NCTE+Conference

__**Technology**__
 * Wordle: [] Very easy and quick to use. Creates "word clouds" with words that are repeated having more prominence. There are many English applications such as creating character Wordles.


 * Animoto: [] Free 30 second movies "Animoto automatically produces beautifully orchestrated, completely unique video pieces from your photos, video clips and music. Fast, free and shockingly easy.


 * Literary world: [] Online virtual world on common texts. Students can take on a character identity as an avatar.


 * General technology: http://isteatncte.wikispaces.com/ This is the website from a presenter at the conference. There are many links to resources including tips on podcasting, how to transform PowerPoint presentations, and Digital Storytelling.


 * Teaching the Middle East: [] Lots of good resources for teaching history/literature of the Middle East. Good pop culture/video links too.


 * Google Lit-Trip: [] Chart the progress of your literary characters throughout their journeys.


 * __Literature__**


 * //1984//: //Little Brother// is a modern version of 1984. You can download a free audiobook of it at []


 * School-wide book club: Presenters discussed creation of book-clubs as school electives. Teachers select favorite novels & create collaborative list of summaries for students to choose from. Books created based on search of "truth and wisdom." Groups meet for 4-5 week periods. Below is a word doc with a list of activities the presenters suggested. They are applicable to general discussion in class.
 * 1) Put a character on trial
 * 2) Brainstorm all sensory details in a selected passage & draw these details to create a visual representation of the section
 * 3) Create dairy entries from character’s perspectives
 * 4) Big Square Activity: Four squares on the floor that present different opinions/issues in story. Students stand where they feel and move around based on discussion
 * 5) Agree/Disagree continuum centered around controversial statements presented in story
 * 6) Hard-copy blogging (hand-write responses to different prompts and have students respond/discuss in groups)


 * //Kite Runner//: Extensive PDF unit plan: [|kiterunnerhigh[1.pdf]]

__**Writing**__


 * [] This is a site created by two teachers (one high school and one middle school). They had some very innovative ways of encouraging students to write (for real world situations) as well as improving there writing.


 * Senior Project Interest Inventory- An activity to use with seniors who need guidance with topic selections.

__**Literacy & the Media**__


 * The focus of this session was how advertisements are geared toward children/teens more than ever. The presenters offered the links (below) to two great video resources and other ideas.
 * [] (this site has lesson plans to accompany ideas/resources presented)
 * __**[|http://www.mediaed.org]**__


 * []
 * Presenters have applied this to the classroom by having students freewrite a response in multiple writing mediums (poems, stories, letters, etc.) and ultimately publishing class responses in school-wide journal
 * "Without Commercials" by Alice Walker (recommended by presenters)


 * Below is a link with information/images from commercials through the 1900s
 * []


 * __General English Teacher Resource__**
 * Join this Ning! Jim Burke, an English teacher from San Francisco, has create this fabulous resource for English teachers. There are so many resources on here for all grades, levels, learning abilities, and electives.
 * [|http://englishcompanion.ning.com/]


 * This is another really interesting English teacher discussion page. The site gives you "points" for how often you contribute. The more points you have, the more lessons, projects, and handouts you can download to your files. Interesting concept.
 * []