In this episode Troy speaks with Gerard Dawson, a high school English teacher of 8 years, author of “Hacking Literacy”, an education and technology blogger (check out his posts on Writable), and host of the new podcast show: “The Edtech Startup Show”
Gerard and Troy discuss how their teaching methods have changed since the start of their careers, and what drives them to teach writing to students, year after year. Gerard shares where he finds his motivations: in the craft of writing itself. He practices what he preaches, and focuses on the importance of writing as a necessary utility in life, remembering that just because most students won’t become professional writers, it doesn’t lessen the importance of having the skill.
Gerard also shares his tips for teaching argument writing to engage students, and both Gerard and Troy share their fondness for Dave Stuart Jr., whose go-to writing templates are a wonderful teaching resource (https://davestuartjr.com/simple-argumentative-writing-template/). He also engages his students in multiple forms of feedback, from guided self-review, peer to peer review, and fast, quick feedback from himself – his favorite approach to supporting students in the moment.
You can learn more about Gerard Dawson at gerarddawson.org and follow him on Twitter @gerarddawson3
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