Learning To Be Writers and Readers: In The 21st Century
Sharing thoughts, ideas, and research about teaching, writing, and LIVING in the 21st Century.
Friday, April 24, 2026
Verse Love 26: Day 24: Lost
Thursday, April 23, 2026
Verse Love 26 Day 23 Consider Peaceful Coexistence
Today's Verse Love Host, Denise Krebs, asks us to choose a poem and write the first word of each line in a column down the side of your page. Then, write a free verse poem letting the other poet’s words carry you. I am choosing words from a poem I found inspiring in the April 2026 Poetry, won't you celebrate with me, by Lucille Clifton. I am writing my poem as a sort of sequel to Denise's brave and inspiring poem this morning, The Day After We Bombed Iran.
what about taking on this cause using your skills, gifts towards
a world where peaceful coexistence is considered a goal? where we are not
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Verse Love 26 Day 22 Earth Day
Today's Host at Verse Love is Margaret Simon whose poems about nature have long started my days. She asks us to choose an animal you would like to write about. Find a sample of their sound and write a poem that uses onomatopoeia in a creative way.
It was a dark and dreary morning, but I snuck outside for a bit of springtime and coffee on the porch anyway. I was mesmerized by the questions posed by my Great Horned Owl as if he knew this was Earth Day!
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Verse Love 26: Day 21: Deny
SOL26 April 21 Wacky Weather
Monday, April 20, 2026
Verse Love 26: Day 20: Research in Context
Today's Verse Love Host, Corinne is focused on the ways research is "voiced" in schools. I was absolutely thrilled to read this invitation to think and write about a topic, near and dear to my heart. I am an advocate for best practices grounded in research and have been concerned about a reduced focus on writing in elementary schools. I am using recent research from Gary Troia, Michigan State, who considered how teachers varied in teaching writing practices and comparing his findings to my practice in this community.
Whole-class instruction, individual practice (93%); small groups used very infrequently.
Who comments on their ideas?
How do they talk about and get ideas?
When is there time to share in a small, trusted group?
Where do struggling readers get their scaffolded support?
Focus on planning, drafting; teachers avoid conventions where they feel less competence.
How do they learn to make their own work better?
Who holds them responsible for spelling, grammar?
Are we expecting spell check to be everyone’s editor?
Teachers with higher writing skills gave less consistent writing instruction.
This does not make sense to me!
Do they expect too much ?
Do they need reminders to scaffold, support?
Do the teachers write every day?
Can we make them join this group?
This may just be a reminder that taking research
Out of context yields squirrelly answers!
Sunday, April 19, 2026
Verse Love 26: Day 19 Thank Your Wardle
Today's Verse Love Host, Stefani Boutelier, like one of my own former students, is focused on the power of games and games in education. Today we are asked to write about games (board games, puzzles, role-playing games, game shows, sporting events, riddles, etc.) and encouraged to consider a Wordle-inspired poem or a double nonet (1-9+9-1) or a new for me 4X4 similar to Connections with four words, four syllables, up to four stanzas, or just four lines.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
Ethical ELA 26: Day 18 Possible
Today's Ethical ELA Host, Angie Braaten, asks us to consider a wonderful format, the golden hinge where the first line of your text becomes the first word in each successive line. As I was swimming this morning, my mind wandered to worries and even hopelessness. I kept swimming thinking of this Audrey Hepburn's message: Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible.
THIS as a crazy imaginary conversation between the leader of the free world and me!
Is it really possible for this hate and anger to dissipate and to live in peace? I ask
Impossible for us to lose as we are most powerful and on the side of good and right! He says
The devastation is impacting not just us but people around the globe! I say
Word from the ground says it will be over very, very soon. Maybe a week or less! He yells
Itself, just a blip in the world's history so far, we're making long-term enemies everywhere! I say
Says who? Everyone loves what we are doing! We are saving the world from terrorism! He promises
I'm really afraid we encouraging others to not trust us! I say
Possible ways out of this mess, I mean situation, are on my mind, too, he sighs checking is 401K
Friday, April 17, 2026
Verse Love26: Day 17: Leg of Love
Today's Verse Love Host, Kratijah, hails from in Mauritius, and asks up to consider spices, "small and powerful, that can linger and fill the air of our thoughts." I could write of the fresh olive oil and basil scents of Taormina or the flavors created at the Culinary Institute, both fabulous; instead, this is a scent that lingers forever in the "air of my thoughts" from the tiny apartment where my grandmother spent her final years.


