ENG 315 – Digital Writing, Digital Teaching

Networked Conversations and Transformational Technology

Sep 12, 2014

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in CMU, Connected Learning, Education Reform, ENG 315, Methods, News and Notes, Professional Development, Reflections, Social Networking, Teaching, Writing

This past week has been a busy one for me, with professional experiences ranging from face-to-face workshops and two webinars, to our first school-based field experiences with pre-service teachers; additionally I met with my writing project leadership team, facilitated two writing groups and ended last night by helping to moderate a panel discussion amongst principals…

Contributing to the Conversation: Pre-Service Teachers Get Started on Twitter

Sep 3, 2014

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Troy Hicks

in Best Practice, CMU, Collaboration, Connected Learning, ENG 315, News and Notes, Professional Development, Reflections, Social Networking, Teaching, Writing

Over the past week, my ENG 315 students have been joining Twitter and using the #eng315cmu hashtag to start discussing ideas related to teaching writing and creating their own PLNs. I provided them with a few resources to get moving along. First, to create your own professional learning network and reading list, begin by reading How…

Inviting Pre-service Teachers into the Social Media Conversation

Aug 17, 2014

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Troy Hicks

in Best Practice, CMU, Connected Learning, Crafting Digital Writing, ENG 315, English Education, Methods, Mobile Learning, Online Learning, Professional Development, Social Networking, Teaching, Writing

This fall — in fact, tomorrow — marks my return to the classroom after a year-long sabbatical filled with many research projects, lots of writing, and quite a bit of travel. Like most teachers, I both crave and fear the “regularity” of the school; the days become somewhat more regimented, but the overall craziness of…

Two New Articles for Teacher Educators and Parents

Nov 4, 2013

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Troy Hicks

in Blogging, Collaboration, ENG 315, English Education, Methods, News and Notes, Professional Development, Reflections, Sabbatical, Teaching, Writing

In the past two weeks, I’ve had to wonderful opportunities for writing, one through my colleague Todd Finley via Edutopia, and the other from a group of English educators via their Writers Who Care blog. Here is a brief preview from each, as well as links to the originals. Engaging Pre-Service Teachers in Authentic Writing…

Reflections on CMU’s High Impact Teaching Academy

Apr 29, 2013

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Troy Hicks

in Best Practice, CMU, ENG 315, English Education, Methods, News and Notes, Presentations, Professional Development, Reflections, Teaching

Last fall, I joined CMU’s High Impact Teaching Academy with the specific goal of rethinking the approach to teaching my methods course, ENG 315: “Writing in the Elementary and Middle Schools.” While I am unable to present my final project in person this week, I did want to share three components of my refined approach:…

Social Network “Fail” Leads to A Renewed Approach to ENG 315

Jan 12, 2013

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Troy Hicks

in CMU, ENG 315, English Education, Methods, News and Notes, Professional Development, Teaching, Wiki

Another semester began this week, and I have been updating my syllabus and wiki site for ENG 315. Last semester, I was quite surprised and delighted by the number of you who asked me about my Wikispaces to Edmodo shift. Well, we learn from our failures, right? This is one that taught me a great…

NWP/NCTE 2012: Mentoring Matters

Nov 19, 2012

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Troy Hicks

in CEE, Collaboration, CRWP, ENG 315, English Education, NCTE, NCTE 2012, News and Notes, NWP, Presentations, Professional Development, Reflections

As NCTE President Sandy Hayes said at the very beginning of the convention, this entire weekend would feel like Christmas: so long in the making, with the magic lasting only a moment. Still, what a moment it was, and continues to be, as the many conversations I had this weekend still resonate with me. Natalie…

Making a Change: From Wikis to Social Networking in ENG 315

Sep 17, 2012

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Troy Hicks

in CMU, ENG 315, Professional Development, Social Networking, Teaching, Wiki

For the first time in five years, I am starting an ENG 315 course without using a wiki and, instead, will be relying on Edmodo as the primary space for communicating with my students. This is a big pedagogical shift for me, one that (to be honest) invoked a little bit of healthy anxiety when…

Service Learning and Teaching Writing (AERA, Part 2)

Apr 25, 2012

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Troy Hicks

in AERA, CMU, Educational Research, ENG 315, English Education, Notes from Other Presentations, Professional Development, Reflections, Teaching, Writing

One of the considerations that I am keeping in mind as we re-imagine the midtier field placement for ENG 315 is to wonder if and how we could conceive of it, at least in part, as an opportunity for service learning. While it is critically important that our students spend time in elementary and middle…

Webinar with ENG 315

Nov 23, 2011

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Troy Hicks

in CMU, ENG 315, English Education, Methods, Professional Development, Virtual Learning

Earlier this evening, I spent my ENG 315 class time for the night teaching via webinar rather than in a F2F session. Using CMU’s access to Wimba, I invited my students to post three slides related to their experience attending a conference or otherwise engaging in personalized professional development this semester. Also, we back-channeled in…

Category: ENG 315