This is the fourth cycle of the Whippoorwill Award for Rural Young Adult and Middle Grade Literature, and it has been an eventful one. The Award has recently moved to be housed by The Rural Assembly on English Language and Literacy Education (TRAELLE, pronounced “trail”). TRAELLE is an assembly of educators through the National CouncilContinue reading “Announcing the 2024 Winners of the Whippoorwill Award for Rural Young Adult and Middle Grade Literature”
Category Archives: Teaching Resources
TRAELLE & WHIPPOORWILL TO JOIN FORCES
If you’ve been following along on this little journey of mine, you likely already know that I (with the help of Rebekah Buchanan and other amazing colleagues) started The Rural Assembly of English Language and Literacy Education through the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) as a home for rural ELA teachers and teacherContinue reading “TRAELLE & WHIPPOORWILL TO JOIN FORCES”
Rural Teen Writing Contest Portal is Open: Middle Schoolers Welcome!
When I began The Rural Teen Writing Contest, I wasn’t sure how it would go, so I began by opening the contest to only high school students in grades 9-12. Well, this year, that’s changing! The Literacy In Place Rural Teen Writing Contest is officially open to rural writers in grades 6 – 12! ThisContinue reading “Rural Teen Writing Contest Portal is Open: Middle Schoolers Welcome!”
Read Appalachia Collaboration | March 2024 Book Recommendations
I’ve recently been working on a memoir in verse about my time pollinating corn in the Indiana corn fields as a teenager. It started as a way to say goodbye to my Papaw who passed away in February of 2022, and writing felt like thievery. I have three young kids, my Literacy In Place website,Continue reading “Read Appalachia Collaboration | March 2024 Book Recommendations”
George Ella Lyon | Author Talk
We’re back, after a brief holiday hiatus, with an exciting bonus episode featuring *the* George Ella Lyon. Her poem “Where I’m From” has been used by English Teachers all over the world to invite students to think about who they are and their connections to their own places. George Ella Lyon is an award-winning poetContinue reading “George Ella Lyon | Author Talk”
Darcie Little Badger | Author Talk
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Darcie Little Badger to discuss her book Elatsoe, her rural background, her STEM background and PhD, and how all of that affects what and how she writes. It was a delightful conversation, and I hope you’ll listen in. Other books mentioned in this episode:
Happy Second Anniversary, Literacy In Place!
Confession: I’m terrible at remembering anniversaries. I know that the stereotype would have you believe that because I’m a woman I get all bent out of shape when my husband forgets ours, but that’s just not the case. Every year Ravi and I both remember a week or so after the anniversary has passed, andContinue reading “Happy Second Anniversary, Literacy In Place!”
I wrote a book (!)…
It doesn’t seem real, and probably won’t until I actually have a physical copy in my hands, but I wrote a book, y’all! Country Teachers in City Schools: The Challenge of Negotiating Identity and Place will be published by Lexington, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield in May of 2023. It is based on myContinue reading “I wrote a book (!)…”
Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt | Review
It was almost dawn when we went outside, Joseph and me. The peaks to the west were lit up and spilling some of the light down their sides onto our fields, all harvested and turned and ready for the long winter. You could smell the cold air and the wood smoke…Everywhere in the gray yard,Continue reading “Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt | Review”
Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore | Teaching Ideas
In this episode, I outline two ways that I would invite students to engage with WINTER WHITE AND WICKED. One way is through connections between the fantasy world of the novel and our own, and the other is through the world building and histories of the novel and our own. For sample questions for teachingContinue reading “Winter, White and Wicked by Shannon Dittemore | Teaching Ideas”
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron | Episode 2
In this episode, I detail the creative assessment and community exhibition “Mythology of Me” That I would use after students had finished reading the book. I also give shoutouts to Mrs. Pamme Meier-Fisher, the teacher who inspired me to be a teacher and with whom none of this’d be possible and to Randy Bomer andContinue reading “This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron | Episode 2”
Analyzing Rural Curriculum/Reading Choices: A Guide
One of the best things about getting emails from readers is that they usually give me insight into how the content of this online community is helping them or where they could use more support. I recently got an email from a community member about whether or not I had any guiding documents for howContinue reading “Analyzing Rural Curriculum/Reading Choices: A Guide”
Dr. Parton's Literacy In Place 