Category Archives: Uncategorized

Looking Into Education’s Crystal Ball

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Erik Palmer

I wrote this nine years ago. I didn’t foresee AI but if I had, it would have added to the argument. See https://pvlegs.blog/2025/10/01/what-ai-cant-do-giving-students-an-ai-proof-skill/ By Larry Ferlazzo on March 14, 2017 12:36 PM       (Larry Ferlazzo is an educator … Continue reading →

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Just because YOU love poetry doesn’t mean…

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Erik Palmer

My mother-in-law worked at a museum of natural history. She curated the Native American collections and took particular interest in the Passamaquoddy tribe in northern Maine. For several years, she took trips to Maine collecting handmade sweetgrass baskets and writing … Continue reading →

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What AI Can’t Do: Giving Students an AI-Proof Skill

Posted on October 1, 2025 by Erik Palmer

AI has dramatically changed education. You know that. We need to be concerned about AI and writing. How can we encourage students to develop as writers in a world where giving a quick prompt to a computer will generate an … Continue reading →

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Better podcasts guaranteed! (reprinted from https://www.hmhco.com/blog/how-to-start-a-student-podcast)

Posted on September 19, 2024 by Erik Palmer

Should you have students make podcasts? It’s a great idea for students in second grade (yes, second grade!) through twelfth grade for several reasons: Bottom line: podcasts are worth adding to your curriculum. Why Do Podcasts Exist? But let’s back … Continue reading →

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Can Numbers Be Biased?

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Erik Palmer

We love statistics. Specifically, we love raw number statistics: number of students proficient or advanced, number of babies named Emma, number of hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes, and more. We also love percentage statistics: grades; batting averages in baseball, … Continue reading →

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Giving Little Kids Voice

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Erik Palmer

Speaking Activities for Early Elementary School Students In a previous post, we looked at speaking activities for middle and high school students (https://www.hmhco.com/blog/public-speaking-activities-middle-high-school-students). I noted that there are many speaking activity suggestions available online for teachers who want to encourage … Continue reading →

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Better Student Podcasts…Way Better

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Erik Palmer

Most student podcasts are pretty poor. We taught students how to use the tool but didn’t teach them the speaking skills needed to be impressive when using the tool. Read this post I wrote for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to learn … Continue reading →

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Instead of an essay

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Erik Palmer

“What does democracy mean to you?” That was the writing prompt I gave to my class. I was expecting a three-paragraph essay about the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens. Ryan asked if he could make a video. Of course, … Continue reading →

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Essays Muttered Aloud!

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Erik Palmer

The annual convention of the largest association of English teachers in America. The president of the organization addresses the thousands in attendance. A keynote address? Not exactly. More like reading an essay at the audience. Listen to a piece of … Continue reading →

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Speaking NOT “Public Speaking”: Why The Difference Matters

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Erik Palmer

I want all students to become better speakers. Every time I say that I get a response like “Oh yes, public speaking is so important!” I really dislike that response. Let me explain. The words have a terrible connotation. “Public … Continue reading →

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