The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: Finding Ideas
Title: “Find a New Perspective.” The Writer. Michele Acker (July, 2008), 28-29. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to keep the writer’s spirits up.
Summary: The author says you need to get out of your rut. Take a different way home. Shop at a store you have never shopped in before. Pay attention to what you see. Take a course or two or look at the programs on the History Channel, Discovery Channel or some channel you never before thought of viewing. Hang out at the mall or Starbucks and observe the people around you. Take day- or week-end trips. Helps keep the “creative fires burning.”
Comment: Worth a try. RayS.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Recent Books on Writing
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: Review of Recent Books on Writing
Title: Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer. Edited by Bret Anthony Johnston. Random. 400 pages. Paper, $15. Reviewed by Chuck Leddy. The Writer (June 2008), 42. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to keep the writer’s spirits up.
Comment: Exercises in writing that will get you started writing. Well reviewed. I just ordered a copy from Amazon. RayS.
Title: Send: The Essential Guide to E-mail for Office and Home. David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. Alfred A. Knopf. 256 pp. Hardcover, $19.90. Reviewed by Erika Dreyfus. The Writer (June 2008), 44.
Comment: You probably think that you can’t learn anything about sending e-mails from a book. Based on this review, you can. The authors emphasize mistakes in taste to avoid and, frankly, how to stay out of jail. RayS.
Title: Old Friends from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir. Natalie Goldberg. Free Press. 336 pp. Hardcover, $25. Reviewed by Steve Weinberg. The Writer (June 2008), 45.
Comment: Memoirs are a popular type of book these days. Consists of exercises to get you started. “Many of Goldberg’s exercises are not about writing per se, but about thinking.” “Excellent advice about structuring a memoir.” Has sections on great memoirists, great memoirs to read and guidelines and suggestions. In spite of the praise, the review is lukewarm. RayS.
Topic: Review of Recent Books on Writing
Title: Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer. Edited by Bret Anthony Johnston. Random. 400 pages. Paper, $15. Reviewed by Chuck Leddy. The Writer (June 2008), 42. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to keep the writer’s spirits up.
Comment: Exercises in writing that will get you started writing. Well reviewed. I just ordered a copy from Amazon. RayS.
Title: Send: The Essential Guide to E-mail for Office and Home. David Shipley and Will Schwalbe. Alfred A. Knopf. 256 pp. Hardcover, $19.90. Reviewed by Erika Dreyfus. The Writer (June 2008), 44.
Comment: You probably think that you can’t learn anything about sending e-mails from a book. Based on this review, you can. The authors emphasize mistakes in taste to avoid and, frankly, how to stay out of jail. RayS.
Title: Old Friends from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir. Natalie Goldberg. Free Press. 336 pp. Hardcover, $25. Reviewed by Steve Weinberg. The Writer (June 2008), 45.
Comment: Memoirs are a popular type of book these days. Consists of exercises to get you started. “Many of Goldberg’s exercises are not about writing per se, but about thinking.” “Excellent advice about structuring a memoir.” Has sections on great memoirists, great memoirs to read and guidelines and suggestions. In spite of the praise, the review is lukewarm. RayS.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Self-Publishing
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in recent American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: Self-publishing
Title: “10 Things to Know Before You Self-Publish.” Michael T. Owens. The Writer (June 2008), p. 27. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to keep the writer’s spirits up.
Summary: If you are going to self-publish, the author of this article thinks you need to be prepared for the experience. Some of his advice: Major media outlets won’t review your book; your book cover will be extremely important; not many sales of your book will come from bookstores—better to use events, such as festivals, conferences and conventions; strangers will buy your book more than friends; book signings will be sparsely attended; giving away your book is standard practice and “…knowing you were involved in every aspect of the book’s creation will give you an enormous feeling of pride and accomplishment.”
Comment: Having self-published my book Teaching English, How To…., I would like to share my experiences. Like any published book, writing it is hard work, requiring two, three or even more years. The greatest burden, I found, was the editing. After you submit the book, you will pay dearly for every change you make, even a comma, and you soon decide that shoddy editing will be acceptable. Not true. Writing the book is half the job: marketing the book is the other half. As the author of the preceding article suggests, you will take pride in having participated in every phase of book publishing, except, of course, for the binding. My only real reward for writing the book was that I had written it and shared my experience in teaching English with others. I wish I had had my book when I began to teach English. RayS.
Topic: Self-publishing
Title: “10 Things to Know Before You Self-Publish.” Michael T. Owens. The Writer (June 2008), p. 27. The Writer is a magazine by writers for writers. Its goal is to keep the writer’s spirits up.
Summary: If you are going to self-publish, the author of this article thinks you need to be prepared for the experience. Some of his advice: Major media outlets won’t review your book; your book cover will be extremely important; not many sales of your book will come from bookstores—better to use events, such as festivals, conferences and conventions; strangers will buy your book more than friends; book signings will be sparsely attended; giving away your book is standard practice and “…knowing you were involved in every aspect of the book’s creation will give you an enormous feeling of pride and accomplishment.”
Comment: Having self-published my book Teaching English, How To…., I would like to share my experiences. Like any published book, writing it is hard work, requiring two, three or even more years. The greatest burden, I found, was the editing. After you submit the book, you will pay dearly for every change you make, even a comma, and you soon decide that shoddy editing will be acceptable. Not true. Writing the book is half the job: marketing the book is the other half. As the author of the preceding article suggests, you will take pride in having participated in every phase of book publishing, except, of course, for the binding. My only real reward for writing the book was that I had written it and shared my experience in teaching English with others. I wish I had had my book when I began to teach English. RayS.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Free Lanacing
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: “Niche” Free Lancing
Title: “Find Good Pay in a ‘Hidden’ Niche.” Brian Hill. The Writer (June 2008), 41-42.
Summary: The author suggests that there is a lucrative market in writing business plans. He says that when entrepreneurs write business plans, they have the following problems: “Lack of clarity; grammar, spelling, punctuation and mathematical errors; incompleteness; wordiness; disorganization/lack of focus.” A good writer can do it for them.
Comments: I am always amazed when someone comes up with a new idea for making money through writing. I always respond by saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I never do. Sigh! RayS.
Topic: “Niche” Free Lancing
Title: “Find Good Pay in a ‘Hidden’ Niche.” Brian Hill. The Writer (June 2008), 41-42.
Summary: The author suggests that there is a lucrative market in writing business plans. He says that when entrepreneurs write business plans, they have the following problems: “Lack of clarity; grammar, spelling, punctuation and mathematical errors; incompleteness; wordiness; disorganization/lack of focus.” A good writer can do it for them.
Comments: I am always amazed when someone comes up with a new idea for making money through writing. I always respond by saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I never do. Sigh! RayS.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: Children’s Literature
Title: “Captivated at a Young Age.” Jeff Reich, Ed. The Writer (June 20008), p. 6.
Summary/Quote: “Among the many books I fondly recall [from my childhood] is The Little House, the simple tale by Virginia Lee Burton about a happy house in the country that becomes sad and neglected as it is slowly engulfed by urban sprawl. In the end, the great-great-granddaughter of the original owner discovers the house, moves it back to the country and brings it back to life.
“Written in the early 1940’s, Burton’s story and illustrations won her a richly deserved Caldecott Medal. I’m sure that my love of reading today can be traced back to The Little House and other books of my childhood. And that illustrates one reason well-written children’s books are so essential to a life well-lived—they make reading fun and enjoyable and thus create life-long readers.”
Comments: I remember reading The Four Story Mistake to my daughters when they were growing up. As I read, I became a child again, seeing the world as a child sees the world. Some adults can renew themselves as they read children’s books to their children. RayS.
Topic: Children’s Literature
Title: “Captivated at a Young Age.” Jeff Reich, Ed. The Writer (June 20008), p. 6.
Summary/Quote: “Among the many books I fondly recall [from my childhood] is The Little House, the simple tale by Virginia Lee Burton about a happy house in the country that becomes sad and neglected as it is slowly engulfed by urban sprawl. In the end, the great-great-granddaughter of the original owner discovers the house, moves it back to the country and brings it back to life.
“Written in the early 1940’s, Burton’s story and illustrations won her a richly deserved Caldecott Medal. I’m sure that my love of reading today can be traced back to The Little House and other books of my childhood. And that illustrates one reason well-written children’s books are so essential to a life well-lived—they make reading fun and enjoyable and thus create life-long readers.”
Comments: I remember reading The Four Story Mistake to my daughters when they were growing up. As I read, I became a child again, seeing the world as a child sees the world. Some adults can renew themselves as they read children’s books to their children. RayS.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
On-Line Writing Course
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: On-line Writing Course (College)
Title: “Six Lessons in E-Learning: Strategies and support for Teachers New to Online Environment.” Anjanette Darrington. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (May 2008), 416-421. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Summary: Teacher used to working with real classes in real classrooms is assigned to teach an online writing course. She learned six lessons: 1. “Students are not as tech-savvy as the media portrays.” 2. “Teachers have to work harder to create classroom community in virtual spaces.” 3. “Teaching online takes more—not less—time.” 4. “Smiley face icons are poor substitutes for real smiles.” 5. “Student satisfaction is a key concern in online courses.” 6. “Online courses may be good for the university’s budget, but not necessarily mine.”
Comment: Another article that makes this particular journal worth its cost. A short article packed with specific suggestions on how to resolve the many problems in conducting on-line courses. Many of these ideas will have to be found in the article itself. Go to www.ncte.org. This article is an example of the usefulness of reading professional literature. RayS.
Topic: On-line Writing Course (College)
Title: “Six Lessons in E-Learning: Strategies and support for Teachers New to Online Environment.” Anjanette Darrington. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (May 2008), 416-421. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Summary: Teacher used to working with real classes in real classrooms is assigned to teach an online writing course. She learned six lessons: 1. “Students are not as tech-savvy as the media portrays.” 2. “Teachers have to work harder to create classroom community in virtual spaces.” 3. “Teaching online takes more—not less—time.” 4. “Smiley face icons are poor substitutes for real smiles.” 5. “Student satisfaction is a key concern in online courses.” 6. “Online courses may be good for the university’s budget, but not necessarily mine.”
Comment: Another article that makes this particular journal worth its cost. A short article packed with specific suggestions on how to resolve the many problems in conducting on-line courses. Many of these ideas will have to be found in the article itself. Go to www.ncte.org. This article is an example of the usefulness of reading professional literature. RayS.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Literature and Personal Experience
The purpose of this blog is to share interesting ideas I have found in American professional publications dealing with the teaching of English at all levels, elementary, secondary and college.
Topic: Students’ Work Experience (Secondary/College)
Title: “Class in the Class: Sharing Bukowski’s Class with Community College Students.” Carlos Hiraldo. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (May 2008), 408-415. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Summary: The author tries to make use of community-college students’ work experience in interpreting the literature they read. Emphasizes the works of Charles Bukowski.
Comment: This an example of an idea I encountered in reading the article which really does not summarize the author’s intent or the complete article. But the idea intrigued me. Many students in community colleges either work or have worked and I like the thought that their use of this experience could be a valuable asset in interpreting the literature they are reading.
I remember vividly one experience I encountered when the class in a community college was reading James Merrill’s “Laboratory Poem,” dealing with the treatment of laboratory animals by scientists unconcerned for the feelings and pain of those animals. Two students in the class had worked in such laboratories. I won’t repeat what they said, but it reinforced the meaning of the poem, created a better understanding of the real world of the poem and sparked a discussion by the entire class on the feelings of the scientist engaged in working with the animals, the actual focus of the poem.
I think we need to do a lot more with using the experiences of our students in interpreting the literature they read. RayS.
Topic: Students’ Work Experience (Secondary/College)
Title: “Class in the Class: Sharing Bukowski’s Class with Community College Students.” Carlos Hiraldo. Teaching English in the Two-Year College (May 2008), 408-415. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English.
Summary: The author tries to make use of community-college students’ work experience in interpreting the literature they read. Emphasizes the works of Charles Bukowski.
Comment: This an example of an idea I encountered in reading the article which really does not summarize the author’s intent or the complete article. But the idea intrigued me. Many students in community colleges either work or have worked and I like the thought that their use of this experience could be a valuable asset in interpreting the literature they are reading.
I remember vividly one experience I encountered when the class in a community college was reading James Merrill’s “Laboratory Poem,” dealing with the treatment of laboratory animals by scientists unconcerned for the feelings and pain of those animals. Two students in the class had worked in such laboratories. I won’t repeat what they said, but it reinforced the meaning of the poem, created a better understanding of the real world of the poem and sparked a discussion by the entire class on the feelings of the scientist engaged in working with the animals, the actual focus of the poem.
I think we need to do a lot more with using the experiences of our students in interpreting the literature they read. RayS.
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