New Resources for Teachers

From Jennifer Gonzalez's Blog, Cult of Pedagogy

Packets - Why Worksheets Can Be Good and Bad

Read this if you're thinking about the value of worksheets in your classeroom and/or you're looking for good suggestions on how to craft you lessons with more effective strategies. 

From Learner - The New York Times

Interesting Photos Help Students Become Better Writers

Read this if you're looking for ways to extend the use of claims and evidence in writing.

From Edutopia

The Architecture of Ideal Learning Environments

This blew me away especially since Cape has been planning such terrific environments for the new schools that are now being built. Technology, safety and security, transparency and multipurpose space are defined and explained. Many are included in our new elementary schools - now onto the design of a middle school!

Holiday books for a Special Spring Break!

All About Peter, Tiny and The Bee Book. Brightly recommends giving books for Easter! 

Read Across America Celebrate on March 2!

Celebrate with me!

As I read The Lorax to the students at Mariner Middle School I asked them to think about how Suess used words to make his story rich, interesting and deep using these devices.

Flashback                          

Prediction

Dialogue

Themes

Descriptive words

Alliteration

Plot elements

Rising action

Climax

Resolution

Message/Moral

Assonance -   "a resemblance in the sounds of words or syllables, either between their vowels (e.g. meat, bean) or between their consonants (e.g. keep, cape)". Wikipedia