11 Teaching Readers Who Struggle: A Pragmatic Middle School Framework Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–8 Professional Commentary: This professional development article details a pragmatic framework for reading instruction that focuses on struggling and proficient readers in early adolescence (11-14 years old). Grounded in extensive and key reading research, the framework presented here suggests a structure for balanced literacy instruction in the classroom.... Career Fields: Arts & Communication, Education & Training, General Career Skills Projects: Writing 6-12, Standards First 12 Expressions: Multiple Intelligences in the English Class Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 7–12 Professional Commentary: This two-part article offers ideas for integrating multiple intelligences into the language arts curriculum. In the first section, the research and theoretical foundations for multiple intelligences are outlined.... Career Fields: Education & Training, General Career Skills Projects: Writing 6-12, Standards First 13 Using Poetry to Motivate Reluctant Seventh Grade Readers and Writers Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 7–Postsecondary Professional Commentary: In this professional resource, an article from the Ohio Journal of English Language Arts, teacher Chip Withrow describes an instructional approach using poetry-related reading and writing assignments to motivate reluctant seventh-grade English students. These assignments go beyond merely asking the students to read and interpret poems; the author uses poetry to lead students into practicing writing skills and thinking about issues that affect their lives.... Projects: Writing 6-12 14 A Framework For Teaching Writing and Literature: Instructional Scaffolding as a Principled Approach to Teaching Secondary English Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 7–12 Professional Commentary: Authored by an English educator and beginning English teacher, this article describes and illustrates a framework for teaching writing and literature referred to as "instructional scaffolding." This model is designed to foster inquiry and reflection as teachers learn content and implement new practices. In scaffolded instruction, teacher focus more of their attention on how students are responding to lessons and assignments, building in supports for learning as they are needed.... Projects: Writing 6-12 15 The Power of Grammar: Unconventional Approaches to the Conventions of Grammar [excerpt]: Chapter 2, "Putting Conventions in Our In-Tray: Planning Grammar Curriculum" Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–12 Professional Commentary: This excerpt is a complete reading of chapter two from The Power of Grammar: Unconventional Approaches to the Conventions of Language. Titled "Putting Conventions in Our In-Tray: Planning Grammar Curriculum," the authors offer ways to plan grammar lessons and grammar curriculum through direct instruction, inquiry, and apprenticeship.... Career Fields: Arts & Communication, Education & Training, Marketing, General Career Skills Projects: Writing 6-12, Standards First 16 Creating a Culture of Literacy: A Guide for Middle and High School Principals Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts, General Education Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 6–12 Professional Commentary: Collectively, these seven chapters of "Creating a Culture of Literacy" create a readable and informative look at literacy in our middle and high schools. Aimed at providing principals guidelines for literacy development, the chapters include a thorough examination of 21st-century literacy, and include focusing on literacy needs, policy statements, positions on literacy in our schools and communities, and components for literacy improvement.... Projects: Writing 6-12 17 Conferring: The Essential Teaching Act Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 3–12 Professional Commentary: In this chapter, the authors explain the importance of conferring during writing workshop. They also show how to effectively implement conferring into classroom writing instruction, while stressing that the time a teacher spends conferring with students about their writing is valuable to building important learning relationships.... Projects: Writing 6-12 Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 3–12 Professional Commentary: This article explores the ways in which teachers respond to students' writing and the long term impact it can have on their attitudes toward writing. The author raises questions about how to respond to students' writing appropriately, effectively and honestly.... Career Fields: General Career Skills Projects: Writing 6-12, Standards First 19 Revising and Editing: Using Models and Checklists to Promote Successful Writing Experiences [excerpt]: Chapter 1, "Drafting in the Computer Age" Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts, General Education Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 4–12 Professional Commentary: This full-chapter excerpt from Les Parsons' book, Revising and Editing: Using Models and Checklists to Promote Successful Writing Experiences, targets the need to teach revision and editing skills, even in this computer age of advancing technology. The author provides a thorough discussion and definition for "editing" and "revising," then elaborates through a look at the "culture of editing." His text includes ways to teach the drafting process (teachers modeling the writing process as writing mentors, writing supervisors, and writing editors) as well as ways in which students respond as student writers (students as "emerging dependent[s]," "transitional independent[s]," and maturing interdependent[s]").... Projects: Writing 6-12 20 Poetry and the Standards? Resource Type: Professional Resource Discipline: English Language Arts Ohio Standards Alignment: Grades 7–Postsecondary Professional Commentary: This classroom vignette is a short piece written for the January '07 issue of AdLIT In Perspective detailing one teacher's experience with teaching poetry. Sandina Alexander, a teacher at Manchester High School, shares the magic of watching her beginning-of-the-year-facing-the-blank-page-with-trepidation students become her experienced classroom "poets." She begins her story with how she came to teach poetry, explains the progression of her students' writing assignments, and intersperses anecdotes throughout her lively teacher-to-teacher talk .... Projects: Writing 6-12 |