Tannis Niziol

Writing Classes Are About Writing, Not AI-Aided Production If we want students to learn to write, AI tools shouldn’t have much of a role. If we don’t think students need to learn to write anymore, I’m not sure what we’re doing here.

I think we should still teach students writing, not AI-assisted document production. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

'Breakdown' Much of the motivation behind my years speaking out against Trump has been to contextualize his actions and provide some insight into just how deviant and depraved he truly is; how outside the boundar...

“I’m still surprised so many others chose to stay silent instead of speaking the truth back in 2016. Trump’s racism and sexual predation were no secret. His lies, malfeasance and prolific incompetence in business were already in public view - if you were even mildly aware of his history in NYC.” ope

Last push folks. Let’s keep Alberta Canadian!

Sunday Pages: "Ode to the West Wind" A poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Interesting @gregolear.bsky.social on Shelley's 'England in 1819' inter alia:

"An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying King;
Princes, the dregs of their dull race, who flow
Through public scorn,—mud from a muddy spring;
Rulers who neither see nor feel nor know..."

open.substack.com/pub/gregolea...

Coach by Jason Reynolds. Coach by Jason Reynolds. 9781915820365

Coach by Jason Reynolds. Meet Coach as a boy striving to come into his own as a track star while facing upheaval at home - Daily new children's book #kidlit #BookOfTheDay #ad - Daily new children's book #kidlit #ad
⬇️
uk.bookshop.org/a/735/978191...

We conservatives need to take a stand against one of our own Conservatives have taken the lead on equality many times before. They need to do so again.

“…no gov’t should issue an ID card millions need & use every day so it can distinguish our friends & neighbours on the basis of private info that tends to overlap w/ personal characteristics [like] ethnicity.

Smith’s plan will only stigmatize & hurt [them]”

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont... #abpoli

Is My Professor Using AI? | Learning Curve Ella Stapleton noticed something unusual in lecture notes her professor handed out to students. Coverage of what happened next sparked discussion about misuse of AI in education – not by students tryi...

Highly recommend this episode of Jeff Young's Learning Curve podcast where he talks in-depth with that students who protested her professor's use of AI and got attention in the New York Times. Strong insights from @marcwatkins.bsky.social too. learningcurve.fm/episodes/is-...

This Is Fascism

From one-on-one help to manageable class sizes, public education needs real investments — not more delays. Teachers are pushing for change. #KidsCantWaitAB #StopTheExcuses

What the Public Memory of Charlie Kirk Revealed

My latest:”Through gossamer tributes, Kirk’s cruel condemnation of transgender people & his racist throwback views abt Black Americans were no longer anathema but instead are being treated as just another political view to be respectfully debated —like a position on tax rates or health care policy.”

<em>Reading Research Quarterly</em> | ILA Literacy Journal | Wiley Online Library A commitment to intellectual freedom requires educators and activists to resist book bans and work to support students' right to read. This graphical abstract includes an image of a stack of books bo...

Mapping Book Banning Resistance: Visualizing Acts of Activism to Preserve Students' Right to Read - Griffith - 2025 - Reading Research Quarterly - Wiley Online Library ila.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Read Whatever the Hell You Want Enjoy yourself.

"Don't feel bad if you're not reading every great book. No one ever has, and no one ever will."

Talked to the organizer of Forever-Canadian, the petition campaign to put a referendum question to keep Alberta as a part of Canada. Here's a FAQ if you're inclined to sign the petition. #yeg

I just did that with our new neighbour. It's always a lovely gesture!

Teaching Resources - British Shakespeare Association Here are some resources for anyone looking for free, reliable resources for teaching Shakespeare. Whatever you need, you should find something here to help you. Internet Shakespeare Editions The site ...

These are some great free resources for teaching Shakespeare. #languagearts #shakespeare #literature www.britishshakespeare.ws/education/te...

Beyond Local: Alberta used lists of America’s most banned books and a controversial database to identify ‘inappropriate’ material in schools Jonathan Friedman, managing director of U.S. free expression programs at PEN America, objected to the use of PEN’s database by the Government of Alberta.

Alberta used lists of America’s most banned books and a controversial database to identify ‘inappropriate’ material in schools - St. Albert News www.stalbertgazette.com/beyond-local...

When Books Sing: Why Music in Literature Matters, a guest post by Rayne Lacko When we ban books or defund music programs, we don't just silence stories; we sever lifelines. We remove safe, creative pathways for young people to explore emotion, identity, and connection.

Banned books and defunded music programs may seem like separate issues, but both cut young people off from opportunities to explore their identities, process emotions, and find meaning in their experiences. When we lose either, we lose vital pathways for teen expression and self-discovery. (TLT)

Family Ties: 7 Graphic Novels That Bring Family Dynamics to Life | Stellar Panels Seven recent graphic novels that feature family stories of love, loss, and lineage.

Each of these graphic novels features a character dealing with family struggles, ranging from unrealistic expectations to the death of a sibling, and depicts the sometimes messy process of coming to terms with those issues.

Inside prison walls, here's how a book program is changing lives Accessing reading material in prisons is hard, but Freedom Reads co-founder Reginald Betts, a former inmate, went beyond books, creating libraries made by former prisoners.

"In prison, I discovered books. I became a poet and also a very good communicator. I was able to make friendships and connections that have lasted decades. Books gave me an understanding of the world,” Betts said in an interview with Noticias Telemundo.

www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...

"Of the Empire" by Mary Oliver

We pause to honor the extraordinary contributions of Dr. Kylene Beers to NCTE and the literacy field.

Kylene spurred our leadership forward at every turn. Many recognize her as a giant, and she was, including serving as NCTE President (2008-2009) and as a proud member of the Middle Level section.

YouTube video by Penny Kittle S4 E10 May 1, 2023 with KYLENE BEERS!

I'm still processing the loss of Kylene Beers, a giant in our field. Here is an interview she did two years ago with me and Penny Kittle: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9oo...

Before You Return Feedback To Students What we did as a class together (key word: together!) before students received their individual essay feedback

I think one of the most important yet underutilized spaces in the classroom is the time between marking student work and returning it to students.

One of the biggest shifts in my career? Creating "feedback lessons" to use that space intentionally:

thebrokencopier.substack.com/p/before-you...

12 Book Censorship Posts to Revisit: Book Censorship News, June 20, 2025 From teens leading in the work against book censorship to a necessary docuseries exposing Christian fundamentalism, catch up on these previous literary activism posts.

Dive into 12 previous stories about teen activism, the language of book censorship, and more in this week's Literary Activism.

This week's book censorship roundup is *very long* for the middle of June.

bookriot.com/12-book-cens...

Why I Teach Literary Theory to High Schoolers (and you should too) Helping students read the word and world-system one lens at a time

Teaching literary theory has been the most influential approach I’ve used to improve HS students’ interpretive ability.

Theory helps them see what’s possible with interpretation, not just what’s permitted by “correct” readings.

#literacies #iteachenglish #edusky

open.substack.com/pub/trevoral...

Writing is thinking.

YouTube video by Human Restoration Project Pedagogical Documentation w/ Angela Stockman

“Assessment is a verb—it’s something we do, not something we give.”

@angelastockman.bsky.social joined us to talk about pedagogical documentation that makes learning visible & practical strategies teachers can use to curate portfolios that capture learning:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpfG... #EduSky

Jason Reynolds' favorite thing is being alone Jason Reynolds writes stories that meet kids where they're at, as full, complex people. He talks with Rachel about the value of being a crier, and his restless approach to living life to its fullest.

Jason Reynolds writes stories that meet kids where they're at, as full, complex people. He talks with Rachel about the value of being a crier, and his restless approach to living life to its fullest.