Professional Learning

Building a diverse collection of fiction, nonfiction, novels in verse, graphic novels, and biographies can be an overwhelming task. The books need to appeal to a wide variety of students that [...]

by Jennifer McCarty Plucker, Ed.D., Director of Professional Learning at Mackin and Deidre Purvis, Lead Classroom Specialist at Mackin Teachers need books, lots of books. Many teachers understand [...]

Educators no longer ask if students should learn through print or digital resources. We know they must learn through BOTH. Though our students are digital natives, they live as “Tech Comfy,” not [...]

In the era of 1:1, many educators (and parents) hold tight to students reading “real” books, such as books bound by a publisher. Others say we need to “get with the times” and allow our students [...]

Recently waiting in a security line at the airport, between consulting opportunities with two districts in two states, I noticed a young couple and their two children behind me, both boys under [...]

Last weekend at the Long Island Connected Educator’s Summit, Tony Sinanis and I facilitated a session, 5 Ways to Support a Culture of Learning. A few days prior to the conference he shot me over [...]

Learner Engagement Part 2 (of 5) Last week I had the honor of speaking with dedicated and passionate educators at the Nebraska State Reading Association. In my first session, From Frustration to [...]

Learner Engagement Part 1 (of 5) I have been a student of adolescent literacy for almost 20 years–dedicated to reading about the science behind what motivates and engages our youth in [...]