Resources for Educators

A Boy I Once Knew: What a Teacher Learned from her Student

by Elizabeth Stone

Review:

This is the first book that I have read for pleasure in quite some time. A complete page turner, especially at the beach or in the oasis we call our backyard. There is not a whole lot of depth here, just a feel good story, centering around the lives of a teacher and a student. Story line: Teacher connects with a student who wills her his journals and she writes a book about the whole experience of reading about the boy she once knew, while realizing he was a man she didn't know. Not sad, not exciting, just nice. I guess you could say she made some impression on him if he trusted her after so many years with his private thoughts and secrets. The boy/man had a lot of skeletons in his closet and he exposed them in his journals. She helped to tell his story in a clean, concise way, while revealing her inner most secrets about her journey as a young woman on the verge of becoming an adult. Overall, I think this would have played out better as a movie.

About the author:

Elizabeth Stone, now an English professor at Fordham University, has appeared on CNN's "Connie Chung Tonight" and on radio programs throughout the country, including a WBAI FM program on "Coming Out in the Classroom." She has been invited to do workshops with teachers on student secrets, to speak with members of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), to visit book groups which have read her book, and to lecture in colleges on "AIDS Diaries." High School students have become acquainted with Elizabeth's work through "Future Teacher of America" clubs and in literature curricula. Her book has been recommended to professionals in education as well as to nurses receiving training in "Death and Dying" courses.

Browse a list of twenty popular poems to teach, along with poems that demonstrate imagery, irony, forms and traditions, narrative, and cultural context, as well as recommendations for memorization and performance.

Labyrinth is an acclaimed independent bookstore for engaged readers.

Tips for Teaching Poetry

Great Poems To Teach

White, Urban Appalachian Children

Other People's Words: The Cycle of Low Literacy

by Victoria Purcell-Gates

Book Seventeen
Review:
What type of people live in the Appalachian Mountains? Rednecks, poor white trailer park trash or just a lost group of people that no one really wants to talk about. These people are a community of illiterates who need to be educated in the U.S.A. and I think are severely over looked in our society. I never really knew what it meant when friends talked about volunteering and helping people in Appalachia or even where Appalachia was. If it wasn't for the Senator of South Carolina hitting the media recently, I still would be in the dark. This book is a case study that a college professor conducted on a mother and child who are from the Appalachian region trying to live in a more civilized city like society. The family struggles with whether or not they should stay in the modern world, illiterate and isolated or return to a world of comfort and family. The saddest part of this whole story in my opinion is that there are probably tons and tons of families in other parts of the U.S.A. that face the same issues, yet we have the best educational system in the world. How?

What is involved in the effective teaching of writing at the secondary and first-year undergraduate level?

Teaching Writing As Reflective Practice: Integrating Theories

by George Hillocks and Michael W. Smith

Book Sixteen
Review:

Although, I am not a first year teacher, the theory and practice ideas really pushed me to reflect on my own teaching of writing. Chock full of tips on how to conduct a writer’s workshop and ways to approach teaching the various modes of writing, this book is a great introduction for any teacher who is looking for validation and approval on why we do what we do when we attempt to teach writing to our students. Even though, this was a book I read for a graduate level class, I would still recommend it to anyone in the field of education or anyone who planning on going into the classroom.

Truman Streckfus Persons & Nelle Harper Lee

* In a few weeks, I will be teaching To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to my 8th grade English class, so I have spent this morning researching the novel, Lee and her odd relationship with Truman Capote.

Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields, is an interesting look at Lee's life, but since it is written without Lee's permission, I take a majority of it with a grain of salt. Shields, a former English teacher, has pieced together the results of hundreds of interviews, along with much new information about Lee and this American classic.

As an introduction to reading To Kill a Mockingbird, I'm going to have my students read a short story from Truman Capote, so I started becoming more familiar with his work. I grabbed two books from the library that were very helpful. Truman Capote: In Which Various Friends, Enemies, Acquaintances and Detractors Recall His Turbulent Career by George Plimpton, is an oral biography, filled with wonderful intimate stories told by his famous friends and enemies.

The Complete Stories of Truman Capote by Truman Capote and Reynolds Price, is a "must read" and the last book that I looked at in my research. I chose two short stories ("Miriam" and "The Thanksgiving Visitor") from this collection to use in my classroom.

Websites to visit:

www.neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/mockingbird04.php

www.kirjasto.sci.fi/capote.htm

Week Thirty, Book Forty Two

Touching Spirit Bear

by Ben Mikaelsen

"Cole Matthews knelt defiantly in the bow of the aluminum skiff as he faced forward into a cold September wind."

Review:
Picking this up, I was hoping that my school could use it for a Literature Circle next year and now feel it is a definite "yes". I read this book a few years ago because Judy recommended it to me and am so glad she did. Believe me, this is one of those stories that can stand the test of time. Young or old, there is a very important message here.

Fighting and stealing for years has finally caught up with Cole Matthews. At the age of fifteen, he is sentenced to prison or isolation for one year by the Native American Circle Justice. He chooses a year on a remote Alaskan island. This story is one boys journey to self-realization and truth through hardship, confrontation, and ritual. I recommend this book to all middle school teachers and students.

Site for Teachers to Check Out:

Touching Spirit Bear (Novel Study Guide)

www.benmikaelsen.com (Author Site)

Lesson Plans:

www.mslma.org/SuperConf02/HopkintonSpiritBeart.html

www.webenglishteacher.com/mikaelsen.html

Rare Books

Rare Books 101
06/27/07
2:15- 3:15 PM
Classroom B

Humanities and Social Sciences Library
5th Avenue and 42nd Street

New York, NY 10018-2788

Description:
For bibliophiles and the intellectually curious, this class offers an inside look into the world of rare book libraries. How are collections formed? What kinds of materials do modern rare book libraries collect? How are these rare and sometimes priceless materials cared for? Using the collections of the Rare Book Division as a backdrop, you will explore topics of interest in the field of rare and antiquarian books. You will investigate some of the latest electronic information resources for conducting rare book–related research.

Manga!

Manga! Manga! Manga!

05/24/07

3:15 -4:15 pm
Classroom B
Humanities and Social Sciences Library

5th Avenue and 42nd Street

New York, NY 10018-2788

Description:
Manga is the Japanese word for printed comics and cartoons. They are now read everywhere, and one can find a manga on every topic and for every age group. There are history manga, animal manga, yakuza manga, culinary manga, Sci-Fi manga, and music manga. Come and learn about the different types of manga and why manga has become such a popular medium of communication, education, and entertainment in Japanese culture.

Week Nineteen, Book Twenty Four

The Outsiders

by S. E. Hinton

Review:

This book, which was written in the 1960's, may have well been written today. It describes the many conflicts between gangs, social groups, family violence, and friends. My 7th graders are reading this in class, so I had to reread it this week. I listened to it on tape last week in the car and read the text this week. I think this is the perfect book for young teens and I am so happy I had the pleasure of teaching it this year. The kids love the storyline and there are so many themes that they can relate to, which makes it a breeze to teach. If you haven't read this book and are looking for an upbeat look at teen life, look no further. In a few weeks I plan on showing the movie, which is really going to be a major flashback for me. I remember being at sleep over parties and looking forward to watching "The Outsiders" with friends and gushing over the male stars. This was during the time when we hung pictures of celebrities on our bedroom walls and school lockers and begged our parents to take us to the mall. Oh, those were the days!

Graphic Image

Visit this site and check out one of the most expensive Dictionaries I have ever seen: www.graphicimage.com/

Dictionary Style: DCT
Suggested Retail Price: $153.00
Available in
* Traditional Soft Calfskin: Chestnut
* Morocco, Genuine Goatskin: Mocha, Tan, Red, Pink
* Crocodile-Embossed Italian Calfskin: Brown
Size: 7-1/2 x 10 inches 1,624 pages
Thumb-tabbed: A to Z3.7 lb. in weight (approximate)White, acid-free paper, gilt edges.Smyth sewn for strength, longevity and open ability
* Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Edition
* Eleventh Edition
* Travel notes
* Foreign Words and Phrases
* Biographical and Geographical Names
* Signs and Symbols

The American Library Association

I love the ALA Graphics catalog and decided to check out the online store, which led me to this site. This is a great resource for teachers, especially English teachers. Enjoy!

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 64,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. ALA offers professional services and publications to members and nonmembers, including online news stories from American Libraries and analysis of crucial issues from the Washington Office.

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
50 E. Huron

Chicago, IL 60611

Call Us Toll Free 1-800-545-2433

online store: http://www.alastore.ala.org/

Inmate Stories

Killing the Sky:

Oral Histories from Horizon Academy, Rikers Island

"My father stayed with his legal job and took care of his family. That's why I respected him. But what when it comes down to respecting people on some gangstas, I had all the bad role models, people who been locked up, people who got shot, people who shot people, that's who I respect."

Copies of Killing the Sky and other Student Press Initiative publications are available at the Teachers College bookstore. http://www.tc.columbia.edu/

This book was mentioned in an article that focused on teacher and student collaborative writing. I found the topic interesting and wanted to pass it on.

English Journal

This is my favorite teacher magazine. It is very academic and light at the same time, plus it is really well written. I always find a few articles worth clipping and saving. The best part about it, is our school library gets a subscription every year. Thanks Ladies!

English Journal is a journal of ideas for English language arts teachers in junior and senior high schools and middle schools. EJ presents information on the teaching of writing and reading, literature, and language. Each issue examines the relationship of theory and research to classroom practice and reviews current materials of interest to English teachers, including books and electronic media.Published bimonthly, September, November, January, March, May, and July. http://www.englishjournal.colostate.edu

also visit for great ideas: http://www.ncte.org/