Enlightened by modeling

During the session on Fun with AP Style and Grammar, I received SO many great resources and learned ways for PRACTICAL use with the AP Stylebook in my classroom. The online subscription information is priceless as well.

My favorite thing about these sessions are ideas given to me to teach this information in fun and applicable ways. For example, the video clips and the Mr. Rewrite clips; GREAT stuff! Students really connect to the content, especially "stuffy" subjects as grammar, when the presentation is a presenter in a "lighter" tone but at the same time, modeled for them.

What I have taken away from this intense week would be the importance of modeling. I never realized in my own English classroom the importance of modeling what you want the students to do but in journalism, which I am new to, not only is modeling important and effective, it is absolutely essential.

The 5 stages of a story session with Michael Roberts today further emphasized this idea. I felt as if he was giving us a gift today, and really he is, when he showed us ways to assess student skills by breaking the areas down into the 5 stages. I took more notes on this session than any other because the skills we want each student to master can sometimes be hard to present to them; i.e. here is what I expect and why, and this method really works for me. If he goes to professional news rooms to present this information, imagine if we start early with our students...the news rooms of the future will thank us:)

P.S. AP Stylebook on Twitter is great, as is the fake AP. Such great resources to share with students! I have no links to share today but I am looking through some great articles on social media and standards I hope to share with you all tomorrow!

Alyssa Carnley

Harrison High School

Kennesaw, Georgia