outdoor learning
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"A classroom can take many forms and even have a sky for a ceiling."
--Herb Broda, from his book Schoolyard-Enhanced Learning
Looking to reconnect children with the outdoors? Wondering about the benefits of nature on children and learning? The Children and Nature Network provides the latest news and research in the field, and a network of professionals and individuals dedicated to reconnecting children with nature:
Go green with your students. The National Wildlife Federation recommends a daily "green hour" or an hour of unstructured outdoor play. Browse the Green Hour website to find outdoor activity suggestions (check out the "Shorter Days, Green Hours" link), as well as journal and writing prompts:
In an interview with NPR, Richard Louv, author of the best-selling book Last Child in The Woods, argues that children are experiencing "nature deficit disorder" as a result of connecting with electronics more than nature:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4665933
When students are actively engaged, they learn--whether your classroom is indoors or out. So begins Herb Broda in Schoolyard- Enhanced Learning. Practical and easy to navigate, this new book will broaden your instructional horizons. Preview the entire text
online:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0729.asp?r=n125
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4) Stenhouse authors across the country
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Here's a schedule of events across the country in the next three months featuring Stenhouse authors. The list is sorted alphabetically by state. Interested in booking one of our authors for your district or conference? We can facilitate:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/bookanauthor.htm
Little Rock, AR, November 15-16
Cris Tovani, Linda Dorn, Gail Boushey & Joan Moser ("The Sisters") Southwest IRA Regional Conference
http://www.arareading.org/Regional.htm
Irvine, CA, December 12
Kelly Gallagher
UCI Writing Project Annual Conference
Info: Carol Booth Olson, cbolson@uci.edu
Cromwell, CT, November 1-2
Franki Sibberson
Connecticut Reading Conference
http://users.ntplx.net/~ctread/
Schaumburg, IL, January 15-18
Linda Dorn, Lesley Morrow, David Booth
Illinois Early Literacy and Reading Recovery Conference
http://www.illinoisreadingrecovery.org/main3.html
Evansville, IN, November 3
Debbie Diller
Evansville Area Reading Council Fall Conference
Info: Beth Otto, botto@usi.edu
Westborough, MA, December 11
Debbie Diller
Differentiation for Small Groups K-6 (sponsored by ALRAN Books)
http://www.alranbooks.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=7876&category=2
Grand Rapids, MI, November 11-13
David Booth
Reading Recovery Council of Michigan Institute
http://eup.wmich.edu/olle/conferences/mrri/
Eagan, MN, October 29
Kelly Gallagher
Minnesota Council of Teachers of English Fall Workshop
http://www.mcte.org/fallwork/
Rochester, MN, November 1-3
David Booth
Minnesota Reading Association Fall Conference
http://www.mnreading.org/
Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, MO, November 15-17 Debbie Diller The Primary Conference
http://muconf.missouri.edu/primary/information.html
St. Louis, MO, November 13-15
Debbie Diller
Missouri Reading Recovery and Literacy Conference
Info: Sheila Ward, sward@fergflor.k12.mo.us
Saratoga Springs, NY, November 7-10
Peter Johnston, Susan Ohanian
New York State Reading Association Annual Conference
http://www.nysreading.org/Conferences/index.html
New York, NY, November 15-18
National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention Look for author session & signing details in the next issue of Newslinks.
http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv/annual
Providence, RI, October 28-30
Linda Dorn, Kathy Collins, Martha Horn, Mary Ellen Giacobbe Lesley University's Literacy for All Conference
http://www.lesley.edu/crr/lfa_intro.html
Johnston, RI, November 3
Mary Cowhey
CHILDSPAN's Keys to Quality Conference
http://childspan.net/conferences.php
Houston, TX, November 8-10
Janet Allen, Jeff Anderson, Herb Broda, Ross Burkhardt, Rick Wormeli National Middle School Association Annual Conference
http://www.nmsa.org/annual/
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