Dude, Listen to This! (Video)

In his groundbreaking book Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices, Ralph Fletcher took an expedition into the murky and sometimes dangerous world of boys and writing. He examined what inspires them and what shuts them down, and delved into ways teachers can do a better job of nurturing boys' wonderfully quirky contributions. Ralph's new video, "Dude, Listen to This!," explores the issue face-to-face as he meets with a group of boys who voluntarily give up recess time each week to meet and talk about their writing. "Dude," you may ask, "how does that happen?"

The video offers us three views of boy writers: In the first segment Ralph joins Jennifer Allen, literacy specialist at Albert S. Hall Elementary School in Waterville, Maine, and becomes a temporary member of her weekly boy writers club. After the meeting, Ralph follows the boys into their fourth-grade classroom, teaches a lesson, and then confers with several students. The final segment shows Ralph meeting with a teacher study group from the Hall School that has been reading Boy Writers and examining these issues throughout the year. As the group discusses the challenges of connecting with boys and motivating them as writers, we see how their teaching has changed.

"Dude, Listen to This!" thoughtfully examines the exuberance, sly humor, and surprising sensitivity of boy writers. It unearths important issues surrounding this topic and provides solid examples of the ways educators can become more adept at understanding boys and meeting their needs. An extensive workshop guide accompanies the DVD, including questions for discussion, classroom extensions, handouts linked to the DVD sections, and student work.