Meet the Bloggers!

Meet Megan, Ashley, Holly, and Kari:

I'm Holly and this is my first semester in the Literacy Specialist Graduate Program at SUNY Potsdam. I graduated in December 2010 from Potsdam with a double major in History and Secondary Social Studies Education. My first student teaching placement was in Gouverneur with 9th graders and my second was in Potsdam with 9th-11th Graders. I absolutely love to read and spend most of my free time doing so. Books that can relate to a theme or time period are particularly interesting to me. Exploring new ways to integrate literature into my content area is something I'm learning more about everyday :)

Hi! I'm Kari and this is my first semester as a graduate student in the Literacy Educator program. I am a December 2010 graduate of SUNY Potsdam. My Bachelor's Degrees are in English Literature/Writing and Secondary English Education. I am certified to teach English Language Arts in grades 5 through 12. I have always been an avid reader, and young adult literature is a particular favorite of mine. I'd have to say my favorite historical young adult novel is Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. Although this novel is mostly fiction, it gives great insight into the way children lived during the Holocaust. My favorite work of fiction overall, however, is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I am so excited to get to work with other educators and discuss literature!

 HI!! My name is Ashley and I am a Literacy Education Specialist from SUNY Potsdam. I have my Bachelor's degree in History and Secondary Education: Social Studies also from SUNY Potsdam. That makes me certified to teach social studies in grades 5 through 12. I have always loved books and reading, unlike everyone else in my family. I think my favorite history novel is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (all 1064 pages!!). One of my favorite young adult books is The Sorcerer's Stone  by J.K. Rowling. I read it for the first time in 5th grade, and I've read it several times since then. Currently I am reading my way through the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis book by book. This past weekend I started reading The Boy and His Horse.

Hi!!! I love long walks on the beach... J/K :)! I'm Megan and this is my last semester as a graduate student!! WOOP WOOP! I cannot wait!

I am currently a Global Studies teacher, teaching both 9th and 10th grade world studies AND AP World. I cannot express how lucky I am to have a job where I get to share world history and teach it to a younger generation! Our blog is incredible for offering other teachers the opportunity to collaborate or just USE these novels to captivate their students minds and hearts in history and English! I have many favorite novels including some that I have posted, Princess, First They Killed My Father, Mende: Story of Slave Girl, A Thousand Splendid Suns, AND SO MANY MORE!!! Please feel free to chat with us and share your own ideas and literature!!