March Madness! Bits Flashback for March 20
Mar 20
Bedford Bits, composition diversity, march madness, music, poetry, writing centers Comments Off
It’s the time of year for basketball and brackets, underdogs and dream teams, last-second miracles and heartbreaking losses.
In the classroom, why not try a March Madness Poetry Tournament? It’s an activity you can easily customize for your class. Don’t have time for all 64 participants? Just move down a level or two to the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. Not teaching poetry? Focus your tournament on whatever you’re reading, viewing, or talking about in class (or out). How about a Final Four showdown among four authors you’ve studied?
Even if you aren’t following basketball, we have some slam-dunk strategies for you, all posted on Bedford Bits in the last week:
- Holly Pappas considers the challenge of student diversity in the composition classroom in One Size Does Not Fit All.
- High School Bits blogger MG Gannon focuses on occasion, argument, and research using Internet news sources with Rhetorical Context: Rhetoric in the Wake of the Arizona Shootings (Part 2). Read Part 1 of the series for an activity that analyzes political speeches.
- Andrea Lunsford explores The Importance of the Writing Center and their impact upon students’ abilities to think and write critically.
- Dan Martin shares his experiences with Writing About Writing pedagogy in WAW: Increasing Credibility and Course Personalization.
- Barclay Barrios talks about electronic tools and feedback on student work in Commenting with Word: The Basics.
- Traci Gardner has a solution that takes the torture out of poetry analysis in Using Pop Culture to Hook Students on Poetry.
- High School Bits blogger Jodi Rice suggests some strategies teachers can use them with Cool Google Tools.
- Susan Naomi Bernstein explains how the familiar music people love can help learners to connect to unfamiliar material in Listening to Learn.
A Few Extra Reminders!
- Start planning now to participate in Collaborvention 2011: A Computers & Writing Unconference. (It’s all online, so it fits your travel budget!)
- If you’re heading to CCCC, make sure you check out C’s the Day! CCCC – the Game? Level up through a series of quests, earn special prizes and titles, and more. Follow the game on Twitter: @csthedaygame
- Be sure to check out Bedford/St. Martins’ brand-new website. It has a cleaner look and feel, new navigation elements, and helpful resources that make your search for course materials quick and easy.
- Bedford/St. Martins’ online reference Writer’s Help has a Facebook page! Become a fan!
[Photo: March Madness by toddwickersty, on Flickr]
