Category Archives: literacy

Getting eBooks Into iBooks

As I have written about before, I’m a big proponent of getting eBooks into my scholars’ hands. Previously, I cast my vote for Stanza as my favorite app for reading eBooks on an iPad or other iOS device, but I’ve … Continue reading

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The Socrative Method (for Capturing Student Responses on Any Web Device)

Socrative is a simple web-based student response system that I’ve tinkered with on several occasions, but its streamlined interface sits atop a deceptively powerful piece of software. The flexibility makes it something I’d recommend to any teacher with at least … Continue reading

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Textlab: Literacy is a technology. Technology is a literacy.

Music: “These Legs” by Thanks,Again This is my pitch, created along with my colleague Jordyn Sims, for the TFA Social Innovation Award competition. Textlab.org Literacy is a technology. Technology is a literacy. Andrew Plemmons Pratt (TFA DC Region ’10, 7th … Continue reading

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Writing for Your Peers Makes Your Writing Better Than Writing for Your Professors

A fascinating tidbit of research from Cathy N. Davidson’s recent column in The Chronicle: Research indicates that, at every age level, people take their writing more seriously when it will be evaluated by peers than when it is to be judged … Continue reading

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My Brilliant Scholars Need Some Computers. Got Any Sitting Around?

The remarkable students of my four 7th-grade reading classes started a playwriting project just before spring break. When they come back, I want all of them to be able to type and edit their projects. The problem is that I … Continue reading

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Optical Character Recognition in the Sun

So we’re in the midst of the drama unit in my 7th-grade reading / english / language arts class. My co-teacher found a great abridged and leveled version of A Raisin in the Sun. Unfortunately, the only version of it … Continue reading

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