# teaching writing (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 4 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover teaching writing. Page: Feed: --- ## [Students Decide Whether They Belong Earlier than You Think: Three Research-Informed Ways to Foster Academic Belonging from Day One](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/08/students-decide-whether-they-belong-earlier-than-you-think-three-research-informed-ways-to-foster-academic-belonging-from-day-one/) _2026-08-07 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Strengthening academic belonging among your students early in the semester shapes not only how they experience your course, but how they see themselves as learners. Research professor and author Isis Artze-Vega, Ed.D. highlights three research-informed changes you can make to your classroom. ## [Your Syllabus in the Age of AI: A Practical Guide for Instructors](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/08/your-syllabus-in-the-age-of-ai-a-practical-guide-for-instructors/) _2026-08-07 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ If you have spent time wondering how to write an AI policy for your syllabus, you are not alone. Generative AI has moved faster than most course design cycles, and many of us are being asked to make high-stakes decisions about tools that are rapidly changing and that our students are already actively using. In this fast-changing environment, the syllabus matters more than ever. ## [Demonstrating a Growth Mindset in a Prison Education Writing Course](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/demonstrating-a-growth-mindset-in-a-prison-education-writing-course/) _2026-07-22 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Rhetoric and Composition professor Jule Thomas understands that the path to learning isn’t always easy, equitable, or traditional. She reflects on her experience teaching incarcerated students and reexamining her own biases. Read how you can adapt to unique teaching environments and find new ways to connect with your students. ## [AI as a Thinking Partner, Not a Crutch: Designing Assignments That Actually Make Students Struggle (in a Good Way)](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/ai-as-a-thinking-partner-not-a-crutch-designing-assignments-that-actually-make-students-struggle-in-a-good-way/) _2026-07-20 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ A few months ago, I asked a room full of faculty a simple question: If AI can complete the assignment, what exactly are students learning by completing it? The room got quiet. Not because the answer was obvious, but because many of us are wrestling with the same tension. ## [Engaging my AP® Chemistry Students with an Atoms-Focused Approach](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/engaging-my-ap-chemistry-students-with-an-atoms-focused-approach/) _2026-07-17 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ In her 38 years of teaching chemistry and AP® Chemistry, Laura Slocum knows exactly what her students prefer. In our latest Norton Learning Blog post, Laura shares how Chemistry: An Atoms-Focused Approach, which emphasizes visual learning and couples perfectly with modeling instruction, keeps her students engaged and curious. ## [3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time This School Year](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/3-ways-to-make-the-most-of-your-time-this-school-year/) _2026-07-16 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Laura Vanderkam is the author of seven time-management books, including Norton’s Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance, as well as the host of two podcasts. The start of the school year can always make time feel crunched. You may be juggling new courses and new expectations alongside deadlines and a lingering sense that there’s always more you could be doing. … Continue reading 3 Ways to Make… ## [Research as Recursive Conversations: Using “They Say / I Say” in Your AP® Seminar](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/research-as-recursive-conversations-using-they-say-i-say-in-your-ap-seminar/) _2026-07-08 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ As a first-year AP® Seminar teacher, I was really nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to offer my students all the support they needed. But, since my students had access to “They Say / I Say,” I felt as if I had a mentor teacher with me at all times ## [Teaching on the Tenure Track: How to Ace Lesson Prep](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/07/teaching-on-the-tenure-track-how-to-ace-lesson-prep/) _2026-07-02 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Balancing planning, grading, and teaching while securing tenure isn’t easy. Kelsi G. Hobbs, assistant professor of economics at the University of Maine, shares how the right textbook resources are foundational in creating a strong course, allowing you to dedicate more time to research, service, and other projects. ## [Why You Should Engage Students with Primary Sources in Your ELA Classroom](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/06/why-you-should-engage-students-with-primary-sources-in-your-ela-classroom/) _2026-06-25 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Rebecca Newland is a high school librarian who spent 15 years as a high school English teacher before switching, which has been more fun than she could have imagined. ## [Learning to Teach on the Fly: Tips for First-Time Instructors](https://nortonlearningblog.com/2026/06/learning-to-teach-on-the-fly-tips-for-first-time-instructors/) _2026-06-17 · nortonlearningblog · Norton Learning Blog_ Adronisha Frazier teaches medical microbiology and biology lecture and lab courses at San Joaquin Delta College. She works closely with colleagues to mentor, teach, and support a diverse student population in earning credentials and transferring to 4-year institutions. ## [Auto-trade Cross-Exchange Gaps (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/oGjK8l32xOWQ) _2026-06-17 · **Sponsored**_ Find cross-exchange spreads, backtest strategies, and execute automatically with risk controls. ## [The best empirical studies I have read about GenAI in 2026, in APA format](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-best-empirical-studies-i-have) _2026-06-11 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ 23 of them ## [Google AI Educator Series: Free AI Lessons for Teachers](https://www.litandtech.com/2026/06/google-ai-educator-series-free-ai.html) _2026-06-09 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ At this time last week I was at Google, enjoying a lovely meal on the patio of Charlie's cafe with educator colleagues from all over the country. We were there for a two day convening to learn more about the Google AI Educator Series , or GES as they call it. Full disclosure, Google paid for my travel to the event. Which is remarkable in that for the 15+ years I've been involved in Google events,… ## [Google's acidification of the internet](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/googles-acidification-of-the-internet) _2026-05-30 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ The dangers of using AI as a foundation for internet search ## [The growth of template rhetoric in an AI society](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-growth-of-template-rhetoric-in) _2026-05-26 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Everyone seems to be noticing how bad AI writing is. ## [The Antidote to Screen Time is Story Time](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-antidote-to-screen-time-is-story) _2026-05-15 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Evening is a Campfire. Treat It Like One. ## [My classroom writing policy about good writing, not AI](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/my-classroom-writing-policy-about) _2026-05-15 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ A "bill of rights" for good writing ## [Cover announcement for AI Through the Experts’ Eyes: Communicating Complex Ideas](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/cover-announcement-for-ai-through) _2026-05-13 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Back in 2020 (really 2019), I decided to learn more about machine learning. ## [Six misunderstandings about qualitative analysis in an era of GenAI](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/six-misunderstandings-about-qualitative) _2026-05-02 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Note: there may be typos in this. ## [The resonance of good writing](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-resonance-of-good-writing) _2026-05-01 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ The desideratum ## [The non-random pickle of AI writing](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-non-random-pickle-of-ai-writing) _2026-03-07 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Jinx is a game when two people say the same word at the same time. ## [AI News Summaries & Audio (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/3YpnJ4TRoYr9) _2026-03-07 · **Sponsored**_ Tap an article for an AI summary and an audio briefing. ## [The Managerial Model of AI writing](https://meresophistry.substack.com/p/the-managerial-model-of-ai-writing) _2026-03-02 · John R. Gallagher · John Gallagher’s Technology Newsletter_ Introduction ## [Using Brisk Boost for Reading: Formative Assessment That Actually Helps Students Learn](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/11/using-brisk-boost-for-reading-formative.html) _2025-11-15 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ If there ever was a post that belonged perfectly on this blog, it is this one about Brisk Boost for Reading. You may know the Chrome Extension Brisk as a great way to give feedback, create materials, or inspect a text to authenticate it. (It also works with Microsoft Edge now too.) If you don't have the Brisk extension I highly recommend it for all those reasons. This post though, is about Brisk… ## [I Let AI Redesign My Canvas Pages (And You Should Too)](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/09/canvas-ai-html-makeover.html) _2025-09-20 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ My latest favorite way of using AI in my classroom is to vastly improve the look of my Canvas course pages and assignments. Update: I've built a custom tool in Magic School called HTML Improver . You can make a copy of it for yourself and use it to quickly improve the HTML of any Canvas page. It's easier than working with Claude or ChatGPT. Once you make a copy of the tool, click generate. Then… ## [Converting the text in an image to a Google Doc with a lot of help from AI](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/07/converting-text-in-image-to-google-doc.html) _2025-07-09 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ The photo, circa 2018? Years ago, in a different classroom, I had a glorious long whiteboard. It stretched for nearly the full length of one side wall of my classroom. One of my favorite things to use it for was listing sentence frames my 9th graders could use to help them craft body paragraphs of an essay. To take a picture of it I had to use the pano option on my phone, but I am so glad I took… ## [Learn with Me: Upcoming Workshops & Conferences for Educators](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/04/learn-with-me-upcoming-workshops.html) _2025-04-02 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ Looking to expand your knowledge on writing instruction, AI in education, and innovative teaching strategies? Here are some fantastic upcoming opportunities to learn with me! Upcoming: Write to Joy: K-12 Writing Conference 2025 📅 October 11, 2025 (Previously scheduled for 6/14) 🕘 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM 📍 OCDE Kalmus Drive | Building D, Costa Mesa, CA 💰 $150 (Pre-Service Teachers: $50) 🔗 Register:… ## [Grouping Students: Cast a Wider Net with Grouper.school for Better Classroom Collaboration](https://www.litandtech.com/2025/03/grouping-students-cast-wider-net-with.html) _2025-03-17 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ Creating effective student groups has always been a challenge. Ten+ years ago I created a spreadsheet to help me group my students based on my observational and academic data, so that I could quickly create both heterogeneous and homogeneous groups. I've learned a few things from over a decade of regularly using flexible student groups. Reel Results: First, students don't like this. Changing seats… ## [Advice about AI to Pre-Service Teachers](https://www.litandtech.com/2024/12/advice-about-ai-to-pre-service-teachers.html) _2024-12-18 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ In October I had the privilege of speaking to a group of pre-service teachers in their first semester of credential preparation. I met their instructor while she was the university supervisor for my previous student teacher. She wanted me to tell her students about AI in education. We only had 90 minutes together, so after our class meeting she invited them to share additional questions. Some of… ## [Can AI Assist You With Grading? Probably](https://www.litandtech.com/2024/12/can-ai-assist-you-with-grading-probably.html) _2024-12-08 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ Ideogram: A synthwave-inspired illustration depicting an AI and a teacher collaboratively grading papers. Teachers are adding AI tools to their classroom workflow and lots of educational technology companies are offering products that help with daily teacher tasks like preparing materials and designing lessons. But, can an AI grade student writing? And if it can, should teachers consider using an… ## [What Happens When Students Have Access to Instant AI Feedback?](https://www.litandtech.com/2024/11/what-happens-when-students-have-access.html) _2024-11-14 · @JenRoberts · Lit & Tech_ I teach English to 9th graders, which means I frequently ask them to write things. Right now we are working on a narrative unit and I often ask them to write stories related to our readings. Recently, we have watched the famous TED talk about the danger of a single story, and read a great essay on the same topic, and then I asked students to write about a time when they had a single story about a…