Andrew Duval

Though my session is the least assessment-oriented of the bunch. It'll be me arguing for why narrative writing should be taken seriously in school, and a way to think about narrative that might reframe how teachers assess it. Plus some practical writing activities that emerge from this perspective!

Literacy Masterclass Series

Nov 13 I'm running a session on the foundational importance of narrative writing as part of the Seven Steps to Writing Success literacy masterclass series. The whole series looks good, so check it out if you're interested in writing and assessment.

bit.ly/48emWW9

*Running govt like a business* except they mean *a dysfunctional family-owned small business*

Idk as a policy proposal this feels like fighting managerialism with more managerialism. And for an ecological model, it's very chunky and static: big edtech cos dominating schools without acknowledging the school/admin/parent-side demands that reinforce big edtech behaviour and dominance.

Yeah, this is a tangent but I think we’re suffering the effects of an education system that devalues *value*. As in, demonstrating the skill of ‘close reading’ is more important than a student valuing reading, analysing literature is more important than valuing literature. Etc, across all subjects.

“most obviously in the CCSS emphasis on a narrowly-defined form of “close reading” that tries to eclipse the reader’s impressions/moods” — can you give some examples?

But the middle has problems too: if you’ve ever spent any time working in govt you know how easily that middle management layer becomes a thicket of self referential rules that confound service delivery and become the landscape for hostile territorial disputes among the feudal bureaugoise

This is why I think school science classes should put much greater emphasis on *appreciation*. Few students will grow up to use info or skills from science class, but they will all have the opportunity to vote for a pro or anti science society.

Loved “buffering”

Oh my god you’ve made me realise I’ve become too digital tunnel-visioned and forgotten The Power of the Wall. I’m doing this on Tuesday.

I’ve been thinking a lot about analytical writing and brick metaphors lately, mostly in response to students over-using connective devices. Building evidence is like stacking bricks: most of the work is done by selection and placement. If you do that well, you can build a wall without mortar/glue.

I like the steganographic ideogenesis label, but wonder if what you’re describing is what satire has always been about: rallying support for an idea but wrapping it in defensive layers while also gaining more attention with a comedic style?

No what should be illegal is Google inventing the format and then not supporting it in Slides

Lol I love that you’re reading this story with 5th graders. What a way to inoculate kids against being assholes when they get older!

Maybe because Mississippi had Democratic governors during this period and ICE are recruiting Black officers.

That was a lot of fun. I forgot to say thanks! It was nice to just hang out and riff on poems, plus got lots of ideas for a future poetry unit. 🙏

And one with a moire pattern in the bg to mimic the scan lines on your book cover (though I can't find a similar straight line pattern, and I'm not making one 😂)

I meant to post this earlier, but I was thinking your graphics could use a little less-is-more streamlining. Here are some alts.

I don’t know why this particular idea strikes me as so good; I think it’s the combination of whimsy and gravity? (These are all really important values!) What keeps the kids taking nominations seriously (and not trying to ‘get em all’ with trivial nominations)?

Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks, George Winston’s seasonal albums, Keith Jarrett’s Koln Concert, and Deathprod’s Treetop Drive if you ever want to create a mood similar to Thomas M Disch’s novel The Genocides

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

On the other hand, if you are a perfectly consistent and competent flosser, then you're already winning at life, so what more do you need? Go click that vote button!

participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

And I'm not bullshitting: if your dentist keeps bugging you about your lack of flossing, then I do have the solution for you, and I will share it if our workshop gets accepted.

And yes: the advice works even if you have annoying retainer wires and have to fiddle around with Superfloss or whatever.

I also posted this request on LinkedIn, where I said if we get accepted, I'll do a thought leadership post on how to make your dentist happy with your flossing.

Good news: I will commit here and now to also posting that flossing advice on Bluesky.

You don't need to be attending SXSW; they use these public votes to evaluate the bajillion proposals they've received.

The workshop is about writing, team improv, the joy of authentic craft skills, and the value of uncertainty, among other things. It's also a break from all the AI sessions!

SXSW EDU 2026 VOTE NOW PANELPICKER PROPOSAL COMMUNITY VOTING AUGUST 5–24: Using Improve Ideas to Transform Student Writing with John Warner, Danielle Witten and Andrew Duval

Hey, if anyone wants to do me a favour, can you pop over to the SXSW EDU Panelpicker and drop a vote for a workshop proposal I'm doing with @biblioracle.bsky.social and Danielle Witten?

Just click this link, create an account, and slam that heart button: participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

Hence patriarchy

Oh no I didn’t know. So sad. My fave: The Better Brown Stories. Cosy, charming metafiction.

Haha this is one thing I teach for evaluating any argument: does the speaker limit their claims, evidence, issue, or anything? No limits = 🚩🚩🚩

It reminds me of that conversation between Levarr Burton and Laurence Fishburne that was floating around a while back, where Burton is like, I’m on their Star Trek and I’m teaching their kids to read and I’m so angry all the time.

I think what’s on my mind is that sensory contrast is so exaggerated that its almost cartoonish, it feels naive, but then the imagery in the stanzas is so much darker, this roiling Bosch-like profusion of details.