All about Me and Other People, Using Biographies in Instruction

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The start of the school years is a time to get to know our students. Perennial favorite activities other than “what I did on my summer vacation” essays are “all about me” assignments. As students take a look at their own lives, this is a perfect time to add biographies to your class lessons. Reading … read more »


Comic Approach to Reading: Graphic Novels

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Comic books once were considered the worst things kids could read. Lots of irresistible issues were hidden under beds or between the covers of textbooks. Many comic books were banned because of their ephemeral nature, graphical format, and often mature and violent content. Think of those lurid covers featuring a scantily-clad, buxom girl in the … read more »


Going Beyond Fake News to Information Literacy

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Fake news and stories about fake news are everywhere right now. In a recent blog post, I shared criteria for judging online resources, including news stories, using the CRAAP test. However, since this topic is of critical importance to our students, it merits another look. In fact, digitally literate teachers who teach their students to … read more »


The First Amendment and Digital Citizens

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“Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” In these few, brief written words, the First Amendment protects so … read more »


Ben Franklin’s Backstory as “Herstory”

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Every summer around Independence Day, Benjamin Franklin and his importance to the birth of our nation are popular online searches. But many do not know that a quartet of women related to this founding father had useful, noteworthy lives themselves. We often hear little about the women who supported their more famous kin. Learning about … read more »