Archives: 2011 March 28

@newsfromtengrrl for 2011-03-28

Mar 28

Pediatricians Say Social Media Leading to 'Facebook Depression' – WJW http://hoki.es/e0nX9N #
In the Writing Center, Is Less More? | Rhetoric's Moments: http://hoki.es/fwLFtV #
Less Is More: Using Social Media to Inspire Concise Writing – NYTimes.com http://hoki.es/dVDX2K #
Blogging As A Way Of Learning In Minnesota – National Writing Project http://hoki.es/dIskNA #
Digital Literacy Mortally Wounded in Budget Battle – National Writing Project http://hoki.es/fgTo9h #
How to Work Around the New York Times' 20-Article-per-Month Paywall http://hoki.es/hn0oYe #
Have You Ordered Textbooks Yet? – ProfHacker – The Chronicle of Higher Education http://hoki.es/f7oVgY #
Nancy Barile: Get Ready for National Poetry Month! | Classroom Solutions http://hoki.es/gFUkKy #
Patricia Ryan: Don't insist on English! | Video on TED.com http://hoki.es/gSzll7 #

OMG! LOL! Bits Flashback for March 28

Mar 28

By Traci GardnerBedford Bits, composition, social media assessment, blogging, checklists, dictionary, hero, OED, twitter Comments Off

Last week, the OED announced a new batch of words that have been added to the dictionary. Among this year’s inductees are OMG, short for “Oh My God,” and LOL, short for “Laughing Out Loud.”

My favorite part of the announcement is the background on the word LOL: “the letters LOL had a previous life, starting in 1960, denoting an elderly woman (or ‘little old lady’; see LOL n./1).” Other fun new words include ego-surfing, smack talk, meep, and muffin top.

OMG! It’s hard to compete with all these new words, but I’ll try. LOL! Here’s a run-down on the new entries posted on Bedford Bits last week.

To Tweet or Not to Tweet, that is Andrea Lunsford’s question! Can students tweet and still write well? Andrea shares several ways they can.
High School Bits blogger Crystal Farrell argues for a modern classroom that is a mixture of lecture, interaction, practice, assistance, and technology in Technology and Education: Together at Last.
What makes a hero a hero? Jack Solomon considers characteristics of modern-day heroes: Official Heroes, Outlaw Heroes, and . . . Charlie Sheen!?
Barclay Barrios shares the lessons a teacher can learn by grading students’ papers in Paper Two: Possibilities and Problems.
Nedra Reynolds describes student reactions to online assignments and wonders whether students are suffering from Blogging Overload.
Steve Bernhardt explores how lists can improve performance in writing classrooms in Make a List.
What lessons do you recall from your school days? Traci Gardner reflects on what makes a lesson memorable and asks, What Lessons Are You Leaving with Students?
Jay Dolmage considers rhetoric and the Online Genres represented on Facebook and Twitter.

A Few Extra Reminders

Share Teaching Resources for First-Year Writing on the new NCTE Community Board and connect with other CCCC members on the CCCC Connected Community.
Early registration for the Computers and Writing Conference ends April 15. Information on the conference, lodging, and travel online. The conference happens in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May 19 to May 22.
Read the top intellectual property developments of 2010 in the CCCC IP Caucus Annual. The free document can be downloaded as a Word document or PDF from the CCCC website.
Looking for some new resources for the classroom. Check the Top 10 Web Tools for Teachers, according to The Harvard Education Letter.
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

Finally, let me hear what you want to know about teaching writing or about using digital tools in the composition classroom by leaving a comment. Your suggestions will shape upcoming posts.

—Traci Gardner

[Photo: 15 by Cofrin Library, on Flickr]