Since I started teaching in Title I schools three and a half years ago, I've been reflecting, talking, reading, researching about ways for Title I schools to more effectively engage families and communities in the education of their students. I've experimented with ways that could be more inclusive than traditional ways that make us think "PTA" or "parent involvement." I've struggled with overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers with parents, with working around work and day care schedules of… Continue

As I've taught I've become more and more interested in the importance of families' involvement in the development and progress of students. When I taught in schools, both public and private, that served students from middle to high socioeconomic backgrounds, parents made sure that I got to know them, invited me into their homes, set up conferences and sent emails. They had obviously had positive educational experiences themselves and wanted to support their students in a way that guaranteed that… Continue

YouTube. Wait, I mean TeacherTube. I'd never heard or seen this before. As I was surfing the net for teacher sites that might help me create websites for my students, I came across this website, teachertube.com
"Hmm," I thought, "and what is this?" So I click on it, and hokey smokes! It's YouTube for teachers! How cool is this? So of course, instead of working on my websites, here… Continue

This week, my students and I have been busy working on arranging the final entries to the writing anthology that my friend Fred, a writer of children’s books by night and a manager at a book printing company by day, generously offered to have professionally bound by his company. Graced with the opportunity to have 120 free copies of a hardcover book in which I could publish my third grade students’ writing, I made a rookie mistake. I told my friends.

Telling a fellow Great Valley Writing Projec… Continue