Category: Middle School

The cover of the 2023 issue of NJEJ

NJ English Journal’s “Reviving Engagement in ELA”

It is my pleasure to announce the publication of the 2023 issue of New Jersey English Journal: “Reviving Engagement in English Language Arts.”

“This issue addresses a variety of topics, including student-centered writing instruction, early
childhood vocabulary acquisition, and fan fiction.” (Editors’ Note).

The issue features 8 articles and 3 poems related to the theme. Congratulations to the 15 writers whose work is included, and thank you to the reviewers and editorial board members for your contributions to this project. Special thanks to my co-editors, Susan Chenelle and Dr. Katie Whitley. We hope you enjoy this issue and share it widely! [ . . . ]  Read More

A Pandemic-Era Dialogue about Literacy, Learning, & Social Annotation

Although we did not get to present the panel discussion on social annotation we’d proposed for NCTE 2020, I’m thrilled to share this article I co-authored with Jeremiah H. Kalir, Michelle L. Sprouse, and Jeremy Dean on literacy, learning, and social annotation (“Foregrounding the Margins: A Dialogue about Literacy, Learning, and Social Annotation”). We joined forces as a group of teacher-researchers who use social annotation in various K-12 and higher education contexts.

When the NCTE convention’s unplanned shift to an all-virtual format resulted in the cancellation of many previously accepted sessions, the editors at Teaching/Writing put out a brilliant call for manuscripts to capture some of the ideas that couldn’t be shared at the conference. [ . . . ]  Read More

Embark Upon a New Decade of English Language Arts in NJEJ 2020

My co-editor Dr. Emily Hodge and I are thrilled to announce the publication of the 2020 issue of New Jersey English Journal: “What’s Next? Embarking Upon a New Decade of English Language Arts.”

“This issue addresses a variety of topics, including Young Adult literature, social justice, artificial intelligence, climate change, and mindfulness. We are proud to share work from writers across the country, including pieces by first-time authors, graduate students, and early-career teachers” (Editors’ Note). [ . . . ]  Read More

Learn in Your PJs with Free Digital Literacy PD

Are you interested in digital literacy? Would you like to do some professional learning from the comfort of your living room? Then read on to learn about 11 upcoming opportunities to jump-start your digital literacy knowledge!

Drew University’s DrewTEACH program is offering a full slate of free virtual professional development on digital literacy this spring. Learn about topics such as collaborative annotation, fake news, and ethical communities from the comfort of your couch by registering for the free series that begins January 21 and runs through April 7.  [ . . . ]  Read More

Tweet about Tech + ELA at this Sunday’s #NCTEchat

I’m excited to co-host NCTE’s monthly Twitter chat (#NCTEchat) this Sunday at 8 PM EST with fellow digital literacies enthusiasts Troy Hicks, Tom Liam Lynch, and Nicole Damico.

We’ll be tweeting about “,” a position statement collaboratively written by 22 members of NCTE’s ELATE Commission on Digital Literacies and Teacher Education (D-LITE)

In the statement, authors share four beliefs to consider when integrating technology in ELA, with applications for K-12 teachers and students, teacher educators and students, and literacy researchers. [ . . . ]  Read More

Embracing Visual Notetaking: A Review of McGregor’s Ink & Ideas

I’m thrilled to share my review of Tanny McGregor’s wonderful book, Ink & Ideas (2018), featured in the current issue of English Journal.

Ink & Ideas is an indispensable guide for any teacher looking to introduce or enrich sketchnoting (aka visual notetaking) in their classroom. Read the full review for several examples of how McGregor uses visual notetaking to enhance “engagement, comprehension, and thinking” across P-16 classrooms and subject areas.

Here’s an quick excerpt from my review posted on Twitter:

via @TobeyAnt

To learn more about my experience teaching sketchnoting and to access my favorite instructional resources for visual notetaking, check out the following posts:

Be sure to follow the author on Twitter @TannyMcG for regular doses of sketchnote inspiration!

via @TannyMcG

*****

Congratulations to Tanny McGregor on such an important achievement!

Thank you to English Journal for allowing free access to my article.

And special thanks to “Books-in-Action” column editor Nicole Sieben for editorial support throughout the publication process.

Access the full July 2019 English Journal issue, here.