December's Free Education Professional Development

First off, I apologize for being absent for the past month. Between the usual school-related craziness that comes with November, the NCTE conference, the Thanksgiving holidays, and a cold have all conspired to keep me busy and away from the blog.

That being said, I'm in denial that December is upon us. However, even as the end of the semester comes hurtling towards us (I have two more weeks of classes and a week of finals/frantic grading), there are still professional development opportunities to be had. Here is a sampling of the free offerings for those in education.

The Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE) has two upcoming webinars:

• December 2 at 3:00 pm ET is "Making Disciplinary Literacy Work in the Middle Level for the Common Core and More!"
• December 10 at 3:00 pm ET is "Shout It Loud: Tools and Apps for Amplifying Student Voices through Formative Assessment"

ASCD has a number of webinars in December, including:

• December 9 at 3:00 pm ET - "Close Reading: Teaching the Comprehension Skills of Text Analysis and Evaluation"
• December 11 at 3:00 pm ET - "What is PD Online, and How Can It Support My Professional Development?"

edWeb.net has a jam-packed schedule for the first half of December with webinar topics that range from using film in the history classroom to financial literacy for kids.

PBS LearningMedia is offering a webinar on December 2 at 6:00 pm ET entitled "Bringing Lessons to Life with Digital Primary Sources." This is done in conjunction with the Library of Congress, and I can't recommend this highly enough. At my first NCTE conference, I had the opportunity to attend a one-day workshop done by the Library of Congress, and it was very useful. At my most recent NCTE conference, the LoC had a booth in the exhibit hall to inform teachers about some great new resources available online. 

November's Free Education Professional Development

I can't believe that it is November already and that in 18 short days, I'll be heading to the East Coast for the 2014 NCTE Annual Convention and ALAN Workshop. The convention is one of the highlights of my year; I consider it my Comic Con (yes, I manage to out-geek even the geekiest). For those of you attending the convention for the first time, I'm hoping to have a post of advice and tips to help you make the most of the experience (and leave the convention with your sanity intact). I also think that the November 17 #engchat will be dedicated to helping new attendees get ready.

However, if you aren't in English or if you aren't able to attend the convention, there are still many virtual professional development opportunities that you can access for free this month.

PBS has some great-sounding offerings this month for teachers at all levels. The first, Finding Your Roots in the Digital Age, is hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and promises to have ideas for social studies and science teachers. The second is How to Integrate Game-Based Learning Into Your Classroom, and  it features gaming experts Alan Gershenfeld and Rebecca Rufo-Tepper.

As always, edWeb.net has a plethora of free webinars on topics ranging from differentiated instruction to gaming in the classroom. For ELA and English teachers, your best bets include:

• Picture This: Engaging Students with Online Images on November 3 at 4:00 pm
• Writing Instruction for Learning Synthesis on November 10 at 3:00 pm
• Getting the Most Out of Integrating eBooks in the Classroom on November 12 at 3:00 pm

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) has some intriguing offerings this month for their members (you can join for free):

• No Sweat, November! Keeping Middle Grades Students Engaged and Motivated on November 12 at 3:00 pm
• Six Secrets for Teaching Boys in Your Middle Level Classroom on November 18 at 3:00 pm

So Much to Read, So Little Time - October 2014

Since my school is having its fall break this week, I've been playing catch-up with all of the work that has been backlogged during the first half of the semester. Besides straitening my office, planning lessons, and grading papers, I've also been trying to do some more reading. I'm teaching a content-area reading course for the first time, and while it has required a lot of preparation and work, I've really enjoyed it. A new course is a great way to keep teaching fresh, since it forces me to start from scratch with the class objectives, assignments, readings, and activities. This particular course presents an additional challenge because I wanted to dedicate several weeks to supplementing content-area textbooks with articles and trade books. Consequently, I've been trying to do some extra reading in order to be able to share books with my students. Here's a partial list of books I've read this fall for my content area reading course:

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain - Intended for middle school students, this book examines the legacy of Angel Island, which some called the "Ellis Island of the West." However, despite this nickname, the immigrants who passed through Angel Island were often treated very differently than those who came through Ellis Island. This would be a great resource to use with middle school students who are studying immigration.

The End of the Line - This is an elementary/middle grade fictional story set in Amsterdam during World War II, and it follows two elderly brothers as they try to protect and care for a young Jewish girl whose mother is taken away by the Nazis. While the premise sounds intense, the book manages to provide accurate information about life during the Holocaust without being too graphic. However, I'm not certain that this is a book I'd use in an elementary or middle school class (the publisher page notes that it is intended for ages 8 - 11). Some elementary students might not be ready for such a heavy topic while middle school students might find the book too simple. That said, The End of the Line might work well as an alternative text in a middle school social studies class because it offers a perspective not always included in textbooks (the experiences of civilians during war) and because it could be a good text for struggling readers.

Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents - I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and while it seems a little young for middle school, it has some interesting and fun trivia. For middle schoolers, I'd probably use the trivia at the beginning of the unit (or throughout it) to engage the students with the different presidents. Additionally, the book could be a good model for a final project where students would find trivia on the different presidents and compile it in a children's book for elementary students.

In the Shadow of No Towers - Unlike the previous books, this book is definitely more suited for high school students. Written and illustrated by Art Spiegleman, In the Shadow of No Towers examines the events and aftermath of September 11 from a New Yorker's point of view. The book has some adult themes and language, so it might not work for all high schools, but it is work reading and examining because of the way it captures the experience of being in New York during those dark and troubling times.

Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra - One distinct challenge about reading in the content areas is finding fictional books that would appeal to teens while also fitting in a particular subject. Do the Math manages to have a (relatively) strong connection with math while also being an engaging and accessible read. In it, Tess, an eighth grader who loves math and thinks about people and situations in terms of math problems, must deal with the social drama that comes with middle school while also confronting some moral dilemmas.

Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail - Danica McKellar (aka Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years) wrote this nonfiction book to show girls that math can be approachable and fun. I applaud the effort, and McKellar does a nice job explaining and walking the reader through different mathematical concepts in a way that is understandable, even for people who aren't that skilled in the subject. However, I'm torn about the way the information is presented, since it could be a little too girly or cutesy for some. That said, I could see it being effective for a specific group of students.

What have you been reading this fall? Do you have any suggestions for books that might work in a middle or high school content classroom? Please leave your comments and thoughts below!

National Day on Writing 2014: Are You Ready to Write Your Community?

The National Day on Writing is coming and coming soon (October 20). This day, established by NCTE, is a time to help make people aware of the importance of writing and to celebrate writing. According to the NCTE website, the National Day on Writing:

• points to the importance of writing instruction and practice at every grade level, for every student and in every subject area from preschool through university (see The Genteel Unteaching of America’s Poor), 
• emphasizes the lifelong process of learning to write and composing for different audiences, purposes, and occasions, and 
• encourages Americans to write and enjoy and learn from the writing of others.

October is Connected Educator Month

While I associate October with a lot of exciting things (fall weather, fall break, and the midway point in the semester), perhaps the thing that I'm most excited about (well, besides fall break :) is Connected Educator Month (CEM). According to the CEM website, the purpose of CEM includes:

• Getting more educators proficient with social media to improve their practice
• Deepening and sustaining learning among those already enjoying connection’s benefits
• Helping schools credential/integrate connected learning into their formal professional development efforts
• Stimulating and supporting innovation in the field

October's Free Education Webinars

Even though it seems like September just started, October is just around the corner, we have just started the sixth week of school, and some teachers might be experiencing the downward slide to the low point of the first-year roller coaster. However, virtual professional development, which is a great way to get rejuvenated, is just a few clicks away. Here are some of the free upcoming webinars and online professional development opportunities coming in October.

Questions and Topics to Explore for Banned Books Week

In the United States, it can be easy to assume that censorship is something that doesn't happen here. It is something sinister and shady that only happens in other places or at other times untouched by such protections as the First Amendment. However, Banned Books Week is a time to remind us that censorship is an all-too-real threat here and now. When I teach my education students (and when I taught high school), I like to use Banned Books Week as an entry point for us to discuss some difficult concepts and questions. For my English education students, the issue of banned or challenged books is an all-too-real threat, and this gives them the chance to discuss and think through their conceptions and concerns. For my other students, this provides us the opportunity to think about curriculum and the potential controversies that might exist in their subject areas. The questions and issues we consider might include: