September 28, 2015

On My Bookshelf: The Museum Of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Set in 1911 in New York City and framed between the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the fire at Dreamland in Coney Island, The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman, weaves together history, romance and suspense, as a young girl grows up to learn the truth about her father and herself. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Basic plot: Life inside of the Museum of Extraordinary Things with her father, Professor Sardie, and her housekeeper, Maureen, is all Coralie had ever known. Like the other oddities employed at the museum, viewed as freaks of nature by others, Coralie fears how others will react to her deformity, her webbed hands. Her only escape is swimming in the Hudson as her father tries to create excitement about a strange creature in the river's waters.

On a swim gone too far, Coralie spots Eddie, a photographer with a troubled past and on another swim discovers a dead body. The lives of all three intertwine as Eddie searches for a girl gone missing after a factory fire and Coralie tries to pacify her father in his quest for the next great attraction for the museum.

Why I liked it: Historical fiction is my favorite kind of book to read. I was a huge Ann Rinaldi fan growing up and excelled in history in school. The Museum of Extraordinary Things is set in a time period of change. America, or at least New York City is just beginning to look like the place we know today.

The author expertly weaves historical details into the storyline, mixed with just the right amount of romance and suspense. You also can't help but root for the underdogs: Coralie, Eddie, Maureen, Mr. Morris, and the other "oddities" in their conflicts with Professor Sardie and the world around them.

Classroom application: The novel is set in 1911 in New York City and is rich with details about the developing city. Two events are heavily featured in the novel: the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire and the fire at Dreamland in Coney Island. Workers' rights issues are heavily featured in the novel, and excerpts of the novel could also be used as a fiction pairing in history units on women's rights and immigration. Consider using photographs, an excellent primary source, to show students one or both fires and the aftermath.

In the ELA classroom, the novel or excerpts could be used in a genre study of historical fiction. Students could read a section of the book and then consider where the line between fact and fiction stands. Students could brainstorm the types of sources the author would need to write that particular section of the novel and discuss how the author might have crafted the fictional parts. 

And as with Becoming Lisette, this novel could be used as a mentor text as students complete research and write their own historical fiction piece. You can read more about blending narrative and research here.


If you are interested in purchasing a copy of The Museum of Extraordinary Things for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


September 27, 2015

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Standards & Curriculum

Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 9 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.

On Tuesday, September 29, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on standards and curriculum in the ELA classroom.

The Format:

8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What standards/curriculum does your school follow or use? Share a link if applicable. #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q2: What standard/concept from your standards/curriculum do you struggle to teach? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q3: How is your planning affected by your standards/curriculum? #2ndaryELA
8:35 Q4: How do you ensure you cover all the required standards/curriculum for your grade?#2ndaryELA
8:45 Q5: Share a resource for your standards/curriculum that you find invaluable (book, article, blog post, type of technology, etc.) #2ndaryELA

The Directions:

1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-9 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 10 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurl, bitly, goo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:

1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening!
Get caught up on past chats here:

September 25, 2015

Tips & Tricks For Grading: Making It Easier, Faster, & More Meaningful

It is a struggle to make grades meaningful to students in ways that are not overly time consuming for teachers. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts Teachers discuss most and least favorite assignments to mark, tips and tricks for grading, and implementing feedback. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This week's #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about grading and marking in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed most and least favorite assignments to mark, tips and tricks for grading, and implementing feedback. The highlights are below.

Tips & Tricks for Managing the Marking Load:
*Have students keep all their work in a spiral notebook or composition book & turn that in
*Using mailing labels to grade notebooks
*Have students grade themselves and each other as much as possible
*Use rubrics & checklists to streamline
*Do NOT edit essays when grading
*Use well written rubrics
*Set a timer so you don't spend too much time on papers
*Have students choose which essays you grade
*Don't give a letter grade for everything. Try a check, check plus, check minus system.
It is a struggle to make grades meaningful to students in ways that are not overly time consuming for teachers. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts Teachers discuss most and least favorite assignments to mark, tips and tricks for grading, and implementing feedback. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.*Limit yourself to two comments per paper or choose a writing trait to evaluate.
*Give bonus points for turning in early
*Use a stamp for completion on vocabulary and grammar practice. Then review answers together and have students their correct papers.
*When using writing checklists, don't give students a grade until everything on checklist is included, which forces revisions.
*Keep a list of everyone's next steps. On new assignments, check that they have made progress.
*Have students write three changes they made from first to last drafts and submit this with their process and final copy.
*Conference with students once a week to discuss what they've revised and/or edited. Use writing conference logs.

Hope you'll join us next Tuesday September 29th at 8pm EST to discuss standards and curriculum in the ELA classroom. The questions for next week's chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed Tuesday night's chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

September 24, 2015

Speaking & Listening Skills: Get Students To Talk & Hear What Their Peers Have To Say

Do just a few students dominate all of your classroom discussions or do you struggle to get anyone to participate? In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle and high school English Language Arts discussed ways to incorporate speaking & listening skills, effective discussion strategies, popular date topics, assessing speaking, and encouraging reluctant speakers. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This week's #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about speaking and listening skills in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed ways to incorporate speaking & listening skills, effective discussion strategies, popular date topics, assessing speaking, and encouraging reluctant speakers. The highlights are below.

Ideas for Incorporating Speaking & Listening Skills:
*Book talks
*Argument speeches
*Book clubs
*TED talks
*Debates
*Drama
*Public Services Announcements (PSAs)
*Fish bowl
*Research clubs
*Socratic Seminars
*Podcast
* 4 Corners
* Think-pair-share
* Students sharing writing and getting feedback from peers
* News reporter - one student is in charge of sharing a hot news story of the week
* Do presentations regularly about topics that interest students
* Pop-up debate/discussion: every student speaks 1-2 times, the first person to stand up and speak has the floor.
* Book trailers - students try to sell their book and get others to read it, similar to movie trailers but students do narration
* In literature circle discussions, students take notes (active listening) & must advance the discussion with comments that extend the conversation
* Speed Dating style writing conferences - Set a timer. At 1-1 desks, students rotate around the room meeting each other to confer on writing

Do just a few students dominate all of your classroom discussions or do you struggle to get anyone to participate? In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle and high school English Language Arts discussed ways to incorporate speaking & listening skills, effective discussion strategies, popular date topics, assessing speaking, and encouraging reluctant speakers. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
Effective Discussion Strategies:
* Use sentence starters and discussion prompts
* Give students a background reading before a discussion
* Model what a good discussion looks/sounds like
* Have students prepare questions, responses, & follow up questions keep conversation flowing
* Prepare students with strategies they can use to keep a conversation moving if it starts to flounder
* Teach a mini-lesson on speaking, organization, or delivery before each discussion.
* Use "First Turn Last Turn" ("Save the Last Word for Me") discussions – one students speaks to topic; rest of group comments on or questions the first student’s statement, who has the final say as to how his/her thinking changed. This process is repeated for all students get a turn being the “first student.”
* Use a speaking stick/object to help students learn to speak one at a time and need to see how important listening is.
* In a book club discussion, allow the group to pick the focus for the discussion.  Choose their own discussion goals helps students come prepared with ideas they are confident speaking about.

Debate Topics:
* The class reads Inherit the Wind and then does their own debate based on the topic.
* Hot topics like gun laws, punishment for juveniles, money & ethics, sexting & ethics
* Let students choose
* Governmental control - Which is more important safety or freedom? (tie in to The Giver)
* Current events
* Do virtual debates with other local schools or other classes via Google Hangout
* Use topic from the local newspaper to get students to form their own opinions not just take mom's or dad's
* Encourage students to watch the presidential debates. Who won the debate? Who would they choose to get the nomination?

Assessing Students:
* In small group discussions, use group writing and personal reflection for assessment and accountability.
*  Use a discussion survey to see what students’ initial comfort levels are. 
* Rubrics made with Rubistar
* Assessment for clearly taught skills, one at a time. Three grades: Nailed it, tried it, didn't try it.
* In Socratic Seminar, set minimum participation requirement.
* When using a fishbowl set up, have students in the outer circle, help track the inner circle’s conversation
* Use the Confer app to transcribe discussion to listen to later
* Give students a choice on which speaking/listening standard they want to concentrate on mastering. This allows for student buy in & focused feedback.
* A fun idea for assessing listening is BINGO during presentations. Ask students to listen for specific qualities.

Encouraging Reluctant Speakers:
* Preparing for discussion gives them something to say.
* Minimum participation requirement encourages them as well as classmates asking them direct questions.
* Start small. Let them film their speech instead of doing it live first.
* Give reluctant speakers a heads-up: "You're going to give your opinion in 3 minutes."
* Start in small groups
* Let reluctant speakers pick ahead when they would like to join in
* In book clubs, remind students that they have something to share and that it is valued. Get other students to urge them.
* Lots of Think-Pair-Share during initial weeks of class.
* Random/cold calling teaches all kids that they don't die when they talk.
* Begin with simple scaffolding: "Can you paraphrase what _____just said?"
* Give choices: "do you think_____or ______"
* Use Today's Meet (online tool) to allow students to share ideas in written format
* Giving students a chance to interact in written word first often times empowers students’ spoken voice later


Hope you'll join us next Tuesday September 29th at 8pm EST to discuss standards and curriculum in the ELA classroom. The questions for next week's chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed Tuesday night's chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

September 21, 2015

On My Bookshelf: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen is a wonderful young adult novel that touches on so many important issues for teenage girls: self-confidence, body image, relationships with parents, friends, and boyfriends, and making decisions about the future. Read on for more of my review and classroom application.
Basic plot: Terra is a junior in high school taking senior classes in hopes of graduating early and heading off to college to escape her negative, controlling father, miserable due to his failed career as a cartographer. Terra's two older brothers are long gone and her stay at home mom just accepts his verbal abuse. Luckily, Terra's stud of a boyfriend, Erik, likes her despite the large birth mark on her face (known as a port wine stain), or at least likes the perfect body Terra maintains to make up for her imperfect face and her best friend Karin has stood by her since they were little girls in ballet class.

Everything changes for Terra and her mom when they crash into Norah and her son Jacob, adopted from China. While Norah is everything Terra's mother is not, a confident, successful business woman, the two immediately hit it off and are eager to share their talents with each other. Terra finds herself drawn to Jacob, who had his own facial deformity (a healed cleft lip) to wrestle with and seems to actually understand her. When the four of them travel to China, Terra and her mom to see Terra's brother and Norah and Jacob to visit the orphaned he was raised in, each comes back with a renewed sense of self.

Why I liked it: The characters in the novel were very realistic, each with their own flaws and redeeming qualities. The characters were also dynamic, growing and changing in the novel, sometimes in surprising ways. While Terra has a very visible "body issue," I think most people would relate to the idea of disliking a part of oneself and wishing was different. Traveling to another country also brought in the opportunity for the characters to appreciate how fortunate they all are, something I think we can as stand to be reminded of.

Classroom application: The novel encompasses so many important issues that should be addressed with teenagers, such as self confidence, self acceptance, maybe struggle of personal desires versus parents' desires, family relationships, and mental/verbal abuse.

The novel would be a great choice for literature circles dealing with any of those themes or for a genre study of realistic fiction. I would definitely add this to my classroom library and recommend this to female students, especially those in ill-matched/bad relationships or struggling with body image issues or making post-high school decisions in hopes that they would see some of Terra in themselves and draw strength from her character.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of North of Beautiful for yourself, you can find it on Amazon here.

Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

September 20, 2015

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Managing the Marking Load

Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 9 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.





Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.


On Tuesday, September 22, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on managing the marking load in the ELA classroom.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: What is your most and least favorite ELA assignments to mark? Why? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q2: The ELA marking load can be overwhelming. What parts of the year are most challenging? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q3: What tips and tricks have you learned to manage the marking load?#2ndaryELA
8:35 Q4: How do you map out your assignments to ensure you are not overwhelmed with marking?#2ndaryELA
8:45 Q5: How do you hold students accountable for implementing your feedback? Do students do any revisions/reflections after grading? #2ndaryELA

The Directions:
1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-9 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 10 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurl, bitly, goo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening!

Get caught up on past chats here:

September 18, 2015

Nonfiction: Resources For Incorporating It Into Your Curriculum

Most English curriculum is heavy on fiction, but there are endless connections to be made with nonfiction topics that will be just as engaging for your students. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle and high school English Language Arts discussed nonfiction's role in the curriculum, types of nonfiction, resources for teaching nonfiction, and students' favorites. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
Last week's #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about nonfiction in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed nonfiction's role in the curriculum, types of nonfiction, resources for teaching nonfiction, and students' favorites. The highlights are below.

Ideas for incorporating nonfiction:
*Expose students to variety of nonfiction formats: speech, government documents, biography, autobiography, articles, etc. on topics of interest to students
*Read graphs/charts/images as well for media literacy standard
*Have students make info graphics using piktochartcanva, and visual.ly
*Include at least one nonfiction piece with each novel you read
*Make each student a copy of the nonfiction so they can mark it up with pen, highlighter, and sticky notes OR use those clear sheet protectors (cut in half) over the text to mark with dry erase markers and erase OR have students take pictures of the text with their phone and mark with the app Skitch

Nonfiction resources:
Most English curriculum is heavy on fiction, but there are endless connections to be made with nonfiction topics that will be just as engaging for your students. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle and high school English Language Arts discussed nonfiction's role in the curriculum, types of nonfiction, resources for teaching nonfiction, and students' favorites. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.*Samples units of nonfiction paired with fiction
*Graph of the Week with questions and new graphs each week
*Newsela - current event articles (5 different levels of each article)
*Scholastic - lesson plans & resources (be sure to check out the Daily Starters)
*Junior Scholastic - social studies/current events magazine
*The New York Times The Learning Network blog
*The Nonfiction Minute - short article & audio version with ideas for teaching
*Common Lit - provides readings (fiction and nonfiction) grouped by theme, level and essential questions
*Kelly Gallagher Article of the Week with new articles each week
*ReadWorks.org - reading passages organized by level, skill/strategy
*Smithsonian Tween Tribune - current event articles with quizzes (different grade and Lexile levels)
*Wonderopolis - articles (with audio), activities, quizzes based on intriguing questions


Hope you'll join us next Tuesday September 22nd at 8pm EST to discuss grading & marking strategies in the ELA classroom. The questions for next week's chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed last Tuesday night's chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

September 14, 2015

On My Bookshelf: Out Of My Mind by Sharon Draper

In Out of My Mind by Sharon Drapier, Melody wants the same things as any other fifth grade girl: to fit in, have friends, and maybe even get a spot on the Quiz Team. There is just one problem, she can't talk, and once she can, not everyone wants to listen. Read on for more of my review and ideas for classroom application.
Basic plot: Melody is a fifth grade girl with cerebral palsy. She is confined to a wheel chair and unable to walk, but worst of all, unable to talk. Melody has so many thoughts that she has never been able to share with anyone. Melody's mother, father, and her two year old sister Penny all love her and her neighbor, Ms. V, helps to build a word board for her, but it isn't until Melody gets a Medi Talker (a text to speech converter) that she feels like she is finally able to communicate with the people around her. At school, Melody is able to attend regular classes with her new Medi Talker and her assistant Catherine. She even qualifies to be on the school's Quiz Team, which is set to participate in the national competition. Not everyone is as enthusiastic about Melody's new ability to "talk" and just when everything seems to be looking up for Melody, the unthinkable happens.

Why I liked it: Author Sharon Draper has the ability to tell it like it is, to tell the stories of the often overlooked lives without creating sympathy or pity for the characters, and Out of My Mind is no exception. She doesn't shy away from any issues, even uncomfortable ones, like how difficult it is for Melody to go to the bathroom or the embarrassment of having to be fed, but does so without creating pity for Melody. The first person narration allows us to see first hand the struggles of being a young girl and a student with physical limitations, but that ultimately Melody wants the same things as any girl her age: friendship and a sense of belonging.

Classroom application: Out of My Mind would be an excellent read aloud choice for grades 4-8 and could be paired with nonfiction texts to be used in a unit on disabilities and/or differences. The novel could also be offered as a choice for literature circle on the same topics. Two books I used previously in 7th and 8th grades on these topics were Tangerine by Edward Bloor and Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.

During or after reading Out of My Mind would be an excellent time for students to engage in a service learning project with other students with special needs whether it would be another classroom within the same school or an outside organization.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Out Of My Mind for yourself, you can find it on Amazon
here. Note: The Literary Maven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

September 13, 2015

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Speaking & Listening Skills

Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 9 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.





Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.


On Tuesday, September 15, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on speaking & listening skills in the ELA classroom. Our guest moderator will be Dave Stuart.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: How do you incorporate speaking and listening skills in your classroom? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q2: What discussion strategies have proven most effective in your classroom? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q3: Do you hold debates in your classes? What topics resonated most with students? #2ndaryELA
8:35 Q4: How do you assess students during speaking activities? (Share rubrics, checklists, etc) #2ndaryELA
8:45 Q5: How do you encourage reluctant speakers? #2ndaryELA

The Directions:

1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-9 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 10 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurl, bitly, goo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public – that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening!
Get caught up on past chats here:

September 6, 2015

#2ndaryELA Twitter Chat Topic: Nonfiction in the ELA Classroom

Brynn Allison, The Literary Maven & Kristy, 2 Peas and a Dog are hosting #2ndaryELA on Twitter every Tuesday evening from 8 - 9 PM EST. #2ndaryELA is a weekly chat for secondary English Language Arts teachers focused on a topic. Every Sunday, we will post the topic and questions on our blogs to allow you to prepare for the upcoming Tuesday evening's chat. Thank you to everyone who joined us last week and we hope that you will join us again.





Looking for the recap? Click on the image below.



On Tuesday, September 8, our #2ndaryELA chat will focus on using nonfiction in the ELA classroom.

The Format:
8:00 Intros: What and where do you teach? Include a link to your blog if you have one. #2ndaryELA
8:05 Q1: Is nonfiction a formal part of your curriculum? What nonfiction skills are you asked to teach? #2ndaryELA
8:15 Q2: How do you select what types of nonfiction you are going to teach? #2ndaryELA
8:25 Q3: What is your favorite type of nonfiction to teach and why? #2ndaryELA
8:35 Q4: Share a resource you use to support your teaching of nonfiction. (book, article, website, blog post, technology, etc.) #2ndaryELA
8:45 Q5: What nonfiction materials do your students enjoy reading? Where do you find them? #2ndaryELA

The Directions:

1. Log into Twitter on Tuesday from 8-9 PM EST.
2. Search for tweets with the hashtag #2ndaryELA in the search bar. Make sure to click “All tweets.”
3. Introductions are for the first 5 minutes.
4. Starting at 8:05 (@literarymaven or @2peasandadog) will post questions every 10 minutes using the format Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. and the hashtag #2ndaryELA.
5. Respond to questions using the format A1, A2, A3, etc. with #2ndaryELA.
6. Follow any teachers responding and who are also using #2ndaryELA.
7. Like and respond to other teachers' tweets.

You can schedule your responses to the questions ahead of time using a scheduler like TweetDeck or HootSuite (but don't forget to use A1, A2, etc. and #2ndaryELA). Links are encouraged, so be sure to use a link shortener like tinyurl, bitly, goo.gl or ow.ly Just visit one of those links and paste your long link to shorten it for Twitter. Using images is also encouraged when relevant.

New to chats? Here are the rules:
1. Stay on topic & stay positive!
2. Please do not post or promote paid products unless specifically asked.
3. If you arrive late, try to look through other posts before beginning.
4. Feel free to just read, like, and/or retweet.
5. Always use our hashtag #2ndaryELA, including in your replies to others.
6. Make sure your twitter feed is set to public. (Also keep in mind that Twitter is completely public –that means students, parents, and administrators can and will read what you tweet.)

Be sure to spread the word to any teacher friends who might be interested in joining us as well. We look forward to chatting with you Tuesday evening!
Get caught up on past chats here:

September 5, 2015

Using Young Adult Literature In The Classroom (Plus Nonfiction Resources)

The right book can totally change a teenager's attitude about reading. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discuss the benefits of using young adult literature in the classroom, hot books for teens and how to find them, and nonfiction resources. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
This week's #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about text selection and young adult literature in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed the benefits of using young adult literature in the classroom, hot books for teens and how to find them, and nonfiction resources. The highlights are below.

How does the inclusion of YA literature support all kinds of readers?
*So many issues are tackled in YA lit in a real way, gives students a chance to "rehearse" what they would do in those situations.
*Kids find their voices through characters like themselves.
*Bringing in a variety of YA lit and giving students CHOICE of what to read has developed an interest in reading for some kids.
*Kids get to walk in the shoes of other kids & learn their lives. It grows empathy & social/world/historical understanding.
*YA lit gives Ss material in more accessible language than many of the classics and topics to which they can relate.
The right book can totally change a teenager's attitude about reading. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discuss the benefits of using young adult literature in the classroom, hot books for teens and how to find them, and nonfiction resources. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
*The more teens read, the better that they become at reading. Pages read counts.

Where can I find great YA literature to extend and strengthen my teaching?
*Coretta Scott King Awards List for this year and years past
*Young Adult Library Services Association
*Look at NY Times Bestsellers, sorted into MS & YA. Top YA hardcover and paperback.*Printz Awards finalists
*Book talks-let the kids share what they read
*Befriend B&N employees and quiz them on what is flying off the shelves in YA.
*On Amazon look at the "those who bought this also bought" area
*Ask the school librarians or public librarians for recommendations.
*@yaloveblog
*#nerdybookclub
*@donalynbooks 

What are the hot books for teens?
*Titles like The 5th Wave, Chains, The Impossible Knife of Memory, I'll Give You the Sun, The Testing, Gone, If I Stay, Me, Earl, & the Dying Girl, Out of My Mind, Dumplin', The Accident Season, Mosquitoland, All the Bright Places, Rot and Ruin, The Summer of Letting Go, Every Last Word, North of Beautiful, Paper Towns
*Series like: Unwind, Divergent, Maze Runner, I Survived, "Who Was..."
*Authors like Neil Shusterman, Sharon Draper, John Green, Laurie Halse Andersron, Agatha Christie, Raina Telgemeier
*For reluctant readers: Touching Spirit Bear, Monster, Stuck in Neutral, graphic novels, Raft, Garden, Compound, & Fallout by S.E. Bodeen
The right book can totally change a teenager's attitude about reading. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discuss the benefits of using young adult literature in the classroom, hot books for teens and how to find them, and nonfiction resources. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.*For boys: Junkyard Dan series, Peak, Ender's Game, Sunrise over Fallujah, Hoops, The Things They Carried, American Sniper, Lone Survivor, Little Brother, Carter Finally Gets It, Maze Runner, Wimpy Kid, Fallen Angels, The Outsiders, Chocolate War, Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott, Bartimaeus Trilogy, Holes, Conspiracy 365 series , Cherub series, Unwind series, the Ranger's Apprentice series, Winger, the Viking Warrior series or anything by anything Carl Deuker, Mike Lupica, Chris Crutcher, Matt Christopher, David Lubar, Don Calame

How does YA literature encourage non-readers to read?
*A "hot" book starts a culture of reading.
*Non-readers encouraged by different formats like graphic novels. More variety of high interest, low level YA than classics
*It puts the joy back in reading by allowing them to read for fun.

What are some great informational texts that I can use in my teaching?

*NPR articles (many also have audio) and excerpts from memoir, biography, autobiography
*Books like Chew on This, Fast Food Nation, Supersize Me, Warriors Don't Cry, A Child Called It, Unbroken, Chasing Lincoln's Killer, I am Malala, Enrique's Jouney
*Nonfiction graphic novels
*PBS
*Textsets on NewsELA
*The free Quick CERCAS on ThinkCERCA

Hope you'll join us next week, Tuesday September 9th at 8pm EST to discuss using nonfiction in the ELA classroom. The questions for next week's chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed Tuesday night's chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.

September 3, 2015

Parent Communication: It's Not Just For Elementary School

Parents should be your partners in the classroom, even at the secondary level. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed parent communication best practices for positive and negative academics/behaviors, technology tips, and ways to involve students in the process. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.
Last week's #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about parent communication in the ELA classroom. Middle and High School English Language Arts discussed parent communication best practices for positive and negative academics/behaviors, technology tips, and ways to involve students in the process. The highlights are below.

Tips for Communicating the Positives:
*Positive praise is appreciated at all grade levels.
*Offer positive calls home as an incentive.
*Tell the student about the call, send a note home with them, or call with them there so they get the good vibes too.
*At the beginning of this year, print address labels for each kid. Every week find 5 kids to send home a positive postcard.
*Positive & frequent. Parents want to know what's going on & support teachers when they feel involved thru updates.

Tips for Communicating the Negatives:
*Document everything! Take notes during calls, save emails, copy notes from home. Always frame as doing what's best for students.
*Be ahead of the curve! Make contact before it becomes a problem, and document all attempted contacts.
*Make contact with parents as close to day 1 as possible so you have an established a relationship before you make that negative call.
*It needs to be immediate. Doesn't help when it is a few days after the fact!
*For academics, don't call the last week unless you want all the work turned in the last week.
*Offer some strategies to help with the issue. Some parents don't know how to approach the problem.
Parents should be your partners in the classroom, even at the secondary level. In this #2ndaryELA Twitter chat, middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed parent communication best practices for positive and negative academics/behaviors, technology tips, and ways to involve students in the process. Read through the chat for ideas to implement in your own classroom.

Let Technology Help You: 
*Mailchimp can be used for sending weekly emails
*Twitter can be used for praising students
*Instagram can be used for sharing photos of great work
*Remind can be used for reminders about homework, upcoming due dates or events
*Program all parents' phone numbers in your cell phone so you can call from anywhere, and don't have to look up the number.
*Create groups in your email.
*Use a Google form to input parent contacts and create a spreadsheet.

Getting Students Involved:
* Let the students know ahead of time if possible. No one likes surprises.
*Have the students call their parent(s) with you sitting right next to them (after class)
*Use students' homework planner as a place for communication between home & school. so students see what is being written.


Hope you'll join us next week, Tuesday September 9th at 8pm EST to discuss using nonfiction in the ELA classroom. The questions for next week's chat will be posted here on Sunday. If you missed last Tuesday night's chat, scroll down and read the whole thing below.