Annotated Bibliography of Coalfield Writers Favorite Resources

Anson, Chris M., and Richard Beach. Journals in the Classroom: Writing to Learn. 1st ed. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc., 1995.

A collaborative work of two English professors both responsible for various textbooks and handbooks for writing and reading as well as scholarly articles on reader response theories. It is ideal for teachers who want to help their students feel comfortable expressing themselves in writing, responding to reading either with the teacher or peers, organizing ideas, increasing concentration, and/or exploring multiple perspectives. This book would also be helpful to teachers who want to enhance class discussion or create a classroom community. It explains how to make student journals the center of the classroom and why journal writing is an important practice for all teachers not just teachers of English. This book describes the history and purpose of journal writing, discusses the different types of journals and their uses in the classroom, gives tips for teachers on how to respond and evaluate journals, and also suggests ideas for assignments of journal writing across the curriculum. It also has an outstanding index along with numerous related readings, and it also has references throughout and at the end of the book. Shared by: Marsha Walsh

Bickham, Jack M.. The 38 most common fiction writing mistakes (and how to avoid them). Cincinnati, Ohio: Writer’s Digest Books, 1992.

As indicated Common Fiction Writing Mistakes deals with common mistakes new writers make when they attempt fiction. Each chapter of the book deals with a different mistake in a clear and concise manner. Jack Bickham is a professor at the University of Oklahoma and the author of over 75 novels as well as articles and books on the writing process. He wrote this book to would be authors, to help them avoid some of the common pitfalls a new writer encounters. While not the most scholarly book, it deals with writing in a practical manner. Since the book is written from a negative point of view some writers might become discouraged even though Mr. Bickham encourages writers to write. I found the material to be helpful and got many good tips about writing. I would recommend this book as one any beginning writer should have on their shelf. Shared by: Bob Miller

Brooke, Robert E., Ed. Rural Voices: place-conscious education and the teaching of writing. Berkeley, California: National Writing Project, 2003.

The ten teachers/authors who particiated in this book are part of the Nebraska Writing Project’s Rural Voices Country Schools Team. The focus of “Rural Voices” is the study of “place-conscious writing”. To help teachers connect their students to Cultural, Natural, and Agicultural places through the writing of “we write, what we know”. One of the teachers/authors, Sharon Bishop uses the George Ella Lyons, poem “Where I’m From, to generate and make an impressive piece of writing about place. This exercise is a good example of how place can be linked to writing. Rural Voices: Place-Conscious Education and the Teaching of Writing is a wonderful resource. Shared by: Karen Dillon

Calkins, Lucy, Amanda Hartman, and Zoe White. One to One: The Art of Conferring with Young Writers. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2005.

The three teachers involved with the writing of this book explain the principals and practices that they have found that develop successful conferences. Calkins, Hartman and White used a variety of strategies and they show you many examples of conferences. They explain that conferring not only will improve your students writing but will improve teachers conferencing skills. They explain that our conferences need to match our students need and that we need to confer with our students not only during writing but across the curriculum. They give suggestions that all successful conferences should include such as tone of voice, body language, and positive feedback. Another important message was that conferring has no age restrictions. Shared by: Deb Holly

Cameron, Julia. The Right to Write: An Invitation and Initiation into the Writing Life. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc, 1998.

Julia Cameron says it all on page xvi, “Writing claims our world. It makes it directly and specifically our own.” Her book is about letting writers learn how to write using their own voice and in a language that is familiar to their own. She states that writing is inherent and we all are writers if given the chance. Writing is hard work and only you, the writer, can determine what style to use, what genre to incorporate, and how you are responsible for determining the who, what, when, where, why, and how to write. A writer must follow their own dictates and inclinations not someone else. She states it perfectly on page 153, “Writing is the act of opening the eye to the absolute beauty of ordinary things.” Shared by: Dolores Conley

Campbell, Linda, Bruce Campbell, and Dee Campbell. Teaching and Learning Through Multiple Intelligences. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson, Allyn and Bacon, 2004.

This edition provides more information than in previous editions. The third edition includes technology, information based on Gardner’s theory of Multiple intelligences, updated resources in each chapter, information for integrating MI theory into standards based learning, and data from MI based schools concerning student achievement. This books can aid the teacher in teaching basic skills that develop the students’ eight intelligences. It has tools ready to use for assessing the students and lesson plans to help make teaching easier. It is an excellent reference guide that provides many ways of identifying the students’ intelligences and offers teaching strategies that corresponding with each intelligence. Shared by: Rebecca Johnson

Childers, Pamela B., Eric H. Hobson, and Joan A. Mullin. ARTiculating: Teaching Writing in a Visual World. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1998.

A popular work on the way the visual world plays a role in today’s culture, this text explores ways in which to use the visual world that we see each day in our pedagogy/classroom. These authors use actual practices and lay them out for their readers in each chapter of the book. With these practices, the authors chose specific activities that can be used in a multidisciplinary literature area. Also, the authors show their interests and objectives that can be used in other subject areas (cross-curricular writing). Art is all around us; we need to observe and connect with it no matter what discipline area we are teaching. With this text, teachers can integrate the arts into their classrooms which will help students to discover ideas, organize information, and overcome writer’s block. Shared by: Courtney B. Morgan

Culham, Ruth. 6+1 Traits of Writing. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1995.
  
The book 6+1 Traits of Writing is a great source of literature to refer to when teaching and assessing student writing. This powerful six step model allows teachers to “prioritize, focus, and individualize” the writing instruction. This book is geared toward teachers who need to focus on teaching and assessing student’s writing from grades kindergarten through third. This complete guide to writing includes seven parts: ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, conventions, and presentations. Even though the book is written for the elementary level teachers, teachers of all grades will find this book useful when teaching the basics of writing. Submitted by Melissa Plumley

Cushman, Ellen et al., eds.  Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001. 
 
Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook is a highly valuable resource for all teachers concerned with reading, writing, rhetoric, and literacy practices—that is, every teacher.  The editors have thoughtfully grouped the included articles into seven thematic sections: “Technologies for Literacy”; “Literacy, Knowledge, and Cognition”; “Histories of Literacy in the United States”; “Literacy Development”; “Culture and Community”; “Power, Privilege, and Discourse”; and “Mobilizing Literacy: Work and Social Change.”  This is not a book to be read straight through, nor is it a book to scan for a catchy new teaching strategy.  Instead, Literacy provides a firm theoretical and research-based framework on which to build lessons and strategies and, thanks to copious notes and references, can lead teachers to other valuable authors or works.  While all the included essays are carefully chosen, most notable are Brandt’s “Sponsors of Literacy”; Gee’s “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction”; Szwed’s “The Ethnography of Literacy”; Shared by Crystal Howell

Daniels, Harvey and  Zemelman, Steven (2004). Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
 
This is a wonderful book all about content area reading.  It is just as useful in math, social studies, or science as it is to English.  Whether you teach elementary, middle or secondary this is the must have book for you.  Inside it points out the way to activities and materials that strengthen content and engage students across all subject areas.  The goal of the text is to show how our students can read and be successful across the curriculum, and what we as teachers can do to promote our students’ success.  Shared by Tonya

Ehrenworth, Mary. Looking to Write: Students Writing Through the Visual Arts. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 2003. Print.
 
Ehrenworth offers ideas that bring new passion into teaching writing by teaching students to look closely at visual art to find topics to write about.  Art demands that we activate our imaginations to respond to what we see.  The appendices contain graphic organizers, historical background briefs, class schedules, editing checklists, and much more. Shared by Mary Hawkins

Elbow, Peter. Writing With Power. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.

Elbow, in a note to the reader, says that writing with power means getting power over words and readers, as well as getting power over yourself and the writing process. He asserts that virtually every one of us can speak with clarity and power, so we can develop the ability to write similarly. As in his other works, he stresses the need to freewrite without editing oneself. Many will like this book because the reader is given permission to either read straight through or skip around. He suggests you read the first section, then choose the path that meets the writer’s particular tasks, skills, or temperament. This is a practical book for use by anyone, from student to professional. Shared by: Diana Clay

Foster, Tonya, and Kristin Prevallet, Eds. Third Mind: Creative Writing through Visual Art. New York: Teachers and Writers Collaborative, 2002.

This book talks about visual art as well as other forms of art in the classroom. Art brings out feelings in people. Students can understand the meaning of certain directions more if they see art. What people see or hear can help aid to imagination when a person writes. This book contains visual art pictures to help people become inspired. An exercise for Resistant Students is “Students are asked the “Equivalent” of an art work.” This book talks about different forms of art both visually and aurally and how it aids students in learning and using their own imagination in writing. Shared by: Brian Lauck

Fulwiler, Betsy R. Writing in Science. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 07.
Writing in Science shows how to scaffold instruction to support learning at the early ages, understanding the basics of integrated science / writing approach, what research says about science and writing in education today. Fulwiler makes connections between science and literacy for teachers. This work supports writing instruction across the content areas. Shared by Karen Dillon

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing Down the Bones. Boston: Shambhala, 1986.

The author has a great admiration for writing on all levels. She attributes her teaching and writing success to Zen meditation. She speaks of writing in simply sentences, making it easy for the reader, but difficult for the write. I find her words flowing, simple and accurate. The author hits the target with all her ideas about new writers and experienced ones. I feel the book is saying you can break the rules when you are the author and that you just need to trust yourself. You need to not doubt your abilities and that everyone needs to write with determination, patience, humor, and motivation.

Natalie Goldberg encourages writers to take the journey of putting any and all ideas to paper. You need to trust yourself and in your writing you will learn to think better and be more in touch with your feelings. She relates that everyone has a story to tell and everyone has ideas to write. In one of her stories, “Man Eats Car,” it states how absurd the story is and it has no logic, but it’s a written story and a good story.
I think she is saying to all writers, give yourself space and take steps in your writing. In another chapter called, “Writing Is Not a McDonald’s Hamburger,” this is conveyed. Writing is analyzed as slow cooking the small things before you take on a banquet.
Shared by: Sharron McLemore

Jensen, Eric. Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria: ASCD, 1998.
This is a popular work from Eric Jensen that combines the latest research on learning and the brain.  It gives teachers techniques and strategies to use in their classrooms.  Jensen covers topics  such as motivation, emotion, movement and learning and  explains the research as to what role the brain plays in each of the topics.
Jensen tells us that, Making an emotional connections helps us remember what we read.  Brain research shows that “emotions drive attention, create meaning, and have their own memory pathways.” Shared by: Deb Holley

Martin, Nancy, Pat D’Arcy, Bryan Newton, and Robert Parker. Writing and Learning Across the Curriculum. New Jersey: Boynton/Cook, 1976.

Writing and Learning Across the Curriculum is a book based on Project based research team. The purpose of the project’s work is to find ways in which a students writing could more effectively contribute to his/her personal development and learning. They discussed the relationship between talking and writing. It discussed that the students in the secondary schools usually only write to give information. The research showed that this is mostly for the teacher and not a lot of benefit for the student. It discussed how students need to do more writing across the curriculum to not only show what knowledge they have acquired, but to process unfamiliar information into knowledge. The project also discovered that writing should be used for more than just testing it should be used throughout the school year. Students can use writing to help them deal with their feelings and other experiences in not only their lives but the lives of others. One of the main focuses was to look at reasons we have students write. A lot of students know that their teacher already knows the information, but we need to let our secondary students write more than just to give information. We need to let them relate stories and poems to their own lives. Shared by: Carrie Wellman

Richardson, Will. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, 2009. Print.
This book is an excellent resource for teachers. It empowers the beginning technology teacher with new tools, while giving support to those who are exploring new technology in their classroom. Richardson provides proven research and gives clear rationale for examples.

Tate, Marcia L. “Sit & Get” Won’t Grow Dendrites. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2004.

Brain - based strategies are all the rave in the teaching profession. With good reason, they work. These techniques and strategies work with adults and children. This book describes in great detail brain-based learning, differentiated instruction, and multiple intelligences. These techniques work with a variety of learners. The author defines each strategy, explains the theory behind it, and provides several learning activities. It is a great book for anyone who is teaching others, regardless if they are focusing on adults (whom the book is written for) or children. In the very beginning of the book, located within the preface, there is a Table that lays out specific learning strategies, what multiple intelligences the strategy will help the instructor reach, and the specific learning modality being addressed. In my opinion it is a wonderful reference and can really help instructors reach their audience. Shared by: Jason David Browning

Thurston, Cheryl Miller. Common Sense(though opinionated)Tips on the Teaching of Writing from a Writer, Teacher & Editor. Fort Collins, CO: Cottonwood Press, Inc., 2002.

Cheryl Miller Thurston has taught writing from youth to senior citizens. She has published poetry, articles and plays as well as other teacher help books. She is the president of Cottonwood Press, Inc. Common Sense is a short, to the point reference book aimed at helping struggling or confused writing teachers keep their sanity. Mrs. Thurston is very concise and entertaining and easy to read. This book helps reinforce that the basics are what is important and helps the new teacher feel more confident. The ideas for keep your sanity and teaching and grading writing while under the duress of changing attitudes and assessments are priceless. Shared by: Tina Goodman

Tate, Marcia L. “Sit & Get” Won’t Grow Dendrites. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, 2004.

Brain - based strategies are all the rave in the teaching profession. With good reason, they work. These techniques and strategies work with adults and children. This book describes in great detail brain-based learning, differentiated instruction, and multiple intelligences. These techniques work with a variety of learners. The author defines each strategy, explains the theory behind it, and provides several learning activities. It is a great book for anyone who is teaching others, regardless if they are focusing on adults (whom the book is written for) or children. In the very beginning of the book, located within the preface, there is a Table that lays out specific learning strategies, what multiple intelligences the strategy will help the instructor reach, and the specific learning modality being addressed. In my opinion it is a wonderful reference and can really help instructors reach their audience. Shared by: Jason David Browning

Winter, Dave, and Sarah Robbins. Writing Our Communities: Local Learning and Public Culture. Urbana, Ill.: National Council of Teachers of English, 2005. Print.

This book is a collection of teachers’ classroom-tested lessons which engage students by using the history and culture of the local community as resources. These articles are from various disciplines and are based on best practice. The activities vary in time required from one class period to many weeks. Shared by Judy Southard

Wong, Harry K. and Rosemary T. How to be an Effective Teacher : The First Days of School . Mountain View, CA. Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc. 2005
 
This book gives a variety of ideas and techniques that have been compiled by educators on different ways to be an effective teacher beginning with the first days of school. The book relates to teachers of all grade levels PreK-12. This book addresses the teacher, positive expectations, classroom management, lesson mastery, as well as the professional. It is especially helpful for the process of setting up procedures within the classroom. Shared by Tiffany Sargeant

Wormeli, Rick.  Meet Me in the Middle:  Becoming an Accomplished Middle-Level Teacher. Portland, ME: Sternhouse Publishers, 2001.

Demonstrates experiences and knowledge on middle-level education, innovation, and teacher professionalism.  Includes classroom teaching experiences that connect theory with teaching strategies to challenge teacher educators and staff developers to teach new teachers the importance of writing in the content areas and the components of a Writer-Friendly Classroom.  Challenges teachers to examine students’ writing   as more than a final assessment strategy.  Provides how to use hands-on manipulative learning strategies to achieve students’ accountability for well-reasoned thinking.  Demonstrates this kind of inquiry on a regular basis as students clarify their thinking through writing, their misconceptions become more evident.   Shared by Bertha Curnutte

Worsley, Dale, Ed. Teaching for Depth: Where Math Meets the Humanities. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002.

This book recommends journal writing or learning logs in Math. It also bridges math and humanities. The book gave strong purpose as to why writing belongs in math class. It encourages you to incorporate children’s literature into math. This book focuses each chapter on major elementary school math topics. I enjoyed this book and agree that there is a need for writing in all curriculum areas. I hope to incorporate the poems and journal logs in my math class. Shared by: Hazel Mollett