Finding Your Voice in the Digital Age

I first understood the concept of voice in the eighth grade. A teacher recommended that I read Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides. Conroy’s rich descriptions of scarlet sunsets, chirping insects, and the smooth tidal flow of Savannah sucked my imagination to a...

A Little Birdie Made Me Do It…

What could have 12-year old boys fighting to write poetry? Storybird Several weeks ago, I read Rick Byrne’s blog post about Storybird. In it, he mentions that if Larry Ferlazzo and Kevin Hodgson liked it, then it was worth checking out. Well, if Rick thinks it...

Off the Grid

I haven’t written anything in months. My last post, a final attempt to fill my last fundraising envelope (thank you again, Mary), was the last time I even logged into my blog. So, where have I been? Off the grid! It started with our two week trip out west. No...

What a Podcast Should Be…

I’ve always been a bit skeptical about podcasts. They seem great in theory, but not always in practice. Last year, I built them with my 6th graders, but they didn’t quite have the right vibe. Most of my students consider them boring because there...