tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80404841647657939072024-03-14T04:39:40.155-04:00Prestwick CaféA series of musings from the Prestwick House staff.Keith Bergstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18156666108206916531noreply@blogger.comBlogger707125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-39519294338469904492016-05-12T13:40:00.004-04:002016-05-12T13:42:36.662-04:00The Prestwick House blog has movedThe Prestwick House Cafe blog is now fully integrated with <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/">Prestwick House's main website</a>.<br />
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Visit <a href="http://www.prestwickhouse.com/">www.prestwickhouse.com</a> to see our most recent posts, including:</div>
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<li>Great teaching guides to classroom favorites like <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2016/05/how-to-teach-the-joy-luck-club">The Joy Luck Club</a>, <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2016/04/how-to-teach-the-sun-also-rises">The Sun Also Rises</a>, <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2016/04/how-to-teach-one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest">One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</a>, and more!</li>
<li>Announcements of new items that we've added to the <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/free-library">English Teacher's Free Library</a></li>
<li>Contest and giveaway entry forms. </li>
<li>Announcements of new products</li>
<li>And more!</li>
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Visit <a href="http://www.prestwickhouse.com/">www.prestwickhouse.com</a> to stay up to date!</div>
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Keith Bergstromhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18156666108206916531noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-78496287863389623822015-07-09T10:38:00.000-04:002016-05-12T13:32:05.150-04:00Cat Chair in the Rye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is okay to groan.
John http://www.blogger.com/profile/06626214932953709307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-8742114334250912502015-06-25T10:36:00.000-04:002015-06-25T10:39:18.601-04:00Illustrating "Beloved" by Toni Morrison <br />
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An illustrated version of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel<i> Beloved</i> has recently been published by <a href="http://www.foliosociety.com/book/BVD/beloved"> The Folio Society</a>. The illustrations done by Joe Morse bring the brutality and hardships of living in the post civil war south to life.<br />
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Morse,who was hand picked by Morrison, was interviewed by <a href="http://flavorwire.com/">Flavor Wire</a> and the two talk about how he began the creative process.<br />
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"When I work with a text, I look for the visual images embedded in the words that will support the narrative. I try to build a thread from image to image so that they belong together with the text, rather than appear dropped in like candy."</blockquote>
The full interview can be read <a href="http://flavorwire.com/?p=519716">here</a>.<br />
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To purchase the paperback version of <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/book/id-200087/Beloved?view=1">Beloved visit Prestwickhouse.com.</a>
John http://www.blogger.com/profile/06626214932953709307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-341184616704821772015-06-24T10:02:00.000-04:002015-06-24T10:02:14.113-04:00 A simple plan to make Summer Reading more effective <blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Both classes were given literacy test before and after summer vacation. Sure enough, the students who chose their books did better, improving from the previous summer. Those in the community program showed no improvement" </blockquote>
Above is a quote form a study done by Dr. Erin Kelly at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In her work she tried to negate the "summer slide" problem that plagues many teachers. <br />
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In her study she allowed small groups of students to pick the type of books that they wanted to read over the summer, and she saw immediate improvement. Give the full article a read <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/05/27/why-we-should-let-kids-choose-their-own-summer-reading-books/">here</a>. John http://www.blogger.com/profile/06626214932953709307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-24884809830813292382015-06-22T12:56:00.000-04:002015-06-22T12:56:36.771-04:00Shakes-bear...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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John http://www.blogger.com/profile/06626214932953709307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-4842488878621856962014-12-01T15:32:00.002-05:002014-12-01T15:47:24.483-05:00Study finds digital learning less effective (and more expensive) than traditional teaching <blockquote class="tr_bq">
Politicians from Jeb Bush to President Obama like to hype the
revolutionary power and cost-effectiveness of digital learning, but <a href="http://nepc.colorado.edu/newsletter/2014/11/Personalized-instruction">a new study</a> suggests, in many cases, it is neither more powerful nor cheaper than old-fashioned teaching.<br />
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Billions of public dollars have been directed toward digital learning initiatives in recent years, and the report from the <a href="http://nepc.colorado.edu/">National Education Policy Center</a>,
a research institute at the University of Colorado, found that they
rarely improved outcomes. When they did, they cost more money, not less.<br />
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the whole, it is very difficult to have faith in the path we're going
down," says Noel Enyedy, a researcher at UCLA who performed the
analysis.</blockquote>
via <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/11/25/366401940/is-digital-learning-more-cost-effective-maybe-not">NPR.org</a> Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-42563391568820123142014-09-25T13:12:00.001-04:002014-09-25T13:12:06.606-04:00The 5 coolest rhetorical devices you may not know by name<a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2014/09/the-5-coolest-rhetorical-devices-you-may-not-know-by-name">From Aporia to Zeugma.</a> Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-83438785059275447602014-09-23T09:16:00.002-04:002014-09-23T09:18:11.344-04:00Is classroom technology actually working? School districts always roll out technology adoptions with a great deal of fanfare. But what happens a year later, when the new ipads are yesterday's news? It is perhaps too early to say, but classroom technology follow-up stories are few and far between. Here is one from the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0">New York Times </a>which paints a somewhat pessimistic picture about the effectiveness of digital technology in the classroom.
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“This is such a dynamic class,” Ms. Furman says of her 21st-century classroom. “I really hope it works.” </div>
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Hope and enthusiasm are soaring here. But not test scores. </div>
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Since 2005, <a href="http://www.ade.az.gov/srcs/find_school.asp" title="Web site to school scores.">scores in reading</a> and math have stagnated in Kyrene, even as statewide scores have risen. To be sure, test scores can go up or down for many reasons. But to many
education experts, something is not adding up — here and across the
country. In a nutshell: schools are spending billions on technology,
even as they cut budgets and lay off teachers, with little proof that
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This conundrum calls into question one of the most significant
contemporary educational movements. Advocates for giving schools a major
technological upgrade — which include powerful educators, Silicon
Valley titans and White House appointees — say digital devices let
students learn at their own pace, teach skills needed in a modern
economy and hold the attention of a generation weaned on gadgets.
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Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-29655190495901828202014-09-05T10:12:00.001-04:002014-09-05T10:12:38.629-04:00Experience the power of a bookbook™This is simply great. Yes, it is done as a bit of a joke, but seriously folks - the benefits of books discussed in this video are real - especially for schools and students. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MOXQo7nURs0" width="480"></iframe>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-71012818793023850112014-09-02T15:17:00.002-04:002014-09-02T15:19:31.617-04:00Our 'Reading Informational Texts' is the "We Are Teachers" Pick of the Week <a href="http://www.weareteachers.com/#.VAYWP9iHDT0.blogger">WeAreTeachers.com</a> connects teachers to the best resources in education.<br />
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<b>Why we love it:</b> Each book in the series includes four to five writings from historic figures like Frederick Douglass, speeches by leaders such as Winston Churchill, court opinions such as Brown v. Board of Education, scientific essays and more. Each text's introduction gives vital background information on historical context and short, side-margin annotations to help students unpack challenging ideas.
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<b>Terrific teacher editions:</b> In addition to answer keys, analysis of each text's complexity is provided so you can gauge when your students are ready for each section. Meaty, instruction-packed teaching tips are provided at the beginning of each book relevant to teaching informational texts for the appropriate grade level.</blockquote>
<a href="http://www.weareteachers.com/#.VAYWP9iHDT0.blogger">Click here</a> for the complete review. <br />
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For more information on the series visit <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/RIT">Prestwickhouse.com/RIT</a> Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-26674574975601365442014-08-29T14:51:00.001-04:002014-08-29T14:52:36.468-04:00Prestwick House Taste Test - Trailer Here is a brief little glimpse of the potato chip tasting video we just shot.<br />
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Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-60317850581773033242014-08-21T15:33:00.004-04:002014-08-21T15:36:15.525-04:00New Nonprofit Will Review Common Core Materials<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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This may be a bit of public relations management, or it could be really helpful. Time will tell. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
A new nonprofit organization called EdReports.org has
announced that it will provide free, web-based reviews of instructional
materials series (including technology-enabled products). Reviews will focus on
alignment to the Common Core and other indicators of high quality as
recommended by educators, including usability, teacher support, and
differentiation. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Funded by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EdReports.org
will release its first round of Consumer Reports-like reviews later this year
or early in 2015, focusing on K-8 mathematics materials. Subsequent reviews
will include high school mathematics and K-12 English Language Arts. For
further information, including a list of the 21 K-8 math instructional
materials to be reviewed in the first round, read <a href="http://publishers.site-ym.com/link.asp?e=jason@prestwickhouse.com&job=1460197&ymlink=2576468&finalurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eedweek%2Eorg%2Few%2Farticles%2F2014%2F08%2F15%2F01curriculum%2Eh34%2Ehtml%3Ftkn%3DLRMFrA9cZu7EnBWE%252BsGP1tG0EqqG8QousDYF%26print%3D1">this
article</a> from <i>Education Week</i>. </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
You can sign up to get email updates on the project <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001DCa3DfdCp-PQZAbvLdAQOiYMAjkhAKR36Wist2_-1RMO_B9XKZbFX_QmuXwkuaSf4h3izWIfwUWJQxkKy6stPYopPKx5XQ1Pf4v5SfpiCo-hUAxftzClYB-TDea1mbD2SVLQ1j85FR11eos1HzPfrXffOcZaP3hy">by clicking here.</a> Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-65170700233423353212014-08-12T14:14:00.001-04:002014-08-13T09:11:41.388-04:00Are you thinking about teaching "The Giver" by Lois Lowry? <br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140331174412/bookclub/images/d/dd/The-Giver.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140331174412/bookclub/images/d/dd/The-Giver.png" border="0" class="decoded" src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140331174412/bookclub/images/d/dd/The-Giver.png" /></a>Your students will love reading about a utopian society that seems perfect to outsiders but actually contains many flaws, but they may have problems with the book's open-ended, ambiguous ending. </div>
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</div>
<br />
For a complete Teacher's Guide to <i>The Giver </i>visit<a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2014/08/a-teacher-s-guide-to-the-giver#.U-pY744Jig4.blogger"> PrestwickHouse.com</a>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-42775420780186003722014-08-12T07:51:00.001-04:002014-08-12T07:51:29.300-04:00Robin Williams' Hilarious Shakespeare Improvisation, Johnny Carson's Ton...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/oU73kj5Sw9M" width="459"></iframe>Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-6281811771765059702014-08-11T08:39:00.002-04:002014-08-11T09:01:52.883-04:00In honor of Ernest Hemingway...make this week absurdly manly <br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img class="main-img" id="ctl11_imgDefaultProductImage" src="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/ProductImages//f29fa874-458b-499f-8f2b-08fd984f240d/images/300792.jpg" style="border-width: 0px;" /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/">On this day in 1937, Ernest Hemingway bared his hairy chest, then pulled open the shirt of critic, Max Eastman, to expose his unhairy one. </a> Hemingway demanded "What do you mean accusing me of impotence?" and then wrestled Eastman
to the floor in the Scribner's office of their mutual editor, Max Perkins. Being a gentleman, Perkins then exposed his chest as well. <br />
<br />
But wait. You don't have to beat anyone up to get 30 copies of <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/book/id-300792/Old_Man_and_the_Sea_The_-_30_Books_and_Response_Journal">The Old Man and the Sea complete with teaching materials,</a> you only need to visit Prestwickhouse.comJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-27264112684476164892014-08-06T09:04:00.001-04:002014-08-06T09:04:26.700-04:00When a person, event or literary genre makes it to 'The Onion' you know it has arrived <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/groundbreaking-young-adult-novel-features-protagon,36596/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:2:Default">In its own way, 'The Onion'</a> is our paper of record.<br />
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<h1>
Groundbreaking Young Adult Novel Features Protagonist Who’s A Bit Of A Loner</h1>
<div class="meta" data-ct_section_name="tags">
<a class="type" data-prefetch="/articles/groundbreaking-young-adult-novel-features-protagon,36596/" href="http://www.theonion.com/features/news-in-brief/"></a><span class="pubdate"><br /></span></div>
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<img alt="" class="lazy-loaded" height="396" src="http://o.onionstatic.com/images/26/26927/original/700.hq.jpg?0448" title="" width="700" /></div>
BEND,
OR—Poised to shake up the genre with its daring choice of protagonist, a
groundbreaking young adult novel released this week by author Joan
Berman reportedly makes the bold choice of following a moody,
independently minded high school student who could be described as
something of a loner. “Rather than focusing on a popular member of the
in-crowd, <i>Happy Nowhere</i> challenges readers’ expectations by telling the <i>outcast’s</i>
story,” said book critic Anna Meier, noting that the work’s
convention-defying heroine, 16-year-old Shelby Sartell, doesn’t
particularly fit in with her classmates, sometimes gets teased and
bullied, and even has a rather unusual family life.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-40572500702314655032014-08-04T10:06:00.001-04:002014-08-04T10:10:41.222-04:00Are you thinking about teaching 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett? <br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Help, The" src="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/ProductImages//2c656e5b-6abb-4c34-9f6a-0da65bec7f4b/images/prev_308599.jpg" style="float: right;" /></div>
<br />
Your Students will love the hopeful tone and ambitious nature of the main characters, but may have some problems understanding the context of the time period.
Go to <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2014/07/a-teacher-s-guide-to-the-help">Prestwick House for a complete teacher's guide to <i>The Help.</i></a><br />
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</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-60369316614382476272014-07-30T15:23:00.002-04:002014-07-30T15:23:14.161-04:00Light Posting - Day 3 <img alt="Photo: And they'll be none the wiser.
Thanks to Del Shores for the image" class="scaledImageFitWidth img" height="480" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/1551519_735535093124138_1979391749_n.jpg?oh=6c6d6e914fbac9ba4c7942cda70af00a&oe=5441298C&__gda__=1414347880_fa17d7b8f9fe055b9f626ee9bd9aff5c" width="390" />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-36075654862552541492014-07-25T15:29:00.001-04:002014-07-25T15:29:49.703-04:00Kids Explain Shakespeare's HamletThis is great.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EtJiU7RdCpc" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
Thanks for that Great River Shakespeare Festival! Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-40723542146901843872014-07-25T08:02:00.000-04:002014-07-25T08:02:03.790-04:00Coleridge died on this day 180 years ago <a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/today.asp">On this day in 1834 Samuel Taylor Coleridge died of heart disease</a> at the age of sixty-one. Decades removed from his masterworks, Coleridge seems to have turned himself into a bit of a literary curiosity in his last years entertaining up and coming literary types like a young <a href="http://www.todayinliterature.com/biography/thomas.carlyle.asp">Thomas Carlyle</a> who found Coleridge "a kind good soul, full of religion and affection and poetry and animal magnetism," but "a great and useless genius" who in conversation "wanders like a man sailing on many currents."<br />
<br />
Although I'm not a fan of the Romantics, you have to hand it to Coleridge for coining the term "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_disbelief" title="Suspension of disbelief">willing suspension of disbelief"</a> because, seriously, where would we be without that? <br />
<h2 class="title" itemprop="name">
Kubla Khan</h2>
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan<br />
A stately pleasure-dome decree :<br />
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran<br />
Through caverns measureless to man<br />
Down to a sunless sea.<br />
So twice five miles of fertile ground<br />
With walls and towers were girdled round :<br />
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,<br />
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree ;<br />
And here were forests ancient as the hills,<br />
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.<br />
<br />
But oh ! that deep romantic chasm which slanted<br />
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover !<br />
A savage place ! as holy and enchanted<br />
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted<br />
By woman wailing for her demon-lover !<br />
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,<br />
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,<br />
A mighty fountain momently was forced :<br />
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst<br />
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,<br />
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail :<br />
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever<br />
It flung up momently the sacred river.<br />
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion<br />
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,<br />
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,<br />
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean :<br />
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far<br />
Ancestral voices prophesying war !<br />
The shadow of the dome of pleasure<br />
Floated midway on the waves ;<br />
Where was heard the mingled measure<br />
From the fountain and the caves.<br />
It was a miracle of rare device,<br />
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice !<br />
<br />
A damsel with a dulcimer<br />
In a vision once I saw :<br />
It was an Abyssinian maid,<br />
And on her dulcimer she played,<br />
Singing of Mount Abora.<br />
Could I revive within me<br />
Her symphony and song,<br />
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,<br />
That with music loud and long,<br />
I would build that dome in air,<br />
That sunny dome ! those caves of ice !<br />
And all who heard should see them there,<br />
And all should cry, Beware ! Beware !<br />
His flashing eyes, his floating hair !<br />
Weave a circle round him thrice,<br />
And close your eyes with holy dread,<br />
For he on honey-dew hath fed,<br />
And drunk the milk of Paradise.
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-89429623271386943792014-07-23T14:03:00.001-04:002014-07-23T14:06:00.627-04:00Prestwick House Picks Six World Lit Books Worthy of Your Attention <span style="font-size: small;">Check out this <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2014/07/six-world-lit-books-you-should-teach-this-year"> Prestwick House list of six world lit books you should teach this year.</a> It includes...</span><br />
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<div style="display: inline-block; float: left; width: 600px;">
<div style="color: #005580; line-height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>True History of the Kelly Gang</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #007950;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Peter Carey</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">A historical fiction novel, <i><a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/book/id-309608/True_History_of_the_Kelly_Gang" style="color: #f76a65; text-decoration: none;">True History of the Kelly Gang</a></i>
is told from the point of view of Ned Kelly, the Australian bushranger
and folk hero. The novel may be challenging for students to read due to
the unconventional writing style and punctuation, but the action-packed
story of robberies, shootings, and horse thefts will surely hold their
attention. The tale demonstrates the corruption of authority and
lawlessness that was prevalent in 19th century Australia. </span></div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-17696908701751855262014-07-22T14:08:00.000-04:002014-07-22T14:10:06.478-04:00Making Summer Reading Compelling, Not a ChoreIn a recent article from The Atlantic <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/07/how-to-kick-start-summer-reading/373737"> Daniel Willingham describes</a> the tips and tricks of how to get kids excited to read even in the summer months.
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As the school year ends, students’ thoughts turn to summer vacation staples like swimming, camp, and popsicles. Teachers—and most parents—would like them to think about reading, too. School and district officials offer summer reading lists, hoping that specific recommendations will move students away from video games and toward books. But most will ignore these worthy suggestions, and indeed will read very little. How can parents nudge kids toward books this summer?</blockquote>
While many children won't want to even think about reading while counting down their days of freedom, Willingham gives parents tips on how to sneakily make reading fun and accessible. At first it may be difficult to tear them away from their tablets and computers, but once they find the books they truly want to read, they won't be able to stop. They might even discover that the same adventures explored in a video game can be found within the pages of a book.
Great readers can be formed outside of syllabi and reading lists, but they must also learn to balance what they want to read with what they need to read. Once kids appreciate the wonders of literature beyond the confines of school, they will find themselves indulging in reading both inside and outside of the classroom.<br />
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To get your child started on the joys of summer reading, browse the most popular books at <a href="http://teaching-english.prestwickhouse.com/search#w=paperback">PrestwickHouse.com</a> .
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-89440775027906088692014-07-21T14:24:00.001-04:002014-07-21T14:24:36.125-04:00Teachers Honored at Baseball Game I've long thought that teachers should be getting more recognition and some basic societal perks. (Designated parking spaces?) Maybe this <a a="" href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/press-articles/press-articles-blog/2014/07/news-and-link-roundup-week-of-july-18-2014"> (via Prestwick House)</a> is a start...
<a href="http://www.people.com/article/jill-biden-people-mlb-all-star-teachers-baseball-game">Major League Baseball and Jill Biden honored 30 teachers at the MLB All-Star Game.</a> Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10755980436868299515noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-91175338642450209802014-07-18T13:57:00.000-04:002014-07-18T14:51:10.668-04:00Today is Nelson Mandela International Day!Today, July 18th, is the official Nelson Mandela International Day. The UN chose this date (Mandela's birthday) in 2009 to honor the life and legacy of the former president of South Africa. The purpose of the day is also to inspire activism and public service. Mandela, who passed away last December at 95, was an anti-apartheid activist and public servant. <br />
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What difference will you make? Check out <a href="http://www.mandeladay.com/" target="_blank">the official website</a> to learn more about the day and how you can inspire change.<br />
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Also, check out Mandela's moving autobiography, <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/book/id-309082/Long_Walk_to_Freedom" target="_blank">Long Walk to Freedom</a>. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8040484164765793907.post-56133457449787276932014-07-16T10:21:00.000-04:002014-07-16T10:35:59.392-04:00Cheaters Never Prosper — But They Want To<a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/07/21/140721fa_fact_aviv" target="_blank">In the current issue of the New Yorker</a>, reporter Rachel Aviv describes the calculated actions of a school that made the decision to help their students cheat — and not just on a simple math quiz, but a standardized test that would determine whether Parks Middle School in Georgia was performing at the level they were expected.<br />
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The students had no part in the cheating. However, it was a feeling of desperation that led teacher Damany Lewis, and others at the school like him, to help his students succeed in whatever way he could.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><i>At the end of the testing week, Lewis went back to the testing office with Crystal Draper, a language-arts teacher. For about an hour, they erased wrong answers and bubbled in the right ones. They exchanged no words. Lewis couldn’t even look at her. “I couldn’t believe what we’d been reduced to,” he said.</i></span></blockquote>
While it may be easy to say that their cheating was completely in the wrong, it's not so easy to contemplate the struggle that many schools in the U.S. are facing in terms of standardized tests. Simply put, if a school is failing, teachers and faculty are let go. But, if a school increases their scores on the tests, they are offered rewards.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><i>When a school met its targets, all employees, including bus drivers and cafeteria staff, received up to two thousand dollars. </i></span></blockquote>
While the reward seems certainly enticing, the motivation for cheating in the case of Parks Middle School seemed less to do with money, and more to do with the refusal to let their students fail another year. It was with this hope of increased test scores that they cut open boxes and scribbled in the right answers.<br />
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There are many stories like this in the media, but rarely are we able to see the full story behind them. Aviv explores the motives behind the teachers, and never once paints them as people who wanted to simply cheat the system. At the same time, she uses this ten-page article to show that cheaters never truly prosper, even if they want to for all the right reasons.<br />
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At Prestwick House, cheating is always discouraged. Visit our <a href="https://www.prestwickhouse.com/teaching-units" target="_blank">vast collection of teaching units</a> to help your students gain the knowledge they need for any test.</div>
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