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Barry Lane's Blog (20)
All One or Alone: A New Years Message
A Lone gunman entered….That is a haunting phrase we hear all the time when media first encounters a shooter in a building. It is one of those familiar catch phrases that desensitize us to the insanity of modern life in America. Just another lone gunman.
Only recently, as we began to unravel the unthinkable tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary school, did it’s true meaning take shape. The space between the first two words should not be there. Alone is the world…
ContinueAdded by Barry Lane on December 31, 2012 at 3:30pm — No Comments
The Text Itself: What's Wrong with the Common Core Standards
TheText Itself by Thomas Newkirk
Click on the title link above to read the article
Newkirk argues that the writers of the Common Core have adopted a sterile view of reading that does not…
ContinueAdded by Barry Lane on February 11, 2012 at 8:00pm — 2 Comments
Play is What we need the most.
Added by Barry Lane on October 23, 2011 at 9:05pm — No Comments
A Society of Masters and Servants: Mothers and Sons
The man who owns the building I am staying in was a Commodore in the Indian Navy, and his uncle was head of the Indian Navy. When I stepped out the morning of my first day I heard his welcoming voice rise from behind his living room overlooking the front garden. We had a long talk about Indian history as his servant poured us tea. His servants name is Bickki and he talks to him in an entirely different tone of voice than he talks to me. It’s hard for me, an American and a Bahai, who knows in my… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on January 25, 2010 at 9:00pm — 1 Comment
What can we do about Poverty? That Helpless Feeling.
I just finished my first day and it's all starting to sink in. The man on the corner who sets up a sewing machine, the women digging ditches while their husbands drink tea, the traffic of trucks ,dogs, goats, cows, bikes, men on cell phones, men with boxes on their heads, the women sitting side sadle on scooters, her two year old perched on the handlebars, another woman standing on a street corner with what looks like a large tree trunk balancing on her head. You have just stepped into medieval… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on January 24, 2010 at 2:21pm — 1 Comment
Victory: The BallyWood Cricket Movie: A Metaphor for Modern India?
Cricket is the most popular sport in India and on the plane I watched a movie called Victory,a Ballywood sports flick about a cricket superstar from a small village. He becomes a great hero in the little desert village where he still lives with his aging father and sister, but then he starts getting all these big offers to do endorsements for products in the big city of Mumbai (Bombay). His agent, a guy named, Andy, who is the films antagonist, makes him very rich but makes him move from the… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on January 22, 2010 at 11:30pm — 2 Comments
True Love Always? 12: 27 am EST on the plane to Delhi with my New Friend Puneet
This is my new friend Puneet. He works for Citi bank in Tampa developing software for the next generation of computers. I am on the 777 to Delhi from Newark and when we were taking off there seemed to be an endless chorus of babies wailing. Puneet’s wife Richa and his two year old daughter, Abby are back in Bangolore. They left a month earlier because he has only a 3 week vacation, not the usually 8 week vacation Citi bank offers Indian workers to entice them half way across the world.. We got… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on January 22, 2010 at 2:00pm — 3 Comments
A Passage to India: Barry's Travel Blog
Tomorrow I head to India for 2 weeks of work and travel. I will be keeping a blog of photos, video and writing . As luck with have it, I am going to be there on independence Day Jan.26. My goal is to see the marching War Elephants. India is more than an amazing country. It is its own cradle of many civilizations. The first humans headed there from Africa way back when and many stayed there in the same villages. Entire villages in southern India… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on January 20, 2010 at 9:30pm — 4 Comments
Help Bernadine Carroll Design the NEW Hanstein School
This is principal Bernie Carroll from Hanstein Elementary school in Detroit, Michigan. The city was going to close her school but she and her students parents had a big town meeting and convinced the city to build a brand new 22 million dollar school. She and her students need your help in designing the NEW Hanstein school. Blog your suggestions here. No suggestion is too wild so let your imagination go wild.…
Added by Barry Lane on January 11, 2010 at 9:30pm — 12 Comments
Billion Dollar Study proves that it's the Teacher that Matters Most : DUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH???????
http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/blog/BlogSinglePost/09-05-28/Gates_Foundation_study_Effective_teachers_key_to_better_education.aspx
Gates Foundation study: Effective teachers key to better education
Posted by:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead, it found that the key to better… Continue
Gates Foundation study: Effective teachers key to better education
Posted by:
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation spent billions of dollars exploring the idea that smaller high schools might result in higher graduation rates and better test scores. Instead, it found that the key to better… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on May 28, 2009 at 11:00am — 4 Comments
Miss Foley Day 2009: You are there.
People have asked me about Miss Foley Day so I thought I will share with you the ceremony where we gave Maja Wilson the award. I will post the ceremony in 3 parts. Here is the first where I compare Maja's work to Neo in the Matrix. Tom Newkirk is in the frame. I see him as Morpheus. ( the bald guy who already knows the truth about real writing instruction). Maja is Neo, the chosen one who has what it takes to change the world for good. Watch Newkirk laugh when Neo takes the red pill. He is a… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on May 23, 2009 at 8:30pm — No Comments
My Personal Writing Process
We all know about " the Writing Process," as a general theory. We can even recite the stages, Prewriting, Webbing, Drafting, etc.. But what about your own private writing process (see Hemingway's below). Here is a place to post your personal tips and observations on how you write.…
Added by Barry Lane on April 30, 2009 at 8:50am — 4 Comments
Life Lessons From Literature: What Did I Learn? A How To Manual from Literature.
When you read a great novel or non-fiction book the characters and story stick with you, sometimes for years. These books even in help us make life decisions. In the classic cult movie, "My Dinner with Andre" Andre Gregory quotes Ingrid Bergman from some movie, "I found that I could live in my art but not in my life." This blog asks how art itself lives in our lives. Post books that you have read and tell how they touched your life. What were the results. Lets extract a how to manual from… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on April 29, 2009 at 11:00am — 2 Comments
Barry Needs Help with Cover Idea
Hey DW Ningers. I am working on an alternative cover idea for my new version of Hooked on Meaning. This would be a second cover for the book that goes on the title page. I have this great idea using the Hulk photo. Trouble is the Hulk, who symbolizes testing and all the anxiety it brings, is about to crush me. I have to be thinking or saying something to augment the reality of the image and create both truth and humor and convey the message of the project: Imagination, fun and writing beats… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on April 26, 2009 at 9:00am — 34 Comments
Make a New Word Today: Wordsmiths Unite
The dictionary is just not big enough to say all the things we need to say. That is why we depend on creative thinkers like you to coin new lingo. In the clip below, Aaron, a sophomore in Gretchen Bernabei's class at Holmes High School makes up "Outstonishing" a cross between Outstanding and Astonishing. Or in other words: Outstonishing.
Here is your chance to make up your own new words to describe your life. Write the word and the definition as you would in a dictionary. Have fun… Continue
Here is your chance to make up your own new words to describe your life. Write the word and the definition as you would in a dictionary. Have fun… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on April 10, 2009 at 8:49pm — 2 Comments
English Teaching in America---- Can We Get A Pulse???
Here an English teacher gives directions on writing about an ee cumings poem for a test. Read the directions and read the poem and write your reaction.
Please give me as much information on this as humanly possible. Things such as diction, detail, syntax, and rhetorical devices used would be so greatly appreciated! And please save your personal opinions of it, I don't really care, I just need the facts.
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i… Continue
Please give me as much information on this as humanly possible. Things such as diction, detail, syntax, and rhetorical devices used would be so greatly appreciated! And please save your personal opinions of it, I don't really care, I just need the facts.
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on April 8, 2009 at 12:00pm — 12 Comments
Readicide : How Schools are Killing Reading and What We Can Do About It
Wasting Away Again in Basal Readerville.mp3
This is the most important book on reading you could read this year. It is written by our own Kelly Gallagher and it tells all the things we do in school to kill the love of reading in the name of instruction,… Continue
This is the most important book on reading you could read this year. It is written by our own Kelly Gallagher and it tells all the things we do in school to kill the love of reading in the name of instruction,… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on April 3, 2009 at 9:30am — 7 Comments
Great Teachers: Who Are They and What do They Do?
This is Miss Carolyn Foley, my great fourth grade teacher. May is teacher appreciation week and each year we do the Miss Foley awards in Portsmouth,NH. I thought is would be fun to think about our great teachers ,name them and talk about what they did. I will read your entries on Miss Foley day before we give out this years award.
Who was your great teacher and what did he or she do that made them… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on March 26, 2009 at 11:30am — 15 Comments
World's Best Writing Prompts/World's Worst Writing Prompts
I know what you are thinking. The best writing prompt is anything you want to write about. Choice rules! But a great writing prompt can illicit amazing writing and stir up stagnant thinking. Photos and music can also fall under the heading writing prompt. This blog is a place for us to share our successes and failures with writing prompts.
Here is one of my favorites. It is in my book "The Healing Pen."
Write an express letter to some in your family or in your past. An… Continue
Here is one of my favorites. It is in my book "The Healing Pen."
Write an express letter to some in your family or in your past. An… Continue
Added by Barry Lane on March 23, 2009 at 10:30am — 12 Comments
Obama believes in Merit Pay: Do YOU???
Today the president made a speech on education and raised the issue of merit pay as a way of improving teaching. The logic goes that you reward the teachers that have the most success. My experience has been that merit pay divides teachers and erodes collegiality. I am not a classroom teacher now,so I would like to know what you think.
Barry
Barry
Added by Barry Lane on March 10, 2009 at 11:00pm — 34 Comments
Latest Blog Posts
- All One or Alone: A New Years Message
- The Text Itself: What's Wrong with the Common Core Standards
- Play is What we need the most.
- A Society of Masters and Servants: Mothers and Sons
- What can we do about Poverty? That Helpless Feeling.
- Victory: The BallyWood Cricket Movie: A Metaphor for Modern India?
- True Love Always? 12: 27 am EST on the plane to Delhi with my New Friend Puneet
Most Popular Blog Posts
- The Text Itself: What's Wrong with the Common Core Standards
- Obama believes in Merit Pay: Do YOU???
- Readicide : How Schools are Killing Reading and What We Can Do About It
- My Personal Writing Process
- All One or Alone: A New Years Message
- Great Teachers: Who Are They and What do They Do?
- World's Best Writing Prompts/World's Worst Writing Prompts
Blog Topics by Tags
More Than a Number
Songs for Sane Schools
Latest Activity
Denise Davis joined Carol Glynn's group
Get On Your Feet!
A forum for kinesthetic lessons, tips, problems, and encouragement. Also successes, and research facts to back up the idea that moving and learning do not have to be separate concepts. Come on! Jump in!
Denise Davis joined Joy's group
Reading - Writing Connection
We know it's there, but how do we use it, teach it, assess it, enjoy it? Let's have an open forum to talk about expereiences, lessons, activities, research; more importantly, how do you make the connection in your life?
Denise Davis joined Jason Lilly's group
Lightning in a Bottle
Based on Gretchen Bernabei's photo collection, this group is for lovers of photo prompts and is a great place to post your pictures and prompt ideas for use in the classroom.
Denise Davis joined Barry Lane's group
1000 Things to Write About
Each day I will be adding a new thing to write about and an example. Add some of your own or write with me.
Denise Davis joined Barry Lane's group
Lesson of the Month Club
Join the lesson of the month club group to get a wonderful writing lesson from our friends at the Northern Nevada Writing Project : www.writinglesson.ning.com.See More
Denise Davis joined Barry Lane's group
Creating All STAAR Writers
Here is a place to share ideas that transform students into lifelong writers and help them succeed on any writing test, including STAAR. Download lessons from Barry Lane, Gretchen Bernabei and Alana Morris to add to your tool box. See More
Denise Davis joined Barry Lane's group
What are you Reading?
This is a reading discussion group that asks one simple question, like twitter. What are you reading? You can also start a book discussion on a specific title.See More
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