I was tickled to learn the work “abecedary” recently. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/abecedary Even more ticklish is the pronunciation. I was trying to make it fancy–/ab-ced-ar-ee/–but no. If you look in the definition page there, and even click the video it is /ay-bee-see-duh-ree/. It truly is a word made from the first three letters of the alphabet. A-B-C-dary.…
Wear the Cape proudly welcomes our first guest blogger! Jeni Cass is caped teacher from a charter school in San Diego. Jeni truly does wear her cape each day in her kinder classroom. Enjoy this amazing mentor text form Jeni! This Plus That by Amy Krause Rosenthal As a kinder teacher the thought of doing a…
Last week I talked about using UPPERCASE Magazine and their focus on “sticky things” as mentor texts. I also alluded to the fact that I would use more from this magazine. While the theme of this issue is collage, there is a “Creative Challenge” on page 75 that suggests collecting artifacts. There is a great…
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue No. 18, “Cut it Out” is all about collage. Yup. you read that correctly, collage. It’s a beautful magazine printed on amazing paper. The tagline is “a magazine for the creative and curious.” Well that’s us in a nutshell is it not? Keeping “creative and curious” in mind, I thought I’d share…
I remember my thinking clearly. I had gotten it into my head that I was meant to be a motorcyclist. My dad had instilled the appropriate amount of fear of what he called “hundreds of pounds of hurtling steel” and I knew the safety class had to come first. This shows growth on my part…
Okay, I admit it. I have been a hypocrite. Ooooh, what an ugly word. I even looked up synonyms to try to soften the blow, but no. That’s the word. Although, on a side note, this definition is pretty lame… I digress. It’s time to admit my hypocrisy. I have been presenting, coaching, going to events,…
It’s Leadership Day at Dangerously Irrelevant! To celebrate the author has given a throw down: On Thursday, August 15, 2013, blog about whatever you like related to effective school technology leadership: successes, challenges, reflections, needs, wants, resources, ideas, etc. Write a letter to the administrators in your area. Post a top ten list. Make a podcast or…
A coworker posed a question to me on Friday and I stewed on it all weekend. How would I teach Greek and Latin roots to middle grade students? This sent my mind to spinning. I’ve never been a strong proponent of weekly spelling or vocabulary lists and quizzes. I found that my strong students memorized…
I heard about the 10 for 10 Picture Book event a few times today and finally, just now, realized I needed to get off of my tookus and add my own in. Here are my 10 favorite, can’t-live-without picture books. Poetry and Art 1. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me by Maya Angelou (art by Jean-Michele Basquiat) Jean Michele…
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