Scholarly Writing

One way educators improve our profession is by publishing in scholarly and other types of magazines. How can the public get a true picture of education if classroom teachers don’t enter the publishing arena?

Atlantic Monthly is a great mainstream magazine that many people, not just educators, read. Experts usually advise that you check out actually copies of the magazines or their online versions before you make send in a submission so that you get the “feel” of what they are looking for. Atlantic Monthly’s submission page will tell you everything you need to know concerning a submission.

The Social Studies is a peer reviewed journal written by k-12 teachers, teacher educators, and curriculum administrators. A subscription that allows you to receive the print journal as well as have online access is $60 per year. The website states, “The journal welcomes articles that present new directions, options, or approaches.” You can submit online as long as your manuscript is double-spaced, and if references are used you utilize the Chicago Manual of Style. You also have to submit a letter stating that your submission is being submitted to The Social Studies exclusively. Complete manuscript submission guidelines can be found here.

The Education Writers Association

Have you ever heard the old saying “keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer?”

Many classroom teachers and school administrators more often than not criticize education writers as not knowing enough about what really happens everyday in the trenches. I’ve critisized certain journalists as well with my own verbal diatribes.

So, instead of critisizing them why not join them…..the Education Writer’s Association, that is.

Their website states “the Education Writers Association is the national professional organization of education reporters. The EWA was organized in 1947 by a group of newspaper reporters with the intent of improving education reporting to the public.

Today the EWA has more than one thousand members throughout the United States and Canada. Active members include reporters from print and broadcast media. Associate members include school and college public information officers and writers who work for educational institutions and organizations.

Classroom teachers can also join the organization as Associate members for $65 per year.

Visit the website for links to various current articles by education writers on a myriad of hot topics.

The Georgia Carnival Is Up

This picture is from Savannah, Georgia. I thought it was appropriate to go along with my announcement that the Georgia Carnival is now up over at Georgia On My Mind.

Elementaryhistoryteacher does a great job keeping the carnival going plus she confounds and astounds us with making history seem easy over at History Is Elementary.


The Education Carnival is also up over at What It's Like On the Inside!

Go Visit the Georgia Carnival

The Georgia Carnival is up over at Georgia On My Mind. Go visit. You might find something of interest……they even linked to one of my postings. I guess you can skip that one, but there are many other interesting tidbits over there.

Let’s see----posts about politics including one about the Alabama legislators slapping at each other, posts about education (what’s the world’s longest spelling word?), and did you ever wonder why some lawyers call each other colonel here in the south?

It’s all there waiting on you.

Head on over. I’ll still be here.

Boy Boredom...A Way to Stop the Madness

My students have been out of school for almost ten days and I’m sure they have already announced to their mothers, “I’m bored!”

Yes, I know that’s surprising. Young men have bikes, motorbikes, pools, trips to the movies, video games, i-pods, television…..need I go on. Even with all the new fangled technology our young men get bored. Many moms lament the fact that getting little Tommy or Bobby out the house for some summer fun is difficult because they won’t leave the video game box or the computer. Instead of tanned, slim little boys we end up roly-poly butterballs.

I have found the answer…..The Dangerous Book for Boys

Watch this video and you’ll understand where I’m heading with all this….



Need more convincing…..Blogging mothers are raving about this book.

Click here on the title to order the book………The Dangerous Book for Boys

Fluff...Is This News? Should We Care?

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time online. Everytime I headed back to my Internet provider page I was greeted each time with a picture of Paris. Dear sweet Paris…..I’ve been so worried about her. I was so glad I had minute by minute updates that she was faring well her first full day of jail. This morning I was relieved to learn she had made it through the night, however just a few minutes ago I learned the jail she is at has a high rate of staph infections.

Oh the humanity!

Quite frankly I’m way past caring about Paris or any of the Trash-e-nistas whose exploits bombard us daily on webpages and television shows. When we begin to digest news about shallow and dim people we end up shallow and dim ourselves.

So, a best practice for us all would be to begin to send a message to media outlets that we don’t care. Fluff…that’s all it is. Fluff when examined very closely has pockets of empty space, its structure is very week, and its existence is flimsey….easily tossed away.

I wonder….if I provide the links to fluff news do you have the stamina to make a stand and not click through to read them. Let’s see…

Here are my top five news items that make me say bleh:

1. Inmates where Paris Hilton is serving time have had staph infections
2. Nicole Ritchie is being slammed by a weight loss group
3. Drew Barrymore likes the new clothing designs of Kate Moss=
4. Kim Cattrall takes public transportation in England=
5. John Ramsey and Beth Holloway Twitty are dating

I wish these folks well, but really…………..is this news?

Which news stories do you classify as fluff?