Argumentative writing is one of the most crucial writing for students to grasp, as it provides them with the tools to be able to convey their point of view clearly to an audience. Argumentative writing also provides an opportunity for students to understand different point of views when reading news articles, opinions and essays. By … Continue reading How to Write an Argumentative Paragraph
Category: Writing
Using Literature to Teach Social Justice
I came across a community post a few days ago that was inquiring about ways to teach students about social justice in english class. I feel very passionate about connecting the discussions in my english class to issues that have a social and cultural impact. As a teacher, I think this is how we can … Continue reading Using Literature to Teach Social Justice
The Dilemma of Digital Writing
This post was originally published as part of the DigiWriMo blog series. You can check out all the blog posts that were contributed here. I became a digital writer last year. Then I realized that there is more to digital writing than revise, edit and polish. Digital writing is also about digital presence. I figured this … Continue reading The Dilemma of Digital Writing
How to Use Social Media to Strengthen Student Writing
This post was originally published on Edutopia. When Advancement Placement and The National Writing Project surveyed teachers regarding social media use in the classroom, they found that 78% agree (26% strongly agree) that digital technologies “encourage student creativity and personal expression”. Digital tools of course give access to social media, which is a powerful outlet … Continue reading How to Use Social Media to Strengthen Student Writing
Social Media and Student Communication Skills
This post was originally published on Edutopia. With social media taking up such a large space in our lives, many of us question whether it’s impacting our communication skills, more importantly, our students’ communication skills. As an English teacher, a writer, and a mom, I am always worried about the repercussions social media will have … Continue reading Social Media and Student Communication Skills
Cultivating Student Voice through Narrative Writing
Every day, students at University Laboratory School, a public charter in Honolulu, Hawaii, have the opportunity to spend a quiet 10-15 minutes with their teachers for a Writer’s Workshop. One on one, they talk through the student’s progress on writing assignments they were assigned to complete during class. But these aren’t the stale essay responses … Continue reading Cultivating Student Voice through Narrative Writing
Steps to Writing a Research Paper
When it comes to writing a research paper in English class, the most difficult part that students often struggle with is the research aspect. This stage is often overwhelming for many students, as many of them often wonder where they should start and what they should look for when it comes to choosing a topic … Continue reading Steps to Writing a Research Paper
Critical Thinking & Textual Analysis: an example
This is an example that accompanies my Edutopia blog post, Teaching Literary Analysis. Remember that the questions posed and the answers provided should be worked out as part of a process. Students can have many different answers, but the teacher should facilitate questions throughout the process that encourage critical thinking. Choose a topic: Character: … Continue reading Critical Thinking & Textual Analysis: an example
Strategies to Help Struggling Writers
This post was originally published on Edutopia. It's the day that my first-year college students are sharing the outlines/rough drafts of their final essays with their peers. As I walk around the classroom, a few students put their hands up for me to take a look at their work and give feedback. I look at … Continue reading Strategies to Help Struggling Writers
Blogging as a self-reflective tool is overrated!
Blogging in the beginning was a reflective tool, one to share thoughts and ideas while teaching, outside the classroom, or in a conversation. Many see blogging in this way, as a self-reflective tool. Instinctually, blogging is a self-centred act. It usually centres around the self and attempts to amplify the voice of the writer. Here's … Continue reading Blogging as a self-reflective tool is overrated!









