The whole wolf debate was not much on my radar until I read this book which I bought for my son--not for me--and devoured in a few days. Who knew that O-Six, 21, 755, 744, and other wolves could feel like characters in a novel? I found myself ready for bed at 9 pm so… Continue reading American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee (2017)
Phones in the classroom
I'm back on educational technology, and specifically phones in the classroom. I'll get back to book reviews soon (I'm reading a great wolf book and can't wait to blog about it), but I saw this article posted by former colleague and Latin teacher extraordinaire, Steve Prince: How to Eliminate Cell Phone Use in the Classroom.… Continue reading Phones in the classroom
Americanah by Ngozi Adichie (2013)
Aside from a somewhat disappointing ending, I appreciated this story, specifically its Nigerian perspective of being a non-American black in America. I don't think I often enough distinguished the Black experience into its many subcategories, but I feel at the very least more informed now. In a nutshell, the story centers around Ifemelu who leaves Nigeria… Continue reading Americanah by Ngozi Adichie (2013)
Technology in the Classroom
I continue to ponder every day the use of technology in the classroom. Yes, there are distinct advantages, ways in which technology has enabled my writing students to access information/websites that offer strategies for improving their writing. Much of this technology I would use of my own accord simply because I try to stay abreast of… Continue reading Technology in the Classroom
Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens (2016)
This is a quick, one afternoon read, chronicling one woman's childbirth experience. Lore shows up at a Manhattan hospital alone with a multi-page birth plan. We don't know why she's alone or why she has prepared such an intricate birth plan. Over the course of the next eleven hours, she connects with her nurse, Frankline,… Continue reading Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens (2016)
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016)
A Gentleman in Moscow is a gem of a book that could be just as easily double as a self-help book about how to live life with a positive attitude despite challenging circumstances. The mere suggestion of the self-help genre would undoubtedly ruin the experience, but thematically, it fits. This novel about a Russian aristocrat, Count… Continue reading A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2016)
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (2016)
I read this book many months ago, probably last fall: post election season. Like everyone else, I was looking for answers. I was trying to get a better understanding of the rural population in flyover states (in this case rural Kentucky and Ohio) and why many of them voted the way they did. So I… Continue reading Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (2016)
