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 “Beliefs for Integrating Technology Into the English Language Arts Classroom,” 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.

Meet NJ English Educators at NJCTE’s Spring Conference

Attend the NJCTE Spring Conference

Join me on March 30 at the New Jersey Council Teachers of English (NJCTE) Spring Conference, “Doorways to Teaching in a Digital World.” Check out the full program schedule and register here. Featured speakers include authors Ibi Zoboi, Georgia Hunger, and Nora Raleigh Baskin.

If you can’t attend in person, join the conversation virtually with the Twitter hashtag #NJCTE19, or by following @NJCTENews.

Write for New Jersey English Journal

I will be presenting with Dr. Emily Hodge in our new roles as Co-Editors of The New Jersey English Journal (NJEJ). Our session, “Reflecting on Your Practice: Write for The New Jersey English Journal”  (10:35 am – 11:20 am, Learning Commons), will provide information about the 2020 call for manuscripts, as well as workshop time for attendees to brainstorm and begin drafting submissions. We hope to see you there!

The theme for the 2020 issue of NJEJ is “What’s Next? Embarking Upon a New Decade of English Language Arts.” Access the full call for manuscripts, here.

NJEJ welcomes single and co-authored submissions from both veteran and early-career teachers, and we especially invite new writers, pre-service teachers, and graduate students to develop submissions. (Please note: Writers do not have to live or work in New Jersey.)

Review for NJEJ

One of the best ways to develop your own voice as a writer is to serve as a reviewer for a journal. Anyone interested in serving on the review board can fill out this brief survey. Please spread the word about this opportunity to your ELA colleagues across grade levels and institutions.

Sneak Peak at NJEJ’s New Digital Platform

Behind the scenes, we’ve been working on a new digital platform for NJEJ. In partnership with Montclair State University, we’ll be hosting the journal on their digital commons. Here’s a sneak peak at our new site, which should also streamline the submission and review process.

We’ve uploaded the latest 2019 issue, and are in the process of archiving back issues. We hope you like it!

NJEJ’s new digital platform

Send any queries about The New Jersey English Journal to njenglishjournal@gmail.com.

12 Ways to Enjoy the NCTE Convention (Even From Afar!)

The NCTE Convention is consistently one of the best professional development experiences of my year. But a conference of this size can be difficult to navigate–especially for new attendees–and unfortunately, not every interested teacher is able to attend.

Here are 12 ways to enjoy the convention, even if you can’t attend in person:

P.S. I am so excited about next month’s conference that I drew sketches (below) to accompany my tips. (Educator and author Tanny McGregor inspired me to start sketching at the 2016 NCTE Convention.)

If you’re thinking about attending:

It’s not too late! Ask your institution to sponsor your attendance. NCTE offers talking points, testimonials, budget spreadsheets, and sample letters to help you get approval to attend.

If you can’t attend in person (and even if you can):

Join the conversation on Twitter with the conference hashtag (#NCTE18). You can’t attend every session, but the Twitter feed will expose you to ideas that are resonating with others. And many presenters will post their slides and materials.

If you can attend in person (lucky you!):

Leave room in your suitcase for goodies snagged at the exhibit hall, or plan to ship a small box home from the convention center’s shipping store. Check the program for the schedule of author signings, which take place in the exhibit hall.

Take a lightweight bag that fits your favorite notebook and/or computer, pens, charger, water bottle, and a snack. Wear sensible shoes for long walks or sightseeing between sessions.

Bring healthy, portable snacks with you–nuts, protein bars, fruit–to fuel your mind between sessions. If possible,

make coffee or tea in your hotel room [ . . . ]  Read More

Even Reluctant Writers Will Love Six-Word Memoirs

Six-word memoirs were a quick and excellent way to get students writing, revising, and crafting digital texts.

At the start of every school year, I look for a fun way for students to introduce themselves to each other and to me. Last year, I asked students to craft visual autobiographies on Padlet. This year, since I’m teaching a course for 11th and 12th graders on Modern Fiction and Nonfiction, I also wanted a quick activity to get my students writing their own modern stories. Enter the Six-Word Memoir! (Just in time for the National Day on Writing! #WhyIWrite)


An invitation originated by Smith Magazine, everyone from NPR to Oprah has invited writers to pen their own stories in exactly six words. This activity turned out to be an easy way to get students back into writing mode after the summer break. As a bonus, the legend of Hemingway’s six-word story (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) was a perfect way to begin a conversation about modern writers.

I asked students to introduce themselves to the class in six words. “It doesn’t have to capture your life story,” I reassured them. “It just needs to reveal something about who you are.”

They got right to work. They wrote at different paces, so I encouraged students who finished early to write additional stories, while allowing more time for those who needed it.

Towards the end of the shortened, first day class period, we had barely enough time for each student to say their name and read their six-word story aloud.

The next day, I projected my own six-word memoir that I had published on the Six-Word Memoirs website.

My first six-word memoir published on sixwordmemoirs.com. 

 

I joked that the open-source image I paired with my story didn’t exactly look like me.

Then, I talked about my challenges as a writer and enlisted their assistance in revision. I wanted to capture a tension between being content in the present and itching to make progress, I explained. We played around with my verb choice. (We were already talking about diction and copyright on the second day of school!)

All-in-all, six-word memoirs were a quick and excellent way to get students writing, revising, and crafting digital texts.

I gave them a chance to revise their stories, talking with a partner about what they were trying to accomplish through language. Some students asked to draft new stories, which I happily allowed.

After writing their stories, students enjoyed pairing them with images and posting them on the Six-Word Memoirs website. I later realized they could embed their stories into their first posts to welcome readers to their class blogs.

Here some examples of their six-word memoirs (posted with permission by eager volunteers):

A few students were interested in the website’s monthly writing contests, especially when I pointed out that with the right six words, they could boast that they’d won a national writing contest. I hope to announce the contest topic each month (October’s topic is “Secrets to Take to the Grave”) to encourage participation.

For a relatively low-maintenance writing assignment, the six word memoirs yielding great rewards. It helped us introduce ourselves to each other without having to share a recycled “fun fact” about ourselves. In just a few minutes, students were able to see themselves as writers and talk about our writing choices. And we were all able to have fun with a digital publishing without the pressure of a graded assignment.

I’ll leave you with several student examples. If you decide to try this out yourself (or in your classroom), feel free to comment with additional ones!

Special thanks to Lindsey Caruso for feedback on this blog post–especially for your suggestions for the conclusion.