Category Archives: CSU

“In a city of the future it is difficult to concentrate”: An Overdue Update

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Don’t bury the lede: In January I am joining the Stanford Graduate School of Education as an assistant professor. I am looking forward to working with amazing colleagues there and will be sharing more about what my work looks like as I get up to speed in the coming months. Ally and I are in the not-at-all-stressful OMGMOSTSTRESSFULPROCESSEVER of selling and looking for and buying a house. Humblebrag: Ally will be managing a library as part of the San Mateo County Libraries system.

I have only amazing things to say about my experiences at Colorado State University and look forward to continue collaborating with and learning from my colleagues and students. If you are reading this and also on the English Education job market, please consider applying to join the fantastic faculty at CSU here.

To be clear, I am continuing to do similar research to what I’ve been exploring on this blog for nearly a decade. The intersection of literacies, gaming, technology, equity, and teaching remain at the heart of the work I do.

Phew, okay, that’s out of the way. As a bit of catch up, I’m going to just share a bunch of links to articles, presentations, and other opportunities you might be interested in below.

  • Next Sunday, I’m thrilled to be co-presenting the opening keynote for the4T Virtual Conference on Digital Writing with my always awesome friend and co-author, Nicole Mirra. The digital conference looks great (and is FREE!), so take a look here.
  • I have begun editing a column for the Journal for Adolescent and Adult Literacy called “Challenging Texts.” The first column is accessible online and sets out the stakes for the column over the next two years. If you are interested in reviewing and writing for this column, please get in touch!
  • I’m still regularly blogging for DMLcentral, my most recent post was last week’s discussion of “compojing.”
  • I had a recent article in the ALAN Review titled “Networked Teens and YA Literature: Gossip, Identity, and What Really #matters.” The article is currently print-only, but please get in touch if you’d like to take a look.

The next few months remain a bit busy logistically, but I’ll check in a few more times before 2016 wraps and hope to get back into a regular posting schedule soon.

For those curious, this post’s title quotes Radiohead’s “Palo Alto,” a song I’ve been thinking about lately that you can hear here.

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“You don’t mind if I borrow this, do you?”

(Psst: this is not a book.)

Notes for Class: Teaching Methods – Last Day

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I want to emphasize a part of the title of this course for a moment: methods. I know many of you want to know the secret handshake of good teaching. Less flippantly, you want the key protocols that – if you put in the effort (and I know you want to put in the effort) – will make your class move fluidly, perfectly, just like in the movies.

But that’s not ultimately what these methods are about. Yes, we spent a lot of time this semester diving into standards, designing unit plans, and talking about classroom design. However, I want you to leave today recognizing that the methods of teaching methods are personal.

This is about the processes of reflecting, listening, growing, and feeling that make you the patient and responsive mammal that your classroom community needs you to be. It needs to start with that base, instinctual level that we have likely schooled out of so many of us by the time we are about to graduate from college.

You can fake it and be an … okay teacher. But if you want to be really good, teaching methods are the methods of reinvention. Continually.

In graduate school, one of my advisors often described the ongoing tension between “real” time and “school” time. The time for cooking, shopping, doing laundry, walking dogs, etc: it does not move at the same speed as grading, deadlines, letter of recommendation writing. Mentally, we are operating on two different circadian rhythms. Which one do you privilege? At what cost? Being in sync in one space may mean feeling like you are careening out of control in another. Game designer Jane McGonigal’s description of a “stereoscopic vision” comes to mind.

Thinking about the personal methods you are working toward (and it is a lifelong process – not a semester long one), think about where we are right now:

  • Northern Colorado – a shifting space at once familiar and growing in uncertain directions, politics, socioeconomic evolution.
  • The end of No Child Left Behind and the ushering in of … something new. As usual, everything is about to change. Or not.
  • 2015 curtseying adieu, 2016 bringing in new paradigms of engagement, new warnings of kids these days.
  • A period of escalating horror. Daily the news sings new tragedy that is felt in our bones and comprehended by our students. What lessons need to be taught, questioned, demanded?

As much as these are locations (literally and spiritual) about your personhood and identity, they are a part of your shifting syllabus for future methods. So too, is the fact that growing as a person is seeing the ecosystem that you are a part of: the family in your classroom.

Teaching is scary. It is okay to be afraid.

It is okay to be afraid.

Be uncertain but do right.

Likewise it is okay to be wrong.

It is necessary to be wrong.

At the end of most semesters, I talk to my classes about hope, love, courage. It sounds like the verbal equivalent of that “Hang in There” cat poster. But I don’t think I’m clear about a part of this: a big part of teaching we ignore is that it is about self love. Do you love yourself enough to meets the needs and demands arising or being stifled within your classroom?

Methods are personal. It’s about learning to be you in the classroom and willing to reinvent who you are in the wake of tomorrow.

New Book Announcement! – Pose, Wobble, Flow: A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction

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I’m thrilled to share that my newest, co-authored book, Pose, Wobble, Flow: A Culturally Proactive Approach to Literacy Instruction is out next week from Teachers College Press!

My brilliant co-author, Cindy O’Donnell-Allen, and I wrote Pose, Wobble, Flow as a book for current and pre-service teachers in English classrooms. Considering the feelings of burnout, frustration, and stagnation that may come in waves in one’s career, I see the model at the center of this book as one that supports teachers across their careers. From looking at the civic responsibilities of teachers (both in and out of their classrooms), our role as curators, and the need to “hack” the content standards we engage with today, this is a hands on book that we wrote to think about what do teachers need now and in the future.

But wait!

  • Did I mention that Linda Christensen wrote an amazing (amazing!) foreword to the book? She did!
  • Did you know that both Sonia Nieto and Bob Fecho write amazing things about this book that you can read on the back of the cover? Hell yes, they do!
  • Did you know you can read a sample chapter through (co-publishers) the National Writing Project, right here? Do it!
  • And did you know you can get a copy of the book online here (and of course you should harass your local bookstore and librarian!)?

If that’s not enough, how about this hot-off-the-presses description from the back of the book?

This book proposes a pedagogical model called ”Pose, Wobble, Flow” to encapsulate the challenge of teaching and the process of growing as an educator who questions existing inequities in schooling and society and frames teaching around a commitment to changing them. The authors provide six different culturally proactive teaching stances or ”poses” that secondary ELA teachers can use to meet the needs of all students, whether they are historically marginalized or privileged. They describe how teachers can expect to ”wobble” as they adapt instruction to the needs of their students, while also incorporating new insights about their own cultural positionality and preconceptions about teaching. Teachers are encouraged to recognize this flexibility as a positive process or ”flow” that can be used to address challenges and adopt ambitious teaching strategies like those depicted in this book. Each chapter highlights a particular pose, describes how to work through common wobbles, incorporates teacher voices, and provides questions for further discussion. Pose, Wobble, Flow presents a promising framework for disrupting the pervasive myth that there is one set of surefire, culturally neutral ”best” practices.

As the online appendices gets uploaded shortly, I will be sharing additional info about the book, including places that Cindy and I will be hosting workshops and presentations related to the book.

If you can’t tell, I am really excited about this book: I think Cindy and I are presenting a model of teacher support and education that reflects our beliefs about how English classrooms today can transform society. I hope you’ll take a look!

Don’t Miss Elyse Eidman-Aadahl tomorrow at CSU!

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Tomorrow, April 7th will be the fourth event in the Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life series held at CSU. Joining us will be the National Writing Project Executive Director, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl. Elyse’s talk is titled “Education for Democracy in a Digital Age: A New Civic Agenda for Schools.” Elyse’s talk is from 5:30-6:30 p.m., followed by a brief reception. Like all of the series, this event is free and open to the public. And join the dialogue on Twitter at #csulit15.  All of the speakers will be presenting at the CSU campus in Clark A 205. I hope you’ll join us (if you are not nearby, you can stream the talk here).

If you missed Bud Hunt’s talk last week, you can view it below. Bud has also written about his talk and shared all of his slide on his blog here.

Don’t Miss Bud Hunt at CSU Tomorrow (3/31)!

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Tomorrow, March 31st will be the third event in the Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life series held at CSU. Joining us will be CSU English Education alumnus and educational technology expert Bud Hunt. Bud’s talk is titled “Let’s Hack School: Learner Agency in a Time of New Technologies” and I can assure you it’s not something you’ll want to miss. Check out the flyer:

Mr. Hunt will be presenting his work and engaging in dialogue from 5:30-6:30, followed by a brief reception. Like all of the series, this event is free and open to the public. And join the dialogue on Twitter at #csulit15.  All of the speakers will be presenting at the CSU campus in Clark A 205. I hope you’ll join us (if you are not nearby, you can stream the talk here). Just as excitingly, a week later, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, the Executive Director of the National Writing Project will be speaking as the fourth speaker in this year’s series (same time, same place).
If you missed last month’s presentation as part of the series, please watch Ben Kirshner’s engaging talk here:

Ben Kirshner coming to CSU & Archived Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life

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If you are in the area, please consider coming to next week’s presentation as part of the Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life series. Joining us will be Dr. Ben Kirshner, director for CU Engage and Associate Professor at University of Colorado, Boulder (and co-editor of the recent #youthaction: Becoming Political in the Digital Age). His talk will be great! Check out the flyer below:

csuwp literacy series ben kirshner

Dr. Kirshner will be presenting his work and engaging in dialogue from 5:30-6:30, followed by a brief reception. Like all of the series, this event is free and open to the public. And join the dialogue on Twitter at #csulit15.  All of the speakers will be presenting at the CSU campus in Clark A 205. I hope you’ll join us (if you are not nearby, you can stream the talk here). In addition, here are the remaining speakers and dates for the series:

  • February 17: Dr. Ben Kirshner, Faculty Director, CU Engage: Center for Community-Based Learning and Research
  • March 31: Bud Hunt, CSU Alumnus & Instructional Technologist, St. Vrain Valley School District
  • April 7: Dr. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Executive Director, National Writing Project
  • May 5: Civic Literacy Panel, selected Colorado teachers & students

If you missed last month’s presentation as part of the series, please watch Nicole Mirra and Danielle Filipiak’s presentation here:

(And feel free to check out my write up of the event here.)

Announcing the return of the speaker series: Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life, 2015

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I’m pleased to announce that the Colorado State University Writing Project is sponsoring the return of last year’s speaker series: “The Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life.” Throughout the spring semester we’ll be hosting nationally recognized literacies-based researchers and educators to discuss how literacy and youth civic participation intersect from varying, interdisciplinary perspectives. This is going to be an amazing series, once again, and I hope you’ll join us.

The speakers will be presenting their work and engaging in dialogue from 5:30-6:30, followed by a brief reception. These events are free and open to the public. All of the speakers will be presenting at the CSU campus in Clark A 205.
The speakers and dates for this series are as follows:

  • January 27: Danielle Filipiak, Doctoral Fellow, Teachers College and Nicole Mirra, Post-Doctoral Scholar, UCLA
  • February 17: Dr. Ben Kirshner, Faculty Director, CU Engage: Center for Community-Based Learning and Research
  • March 31: Bud Hunt, CSU Alumnus & Instructional Technologist, St. Vrain Valley School District
  • April 7: Dr. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, Executive Director, National Writing Project
  • May 5: Civic Literacy Panel, selected Colorado teachers & students

Danielle and Nicole’s talk next Tuesday is titled “Creating Spaces where Choices Can be Made: Critical Literacy in 21st Century Classrooms” (see the flyer below). It’s going to be awesome!

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Pose/Wobble/Flow in English Journal and the Next Digital Scholar

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Throughout much of last year, Cindy O’Donnell-Allen and I have been working on a model of teacher development and support we call Pose/Wobble/Flow. We’ve used this model for personal reflection, within our teacher education classes, and at various conferences. A smattering of writing around this area has begun to trickle down the publication pipeline.

I’m pleased to share our article for the current issue of English Journal, “Wobbling in Public: Supporting New and Experienced Teachers.” The article is available as a free pdf from the above link, check it out!

Similarly, Cindy and I have a chapter in the recently released collection, The Next Digital Scholar: A Fresh Approach to the Common Core State Standards in Research and Writing edited by James Purdy and Randall McClure. Our chapter is called “The Saving Our Stories Project: Pushing Beyond the Culturally Neutral Digital Literacies of the Common Core State Standards.” Though not stated directly in this chapter, the writing here helped formulate the work around P/W/F shared in English Journal and a couple of future publications. Request it from your library!

Linda Christensen’s Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life Presentation

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I’m pleased to share the video from the final speaker in the Literacies of Contemporary Civic Life series at CSU. Two weeks ago, Linda Christensen visited our campus to present:

The Tulsa Race Riot: Raising Voices Silenced by History

The past is not dead, and it needs to be remembered for students to understand contemporary patterns of wealth and poverty, privilege and marginalization. Our curriculum should equip students to “talk back” to the world. Students must learn to pose essential critical questions: Who makes decisions and who is left out? Who benefits and who suffers?  What are the origins of today’s problems? What alternatives can we imagine? What is required to create change? In this presentation, Christensen will engage participants in an examination of a historical event from eyewitness accounts to revisit the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Through this workshop, she will demonstrate how she uses “silences” in history to construct solid literacy practices including persuasive essays and historical fiction, building a framework for critical literacy that helps students navigate an increasingly unequal world.

 The presentation was largely an interactive activity, so I did my best to take you-the viewer-on a tour of the various voices heard during the presentation. I hope you get a chance to watch!

Thriving in Practice

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Okay everyone, today I’ve been passed the digital baton in the blog tour celebrating Meenoo Rami’s book Thrive: 5 Ways to (Re)Invigorate Your Teaching.

If you haven’t caught wind of the energy and momentum with which Meenoo’s book arrived, I encourage you to look back at the various other digital stops of the online tour:

4/9/14: Teach Mentor Texts!

4/10/14: Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading

4/11/14: Alyson Beecher at Kid Lit Frenzy

4/12/14: Kira Baker Doyle at Kira J Baker-Doyle, Ph.D.

4/13/14: Sarah Mulhern Gross at The Reading Zone

4/14/14: Christina Cantrill at Digital Is (National Writing Project)

4/16/14: Beth Shaum at Use Your Outside Voice

4/17/14: Linda Baie at Teacher Dance

4/18/14: Troy Hicks at Hickstro

4/19/14: Joy Kirr at Genius Hour

4/20/14: Tara Smith at A Teaching Life

4/21/14: Antero Garcia at The American Crawl

4/22/2014: John Spencer at Education Rethink

4/23: Kellee Moye and Ricki Ginsberg at Unleashing Readers

That list, in and of itself, is emblematic of what I find so powerful about Thrive. Meenoo’s network of friends, colleagues, and collaborators helps generate and expand ideas that stemmed from the book. More than a parade of reviews, Meenoo’s work is sustaining some deep thinking and powerful dialogue across these blog stops. For example, instead simply rehashing the praise that is found on the back of the book, Troy Hicks uses his tour stop to encourage Meenoo to share her thinking regarding how digital writing affects her students’ work. Thrive encourages more than just reviews. There is a coming together of interested educators through this online tour that is a powerful meta-reflection of some of the key ideas in Thrive.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how Meenoo and I first met. It’s possible that we met at one of many NWP functions we’ve both been engaged in. It’s equally likely it was while she was hosting an #engchat discussion one night. Or perhaps it was at the NCTE annual conference. Or a NBPTS thing. Or a Connected Learning webinar. Or Educon. Or. Or. Or. Meenoo’s networks run deep! Her interactions are meaningful and lasting–both with her students and with her peers. And while this paragraph sounds mainly like I am gloating about being friends with such an awesome educator, I wanted to highlight how Meenoo’s professional life exemplifies the principles of renewal and connection that are so clear in her book.

In fact, one of the strongest aspects of Thrive is that Meenoo packs in the stories, voices, and ideas of so many of her peers. Whether it is sidebar profiles throughout, excerpts of Twitter discussions, or an integration of research in her own writing, Meenoo’s book is more than just her own work; it is a bound compendium. It is the closest you can get to seeing a living network breathe across pages.

Many of my students at CSU are reading Thrive for my colleague Cindy’s class. It is clear that the ideas that have been resonating with me have been doing the same for my students. More than any other testament of the book’s value is hearing students–often feeling burnt out as they prepare for student teaching next semester–share sentiments such as, “This book is unlike anything that I have read before.  It is simple, accessible, and focused.”

I look forward to this dialogue continuing to unfold  at tomorrow’s stop over at edrethink.