I looked at Weblogg-ed Learning with the Read/Write Web, and I do subscribe to it because I feel it has very up-to-date discussions that are relevant to 21st century literacy. I like that Richardson creates links within his blog to further provide information on vocabulary, concepts, and programs that he is discussing. The layout is easy to read.
I also looked at Girls Write Now Blog which I knew nothing about prior to opening it. It is easy to find out what the blog is for. Under the about link, there is very straight forward information about Girls Write Now. The organization is in New York City, and it partners mentors who are accomplished women writers such as magazine editors, journalists, novelists, etc. with high school girls. The purpose is to provide role models, and to assist the girls in their desires to attend college. I learned all of this in just a few minutes. So the blog is very well organized. It is a good example of how an organization can use a blog to communicate to its members, attract volunteers, and provide assistance to its members without having face to face meetings. http://www.girlswritenow.org/gwn/blog/1
Once upon a time there was a classroom
7 years ago
I don't remember now where I first heard about this program and their blog - maybe NPR. But it really impressed me. See their mission page - this sums up the challenge - "Among 12th-grade students, only 42 percent of whites, 16 percent of blacks and 22 percent of Hispanics read at a level where they understand a high school textbook, the Secondary School Principals reported; one in four students was three or more years behind in reading comprehension."
ReplyDeleteand the possibility -
"High school youth in after school programs are at least 5 to 10 percent more likely to earn As and Bs. They have attended a cultural event or visited a museum in the past month; claim they love school or like school a lot; believe being a good student is important; say their schools are preparing them very well for college and plan on continuing their education after graduation."