-
Late Penalties?
Throughout the years, I’ve heard a lot of arguments against giving penalties for late student work. Back in February, Tom Shimmer outlined some of the arguments against late penalties in a post, and they reflect the main argument I’ve heard again and again: students should be evaluated on the learning they can demonstrate, not punctuality.… Continue reading
-
This Week’s Education Buzz Carnival
The latest Education Buzz carnival is up over at I Want To Teach Forever. In addition to my post on the possible demise of the academic paper, you’ll find commentaries on teacher bloggers being fired and rehired, how technology is dumbing down education, doing away with late penalties, and much more. Go check it out! Continue reading
-
What Have You Been Thinking About?
Whether you’re a teacher, a parent, a student, or just a citizen of the world who believes that learning is important, you may be thinking about new problems or dwelling on old fears or puzzles as the school year begins. Maybe you’d like to hear what others have to say about your burning questions or… Continue reading
-
A Carnival of Homeschooling
Are you a homeschooling parent, a teacher of formerly homeschooled kids, or someone who is interested in the topic of homeschooling? This week, my review of Pam Allyn’s book on Your Child’s Writing Life appears in the Homeschooling Showcase over at the Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers blog. There are also posts on how early to read aloud to… Continue reading
-
The First Days of School: Then and Now
Today is the beginning of the new school year for me and my colleagues, and many of you will be getting back into the saddle in the next couple of weeks. As I prepare, my thoughts have returned to three of my past posts that still seem timely. The first is called “Mean ‘Til Hallowe’een:… Continue reading
-
“Either You Can Be a Teacher or You Can Be the Plagiarism Police”
As the new semester creeps nearer, I’m starting to think about plagiarism again. My use of Turnitin.com, a plagiarism-detection software, is helping me relax a bit – last semester, the software made discovering plagiarism, and talking to students about it, a lot easier. However, cheating is a perennial source of anxiety for most teachers, and a… Continue reading
-
Word Jars and Grocery Lists: “Your Child’s Writing Life” by Pam Allyn
The premise of Pam Allyn’s parenting guide Your Child’s Writing Life is as follows: “There are endless practical books to help parents raise their children. But until now there has not been a book about the importance of getting our kids to understand that every book and story began when someone, somewhere decided to write down… Continue reading
-
What Swimming Taught Me About Teaching
It’s good for a teacher to be a student once in a while. I learn this lesson over and over as I pursue my MEd. I have encountered all sorts of challenges I’d forgotten about, like worrying about grades and managing my time in order to get readings done and papers written. I’ve had to… Continue reading
-
Siobhan Curious: Now On Facebook
Friends and fans: today is a momentous day. Siobhan Curious now has her very own Facebook Page. (As some of you know, I did have a profile, but I’m hoping the more professional “Page” will lead to exciting things.) If you are already a “friend” on Facebook, or even if you’re not, please go to… Continue reading
-
Should We Bid Farewell to the Academic Paper?
Is the academic paper the best way for students to demonstrate their learning? Will learning to write papers help students develop the skills they will need later in their lives? One of my heroes, Virginia Heffernan of the New York Times (whose Sunday Magazine column, The Medium, is sorely missed) writes this week that “Education… Continue reading
About Me
My job is to teach people to read and write; aside from that, I like to learn things.
Classroom as Microcosm 