June 20, 2009, 10:44 AM
To me, Dumbledore died on July 02, 1995. Working on a Harry Potter fan site during the heyday of book releases meant that well meaning fans would send us spoilers before the book release. Two weeks before the release date, I received a book page in my in box, with the fate of the headmaster highlighted in a putrid green.I quickly closed the page and deleted the file. I sat back in my office chair, and reflected to myself the fate of this character. I'd taught literature long enough to kn...
June 13, 2009, 12:27 PM
I've read more then my share of novels, and I've noticed trends in content that often times reflect the culture of our society. Entertainment Weekly (EW) published an online article, "Girls Gone Dark" where it sites what they see as a new trend in books. The trend, as they see it, is toward a darker content in teen literature. Wall Stree Journal also reported on the current trend towards darker content in teen novels.The EW article raises the question ..."Could this newer, darker literatu...
June 10, 2009, 09:34 AM
Have you ever read a book and realized that you walked away with more then a story? Have you ever sat contemplating a choice and wondered what your favorite literary character would do in that situation? If you have, then you'll understand the purpose of The Harry Potter Alliance's "What Would Dumbledore Do" campaign. (go write your blog now LOL )As a teacher, I know that we strive to help students make text to real world connections, so when Andrew Slack first approached me with this...
May 28, 2009, 02:57 PM
This weekend I experienced the love that was LeakyCon 2009. There were so many wonderful presentations to attend, friends to meet for the first time, friends to see again that it was too big for just a few days. LeakyCon was truly the Con made of awesome. I saw so many awesome presentations, but I can only mention a few of them here. While I really looked forward to DavidEnglish's presentation, the room was full so I had to sit in the hallway and listen with the ever incredibly awesome...
May 02, 2009, 05:13 PM
Don't you wish you could fly? I often watch Sorcerer's Stone, with Harry's first ride on a broom, wishing I could have just one ride. Unfortunately, that brand of magic is something I can't make happen.The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that obesity rates in our children have tripled since 1980. As a teacher, I wonder what kind of magic can help us solve this problem. If Madam Hooch was our P.E. Coach, what would she do?First, this problem is more complex then just one or two le...
April 17, 2009, 05:47 PM
On April 9, 2009, this 11 year old young man left his school, went home
and hung himself. Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover had endured endless
teasing at school. His mother begged school officials for help, but
the bullying didn't stop. His 12th birthday would have been April
17th. You can read more about Carl's story here.As a teacher, I show up in a classroom to help my students learn how to make their way out in the world. But for some students, school is not a safe place. I's not a place to...
March 28, 2009, 09:08 AM
A little over 6 months ago my family realized how much we depend on electricity. After Hurricane Ike, we had to spend 2 weeks totally without electricity. One of the many things we all discovered during these two weeks is the joy of reconnecting with our families and our neighbors. We learned how many things there are to do without electricity. We played Monopoly again, and not on the computer, but on the actual board. We relearned how to play dominoes, sat in candle-lit driveways under ...
March 01, 2009, 06:15 PM
One of the reasons I became a reading teacher is really pretty simple, literate adults have a world of possibilities in front of them. The opposite is true for those who are illiterate. If you've read my blog post on Global Literacy, you know and understand why it's such a passion of mine. As a child with dyslexia I personally struggled to decode the foreign language on the paper in front of me, and without the love and understanding of many caring adults I shudder to think what a life wit...
February 24, 2009, 07:44 AM
Harry Potter lives a life of public service. Even as a young boy he was willing to work with his friends to help the community. While Harry is a fictional character, even our non-fiction wizards and muggles can learn a little from Harry's dedication for public service. Recently, as interest in public service rises, I've had requests for books and lessons that focus on public service ideals for students. I've started many public service projects with kids over the years, and while I'll hig...
February 15, 2009, 10:38 AM
Excuse me for, well thinking, but since when did we (as a society) allow our government officials the ability to limit a child's right to use a library? Certainly not here, not in the United States of America. from the ALA .....The American Library Association (ALA) released a letter to Congress
yesterday, urging members to take action against a recent opinion
ruling released from the General Counsel of the Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) that would require public, school, academic...
February 09, 2009, 08:22 AM
I recently wrote a review of an educational book about boys in our classroom. Another book I'd like to suggest to all teachers and parents is Failing at Fairness, How our School Cheat Girls. This book looks at the cultural phenomenon that leaves girls feeling left behind in both science and math. I think back to the first Harry Potter book and realize that our wizarding classrooms don't seem to have this problem, but one shortfall in many classrooms today is the trend to focus science and m...
January 24, 2009, 10:49 PM
I've often wondered about the IQ of Fred and George Weasley. It's an odd thing to think of, but when you spend much of your time thinking about learning patterns it's inevitable. If you looked at their grades, it's ironic that these two intelligent young men didn't receive the highest marks, yet they both were succesful business men. While George now lives on without Fred, I'd bet both of them knew early on, that boys didn't fit into schools the way girls did. Occasionally someone wil...
January 12, 2009, 04:21 PM
Dear President Elect Obama,I know you are kind of busy now, but while you are preparing for your new job and all, I wanted to chat with you about this thing we like to call school.When my grandparents came to this country, they knew that they'd have jobs and that their kids would be educated. The promise of this "new world" was grand, but my grandparents believed it. Many years later, many of us have not forgotten that promise. We may have lost site of it, but we're counting on you to stee...
December 22, 2008, 10:10 PM
I just baked cookies. Homemade, decorated sugar cookies are a tradition with my boys. We make cookies, fudge and divinity three days before Christmas to give to all of our neighbors. (We eat as much as we give away) The smell is my kitchen right now is divine. If I could capture the smell and put it in this post I would, but you'll just have to imagine it right now. (One sniff and you gain a pound! It's that good.)I'm hoping the crumbs don't drop into my laptop.I taught a science lesso...
November 23, 2008, 05:23 PM
I sometimes look at my three boys and wonder what went through Lily's mind
as she felt the sharp blow of Voldemort's wickedness. Of course, I know
that Lily is a fictional mother, but like most moms ,she did what came
natural for her. She loved her child enough to die for him. There are moms in this world who experience that terror everyday. Not fictional moms, but real ones. I sit here, in my bedroom with my laptop and my "stuff" and wonder what it must be like for them. Do they...
