Happy New Year! After the holidays, I’ve added at least one more shelf worth of books to my home library. Every year, I ask for Barnes & Noble gift cards–though there are plenty more gifts I would enjoy as a reader, writer, and instructor. But, what can I say; seeing books inspires me to write […]
4 Little-to-No Prep Strategies to Increase Student Reading Accountability
Kids don’t read. A sad fact that is only perpetuated by media and technology. Are media and technology ALWAYS to blame to you? Yes. Literature and stories are not dying, but the need to read them is. Why read it when… You can watch the movie or show? You can just read the summary and […]
Building Reading Skills: Dr. Seuss for Allegory Analysis
As teachers, we strive to get students to perform at the highest level of the pedagogical taxonomy. Personally, I follow Bloom’s and cross-reference with Maslow’s psychological needs hierarchy. But, why…? It’s complicated. I’ll hit that another time. Anyway, the point is that we are constantly trying to get the kids to think in more sophisticated […]
The Perfect Gift for the Avid Reader
What do readers like as gifts? Books, duh. *rolls eyes* Obviously, but, reading isn’t just a habit or hobby; reading is an experience, a lifestyle. All book nerds come to love everything related to books and reading–knick-knacks, clothing/accessories, stores, everything. Definitely, something to keep in mind when gift-giving comes around. When everyone is giving the […]
How Non-Writing Activities Can Help Build Your Writing Skills: Game Stories
A former student of mine, Zane Indie I call him, actually honed in his writing passion through a game. I finally wanted to find out what these “game stories” were all about, so I interviewed him about his journey during 2.5 years playing Dungeons and Dragons.