Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 1d

I recently saw a post about Fink's "taxonomy," which also had a circle format. I had never heard of it because it is apparently used in higher ed
Have you?

Thinking Routines has such a good explanation of how the pyramid shape imposed on Bloom's is problematic.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 2d

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 2d

The Young People's Lit category for the National Book Award is 🔥.
www.nationalbook.org/2025-nationa...

2025 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature

The ten contenders for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

www.nationalbook.org

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 2d

The Young People's Lit category for the National Book Award is 🔥.
www.nationalbook.org/2025-nationa...

2025 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature

The ten contenders for the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

www.nationalbook.org

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 4d

👍📚

Amanda Hunt @thenextgenlib.bsky.social · 4d

Book 3️⃣ in the Four Eyes #MG #graphicnovel series by @RexOgle & @davevaleza @GraphixBooks out April 7 that is my fave of the entire series so far! 🏳️‍🌈 bookshop.org/a/102434/978... #library #tlsky #skybrarian #skybrarians #books #librarian #bookrecommendation #librarians

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 4d

Banned Books Week starts today
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bannedbooksweek.org

Banned Books Week | October 5-11, 2025

bannedbooksweek.org

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 6d

Echoes and Reflections is offering a webinar on bringing Living Links speakers to your classroom.

I am a Living Links speaker. The training for speakers is excellent. If you teach about the Shoah, consider inviting a Living Links speaker to your class.
🗺 📖
echoesandreflections.org/prepare/?cla...

echoesandreflections.org

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 7d

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Gregory Laski @greglaski.bsky.social · 7d

New stack for project on journalism as civic education in democracy. Please get in touch if you have a story to share or direction to suggest!

Stack of books on a desk featuring titles about democracy, citizenship, and journalism

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 12d

George Takei and Banned Books Week!!!

📖 Hoping for some great posters and bulletin boards #iteachenglish

www.ala.org/news/2025/09...

Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025

Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by ...

www.ala.org

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 12d

We can never do it all!

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 12d

I would add in let them discuss it and guide them to learn how have those discussions...a lot of good writing comes skills come from discussion and a lot of good ideas come from writing and discussion.

I know you know 😀.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 14d

Congrats!

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 14d

Subtly downgrade a band:

The Wallflowers --> The Bluestockings

Steely Dan --> Tinny Dan

Barenaked Ladies --> The Somewhat Clothed Ladies

Chicago --> Cleveland

ClutchScience (Jen Phillips) @clutchscience.bsky.social · 14d

Subtly downgrade a band:

Radioshoulders

Physghoul 👻 @physgal.bsky.social · 14d

Subtly downgrade a band:

9,999 Maniacs

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 14d

#educatingmindfully

Garth Marenghi's Catbus @hayao.lol · Sep 25

I will never apologize for a post

photo of a glum wolf captioned

when you teach a wolf to meditate...then that wolf
becomes aware wolf

Reposted by Gabrielle Plastrik

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · Aug 16

What are yours #iteachenglish?
🍎 📖

@jayceemoore.bsky.social @epagano.bsky.social
@kpteach5.bsky.social
@thedimpledteacher.bsky.social
@jennifergandarias.bsky.social
@markeshatisby.bsky.social
@amoon33.bsky.social
@mattrkay.bsky.social
@happycamperkeith.bsky.social
@mrsgrider.bsky.social

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · Aug 16

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My top 5 first writing assignments from being an English teacher...just the prompts:

#5) Write about a routine that is routine for you.

#4) Write about your earliest memory of music.

#3) Write about the most disgusting thing you saw this summer that you can share at school.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 15d

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Sara Hudson @saraphudson.bsky.social · Feb 15

A brand new novel in verse from Renée Watson - just out last week. Everything you would expect from this poet/novelist. It is a book about grief written in response to the author's own loss. At turns a gut punch, a hankie, and a hug. Not easy, but a comfort in the end. #mglit #BHM

All the Blues in the Sky by Renée Watson.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 15d

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skellyton bones jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · Aug 5

This book comes out in September, and it's an excellent YA verse novel about a girl who doesn't know what she wants after high school, learns how to make choices about her own body (amid ever-changing abortion rules state-by-state), a friendship breakup, parental depression, slam poetry, and more.

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 15d

📖 #iteachenglish

Macmillan Children's School & Library Marketing @mackidssl.bsky.social · Jun 5

Did you know we've created a teacher's guide for ONYX & BEYOND by @ambsmcbride.bsky.social?

Consider adding this title into your curriculum next year! Tap the link to download ✨ bit.ly/3Fq0Eol

#edusky

To the left, on a pale rose colored background, in white text reads: MacKids School & Library. Onyx & Beyond Teacher's Guide

To the right is the cover of Onyx & Beyond by Amber McBride. The cover depicts a young black boy, arms crossed and wearing a white t-shirt, looking up at the sky. Behind two multicolored wings stretch out as if from his back with layers of blue, pink, and yellow feathers. Each feather has a word written on it, for example: Stars, Mama, Freedom

Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 15d

There is a pink lake in Africa that my student have written into creative pieces. I sometimes also used historic photos: e.g. old hospitals and operating rooms or cities after Mt
St. Helen's erupted.
You can also pull images from famous fine art.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

I know that that 5 minutes did not likely do a lot for them in terms of learning, but it helped a lot with nerves and jitters.
I would usually pair it with some talk about emotions: feeling nervous means something important is at stake. Your brain is just trying to make sure you know that.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

I decided some focused class time was better than no focused class time, so I offered that they could pick to have 5 minutes to review with a partner at the start of my class or at the end, but they had to choose (by vote) and then make an effort to do our work the rest of the time.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

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Chelsea D Chamberlain @cdchambs.bsky.social · 20d

Taught the slave trade in World History this week. Pairing the Slave Voyages site with @jamellebouie.net's piece on it, plus excerpts from Equiano/Vassa's Narrative works very well every time. Just in case anyone's thinking about syllabi rn 🗃️
www.nytimes.com/2022/01/28/o...

Opinion | We Still Can’t See American Slavery for What It Was (Published 2022)

www.nytimes.com

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

I am happy to share something that mostly worked for me on those days if you'd like to hear it.

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

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School Reading List @schoolreadinglist.bsky.social · 19d

Myths for children. 📚👍🏼
schoolreadinglist.co.uk/genres/myths...
#kidlit
Myths for children, featuring books by Michael Morpurgo, Roger Lancelyn Green, John Agard, Joe Todd-Stanton, Chitra Soundar, Liz Kessler, Efua Traoré,...

Myths for children

Myths for children, with books by Michael Morpurgo, John Agard, Joe Todd-Stanton, Chitra Soundar, Liz Kessler & Efua Traoré.

schoolreadinglist.co.uk

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 19d

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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · 20d

I’m having intro chats with dissertation students this fortnight, and one of them asked which historians I’d recommend for beautiful writing they could absorb to further develop their own writing style.

So, gang, which are your favourite *writers* among historians, any time, any topic, any place. 🗃️

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Gabrielle Plastrik @gplastrik.bsky.social · 21d

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Connecting to Ourselves and Our Communities: The Path to Educator Well-being share.google/RrO9hGzX0pKB...

Connecting to Ourselves and Our Communities: The Path to Educator Well-being

Teacher Well-Being Focus: Being able to define and refine our values (presence) helps educators and students make decisions and connections, which then allows us to act as mindful global citizens. The...

share.google

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