Stenhouse Newslinks
March 18, 2008
C O N T E N T S
1) Noticing specific craft to teach writing
2) Author Conversations: Wild, Mayeaux, and Edmonds
3) PD Corner: Collaborative teaching
4) A volley of ideas from two future thinkers
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1) Noticing specific craft to teach writing
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"If the expectation of what we teach students about writing is changing, then so should our preparation. If we are to teach the craft of writing to students, and not just mechanics and spelling, most of us cannot rely solely on our own histories of writing instruction."
In her new book Crafting Writers, K-6, Elizabeth Hale gives teachers the support they need to teach the art of writing. In addition to introducing specific craft elements, she provides a process for noticing them in writing.
Crafting Writers, K-6 offers many specific writing techniques for different categories of craft such as word choice and sentence variety. You'll find practical strategies for teaching craft in whole-class lessons and one-on-one conferences, and advice on managing conferences, group conferring, and using rubrics for assessment.
The print version of Crafting Writers, K-6 will be ready to ship early next week, but you can preview the entire book online now:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0739.asp?r=n134
* Special for Newslinks subscribers *
Order on our website by March 31 and we'll waive the shipping charge (a $5 value!). Just enter the discount code NLG at the bottom of the "Summary" checkout screen.
Crafting Writers, K-6
Elizabeth Hale
272 pp/paper * $22.50 * Available March 24
http://www.stenhouse.com/0739.asp?r=n134
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2) Author Conversations: Wild, Mayeaux, and Edmonds
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"Jumping in too quickly is a recipe for deciding that teaming is not the way to go. It really has to be a slow process and it has to be an evolution of the team together. You are only as fast- paced as the slowest member of your team in their ability to change."
Monique Wild, Amanda Mayeaux, and Kathryn Edmonds are the authors of the new book TeamWork: Setting the Standard for Collaborative Teaching, Grades 5-9. In the latest installment of our Author Conversations podcast, they offer their best advice for both new and experienced teams:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/teamers.htm?r=n134
Rich with collegial conversation, TeamWork shares the philosophy, successes, stories, and challenges of an award-winning team. You can browse the entire book online:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0711.asp?r=n134
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3) PD Corner: Collaborative teaching
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"In successful schools, every educator is a team player, collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders to meet common goals."
--Ed Dennis, Oregon Department of Education
"Exorcising the Lone Ranger" shares succinct teamwork support stories by Rhonda Barton, Marilyn Deutsch, and Bracken Reed. From Critical Friends Groups and professional learning teams to curriculum mapping and lesson study, this collection is a good starting place for professionals teaming up:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdloneranger.htm?r=n134
How does a high school teacher transition to teams? Hanne Denney's blog entry "In the Middle" at Teacher Magazine describes her initial experiences with teaming as well as suggestions for how department chairs and administrators can support teams:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdmiddleteam.htm?r=n134
Lesson study, a collaborative professional development model from Japan, is a continuous process of teachers developing lessons, trying them out, and evaluating the results. See how lesson study can be used in the context of secondary mathematics in this project from Education Development Center:
http://www2.edc.org/lessonstudy/lessonstudy/
And watch as teachers collaborate to learn new techniques in a lab classroom in Jennifer's Allen new DVD, Literature Groups All Year
Long:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0734.asp?r=n134
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4) A volley of ideas from two future thinkers
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What is the "secret sauce" that will drive innovation for countries and individuals in the 21st century? How do we create an environment that fosters curiosity and passion in an era of standardization? Are we asking too much of schools? Thomas Friedman (The World Is Flat) and Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind) give their take on these questions and more in this lively back- and-forth from the February issue of AASA's The School
Administrator:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdfriedmanpink.htm?r=n134
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