Churning is a word that usually refers to turbulent mortgage or security markets. Yet it's a word that aptly describes the rapid changes in literacy we are experiencing today.

We can easily see the effects of technology use on our reading habits. But, the effects on writing, while not often discussed, are just as profound, according to technology guru William Richardson, who also happens to be a veteran English teacher.

"Connective writing" is the term Richardson uses to describe this evolving form of writing. Far from thinking that writing is becoming obsolete, Richardson firmly believes writing is one of the most important skills students will need to be successful in their lives. It's just that the practice and purpose of writing has changed.

What was once a monologue is increasingly becoming a dialogue. Students used to write in closed spaces, for the classroom, for their teachers, for themselves. But now when they write online, they have the potential to reach a global audience, Richardson says. They have the opportunity to connect with people who share their passions and interests and who can become their teachers.

Not very long ago, a reasonable answer to the question, "what is the purpose of writing," would have been, "to express my thoughts and ideas." But that was then. A more updated take on the purpose of writing, according to Richardson, is that it is to connect with others in order to share and build on each other's thoughts and ideas.

With all the uncertainties that surround the many changes in literacy practices, many educators have taken the conservative stance. They are the keepers or guardians of the written word as we know it. But one result of this approach is that the literacy practices that most people engage in every day online "don't count" in school as much as traditional practices such as reading books and writing essays.

Schools are wary of online writing for other reasons besides questions about its value. They also want to keep students focused on learning rather than on all the distractions of social networking and protect them from predators.

With 2 billion people now online, Richardson says teaching and learning can take place anywhere, anyplace and with anyone.

Here's Richardson's biggest dare to schools: Instead of seeing this global community as 2 billion potential predators, look at it as 2 billion potential teachers and collaborators. Rather than keeping every student beneath the radar, help each student graduate with a prominent internet profile and global connections.

Related resource:

Webinar with William Richardson now available on CD-ROM "Motivate students to improve their writing with technology-driven strategies"

One of the scariest things a teacher can do is to discuss controversial topics with relatively uninformed students, says Matt Rickey, a high school teacher in Kendallville, Indiana.

"Nothing could possibly go wrong," says Rickey, with more than a hint of sarcasm.  In a special 9/11 issue of journal, The Social Studies,  Rickey says he is willing to tread the minefield of teaching 9/11 because of his 10-year commitment to teaching students about what happened on that day and its far-reaching repercussions.

"So, why would an otherwise sane teacher take the risk of hurting students, angering parents, or putting administrators in a position of having to defend the teacher in question? The short answer is that this kind of discussion must take place," he says.

Rickey began teaching a mini-unit on 9/11 in his sociology class shortly after the attack when emotions were still running high. He was unclear what approach to take with his students. But then he discovered a documentary by 2 French filmmakers simply called "9/11" which now culminates his 2-week unit. Students are spellbound by the story of Ladder 1 in New York City, he says.

By then, the students have worked on a timeline of terrorist attacks beginning with the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, they have studied maps of the Middle East and learned the names of the attackers and of U.S. officials. The unit ends with a focus on how Americans overcome adversity (military, volunteerism, fundraisers, concerts, memorials, etc.)

Ten years after the surreal attack on the World Trade Center, social studies researchers say 9/11 is remarkably absent from school curricula. Some of the major reasons teachers steer clear of the topic are fear of controversy, concerns about the complexity of the subject, worries about not having enough time to devote to the subject and still cover all the other required subjects in the curriculum, and lack of confidence in one's own knowledge to do justice to the subject.

But Rickey and other teachers who are dedicated to teaching 9/11 say schools not only have a responsibility to keep alive the memory of 9/11, but also to take advantage of a rich opportunity to engage students in a meaningful dialogue about global events and to help them become more informed citizens.

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is an opportunity for educators to consider if and how they should bring this difficult topic back into their classrooms. 

Related article with teaching resources:

Why 9/11 should be taught more in school

"Yes, but" rarely has the effect you intend. The "yes" is supposed to affirm and validate what a teacher or staff member is telling you. It's supposed to communicate that you really have listened to what they're saying, that you appreciate the value of their input or opinion.

It's the "but" that people hear most of all, however. They know the "yes" is merely a prelude to the "but" where you get to say what you think and what you want. They barely hear what you are saying in the "yes" part because they are waiting to hear why you think their ideas or suggestions won't work.

In improvisation, one of the most important working rules for actors and comedians is that the unerring response to a statement, any statement, no matter how preposterous, is "yes." It is called the Rule of Agreement and it is critical for nurturing the budding story line you and your fellow actors are creating. 

The Rule of Agreement reminds you to respect what your partner has created and to start from an open-minded place, writes comedian Tina Fey in her recent book about her career (Bossy Pants). "Start with a YES and see where that takes you."

If your fellow actor says, "Freeze, I have a gun," and you say, "That's not a gun. It's your finger", the scene stalls. But if you say, "That's the gun I gave you for Christmas!" you keep the narrative's momentum going.

Tina Fey is not the first to point out that the rules of improv are general good rules to live by. Obviously in real life you can't always agree with everything everyone says. But remembering the working rules of improv will help you be more of a collaborator than a terminator. These rules may be particularly useful to you in brainstorming sessions with your staff when you want to keep the flow of ideas going rather than getting stalled in pools of disagreement.

Some other quick rules of improv:

You can't just say yes. You must say "yes, and." You must contribute something of your own to the conversation.

Make statements rather than ask questions all the time. Asking questions puts pressure on other people to come up with the answers.

Remember that there are no mistakes, only opportunities and happy accidents. Some of the world's greatest discoveries happened by accident, because of a "mistake." One person's happenstance remark may be the beginning of a very fruitful dialogue.

Now I've just gone back to every reference to "improv" in this blog to remove the "e" that my autocorrect function insists on adding. It is a happy accident that my computer wants to make "improve" out of "improv".

If you've ever had trouble finding your car in an airport parking lot after a trip, Jim Knight, a coach of instructional coaches, has an ingenious tip: Take a picture of your parking spot number with your camera phone.

A popular speaker who travels frequently, Jim says he often feels that he will be able to remember that he parked in B 29 as he's rushing to catch his plane. But, of course, after the flurry of activity surrounding his work with instructional coaches, he comes back to the parking lot no longer remembering this vital information.

The instructional coach could be said to play a somewhat similar role as that camera phone picture of B29, Jim says. During workshops and conferences, teachers learn many things they feel they can immediately implement in their classrooms. But, once they get back to the demands of teaching, they forget what they learned and what they meant to put into action.

The coach is there to help them remember.

The problem is that helping is a very complex process, Jim says. The trap many coaches fall into is to be too directive. Jim advocates a partnership approach to coaching, one in which coach and teacher are on equal footing and in which teachers have a choice and a voice. Humility is one of the most important qualities in a coach, Jim says, because in a true dialogue both people are learning. Few people will make changes without first feeling esteemed and understood.

When you are in a dialogue with a teacher about making changes in their teaching, think about how you would talk to them about dieting or about their parenting. What one does for a living is just as deeply personal as these two issues, Jim says.

If you wanted to talk to your sister about her parenting, you would tread very carefully, if you dared to tread at all. If you wanted to talk to your spouse about an exciting new diet you read about on the plane, you would also tread very carefully.

"Criticize who I am as parent and you criticize who I am as a person," Jim says. "Teaching is almost as personal as parenting."

The teacher who is listening to a coach is constantly monitoring that she or he is not being placed in a lower status. That teacher also wants to feel that he or she has a choice and a voice in what changes to make and how to make them.

If you read about a great new diet in an inflight magazine and decided you wanted to try it, you would be far more motivated than if you tried it because your spouse recommended it.

Jim says good words to remember when coaching are: If you insist, I will resist. In a true partnership and dialogue, the coach is not insisting, but assisting.

For more info on Jim Knight's instructional coaching webinar, now available on CD-ROM, click here.