Traci Gardner's Blog (42)

Bits Post: Getting Beyond Words in Visual Analysis

Take a poster into the classroom, and what will students see when you ask them to analyze the message? Most of the time they zoom in on whatever words are included. They may later come back to other aspects of the poster, but the words color what they see. Here's an easy technique to emphasize the other aspects of these visual messages. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on December 3, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Inbox Blog: How to Move Closer to School 2.0

William Kist’s article “From Web 2.0 to School 2.0: Tales from the Field” includes vignettes of students using digital technologies to connect to one another and to the texts that they explore. How can you get to School 2.0? I outline three steps to using social networking in the classroom in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on December 1, 2009 at 4:58pm — No Comments

BITs Post: My Experience with Selling Lesson Plans

There are some great lesson plans and classroom resources online. Read this week's Bits Post to see where to find classroom-ready materials--and how you can contribute and get paid! Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 26, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Bits Post: A Simple Starting Point for Visual Assignments

It’s easy to give students assignments that ask them to create posters, magazine covers, and billboards. It’s somewhat harder to make sure they have the technology support that they need to complete the project. If you’re looking for a very simple starting point for this kind of visual assignments, these web-based templates are a great find! Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 18, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: The Secret to Teaching Literature

NCTE's 2009 Annual Convention in Philadelphia this week offers to inspire conversations about traditional and contemporary literature and to foster lively discussions of how we teach as well as what we teach. NCTE Inbox blogger Traci Gardner starts the conversation now by sharing her own secret to teaching literature in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 18, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

BITs Post: My Secret Weapon in the “Show, Don’t Tell” Battle

I’ve probably written “Show. Don’t Tell.” on several thousand papers. It’s always felt at least slightly disingenuous. After all, I tell students to show. Where’s the logic in that? Now I have a new tool for the arsenal. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 16, 2009 at 7:20pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: What’s the Best Plagiarism Detector?

Should you look for a tool that ensures bibliographic citations are perfect? Can you help students avoid plagiarism by comparing their finished drafts to resources in a database or search engine? What is the best way to determine when a student plagiarizes? My answer is in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on November 5, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Inbox Blog: 4 Ways to Inspire a Love of Writing

This week’s National Day on Writing and the unveiling of the National Gallery of Writing will draw the attention of students and the rest of the world, but how do we sustain this focus on writing? I share four ways to inspire a life-long love of writing in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on October 20, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Bits Post: The Persistence of Stereotypes in Visual Texts

In my most recent Ink’d In column, I wrote about “Finding Hidden Messages in Visual Texts” and pointed to some World War II posters that demonstrated anti-Japanese bias as examples. In my related classroom activity, I ask students to look for similar messages in more contemporary texts. Read my latest Bits Post for details on a perfect example from the news to use in class. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on October 9, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Bits Post: Does Effort Count?

High on the list of phrases that make me cringe you’ll find these: “Does effort count? I worked hard on this.” I’d gotten to the point where I simply ignored effort in grading conversations. It just seemed easier. A paper either earned a B, or it didn’t. Whether the student worked hard didn’t matter. It turns out that I was wrong. Read my Bits post to see why effort does count, and why we need to make sure students understand its value. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on October 8, 2009 at 9:30pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: Is My Writing Good Enough?

From my NCTE Inbox Blog for today: Nothing seem like the right piece to submit to NCTE's National Gallery of Writing? Read how I got past my writer's block in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on October 6, 2009 at 7:30pm — No Comments

Bits Post: 100 Sticky Notes, or The Simple Way to Move from Observations to Composing

Looking for a technique that can take students from first observations all the way to composing the final draft? Learn how to use sticky notes for reader response, drafting and more in my Bedford Bits post. Based on a strategy used with elementary students, this simple process focuses students' attention and connects observations directly to the texts they read and analyze. It even works for peer review! Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on October 1, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Bits Post: Free, Classroom-Ready Visual Texts from CreativeCloud

Have you ever wondered what would happen If You Printed The Internet? According to the CreativeCloud site, you’d need 700 square miles of paper. No word on how many reams that would be, but it’s certainly part of a great visual argument. Check out discussion questions for If You Printed the Internet and other classroom-ready texts in my Bedford Bits post. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 30, 2009 at 11:00am — No Comments

Bits Post: More Resources for Poster Analysis

Earlier this week, I shared 16 War Poster Sites for Persuasive Analysis, but I know you need some additional resources before you can ask students to work through a poster independently. Find analysis sheets and a simple analysis mnemonic in my most recent Bits post. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 24, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

Bits Post: 16 War Poster Sites for Persuasive Analysis

Posters supporting America’s war efforts demonstrate basic persuasive techniques in direct, visual ways that students can readily identify. Visit any of the fifteen sites listed in this Bits Post for free collections of war posters you can use in the classroom. In addition to recruiting posters, you’ll find posters encouraging people to support American troops, asking women to enter the workforce, and urging citizens not to spread rumors. And wa… Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 23, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Bits Post: How Baby Pictures Can Help Writers

I’m not very good at perspective. I never think my latest draft is good enough. Every time I skim through, I doubt I’ve made any progress. It’s hard to see any substantial changes when we’re deep in the writing process. That’s where baby pictures can make all the difference. Read more.... Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 16, 2009 at 11:38pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: Five Starting Points for Your Gallery Entry

From today's Inbox blog
There's still time to have students submit their work to NCTE's National Gallery of Writing. The only problem is deciding what to write. Here are five writing prompts you can try in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 15, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Bits Post: Two Simple Tools to Test Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright and fair use laws can be confusing to explain to students. I rounded up some resources earlier this year to help you discuss Intellectual Property Rights, but recently, I’ve found these two little tools from the Copyright Advisory Network that make the process even simpler to demonstrate to students, all explained in today's Bits Post. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 3, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: 21 Great Library Links (with Related Classroom Activities!)

From my NCTE Inbox Blog for today: Online library sites offer teachers wonderful resources -- and you don't need to schedule a trip to the library to use them! From storytelling to writing and literature, you can find materials that will get students engaged and clicking at the sites in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog. Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on September 1, 2009 at 2:31pm — No Comments

Inbox Blog: Five Ways to Learn about Students This Fall

The beginning of a new school term means new students -- students we often know little about. How can we learn about their literacy experience quickly? Check out the five strategies in this week's NCTE Inbox Blog:

Ask students to explore an extended analogy about themselves as writers.
Have students trace their experiences with 21st century literacies in technology autobiographies.
Use reflective questions about

… Continue

Added by Traci Gardner on August 18, 2009 at 5:47pm — No Comments

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