School Talk is a lively six-page newsletter designed specifically to help classroom teachers bridge the gap between the ideal and the real world of teaching. Presented in a friendly, informal voice, each issue focuses on one particular topic and deals in practical terms with questions that teachers everywhere are asking. Since teachers choose the topics explored in each issue of School Talk, the conversation in upcoming newsletters will continue to focus on what really matters to teachers and learners in today's elementary classrooms. (Published October, January, April, and July.)
Editors: Frank Chiki and Andrea Garcia
Submissions to Frank Chiki at chikiman@comcast.net
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October 2009 School Talk
Theme: 21st Century Literacies: Navigating the Possibilities
The October issue of School Talk is the first in a series of four that will emphasize new ways of looking at and using technology with literacy instruction. In this issue, Lucy Gray discusses Web 2.0 tools and the need to prepare our students for a global knowledge-based society. Second-grade teacher Jeannie Fenchel tells us of her students’ excitement at participating in the Monster Exchange Project, an online descriptive writing and art project that pairs students with those in another classroom. And Bob Sprankle describes an interactive tool called VoiceThread that allows students to share their art and poetry online and receive feedback from others all over the world.
Recent Themes
July 2009: A Tribute to Donald H. Graves: Teacher, Writer, Friend
April 2009: Writing in the Content Areas: Making it Real, Making it Theirs
January 2009: Nurturing Our Very Youngest Writers
October 2008: Looking Closely: Teaching Writing/Creating Writers