Chalk Talk Friday represents conversations and brilliance discovered on my travels ’round the Blogosphere.  From professional to personal development, these posts and links have in some way touched my head or my heart.

Enjoy this weeks finds:

Be sure to check out Wendell’s story of Canadian children’s author, Robert Munch, during a recent visit to Saint John to support families and literacy.  It is an amazing tale worth the read!

In an effort to bridge the gap between research and practice, the U.S. Dept. of Ed. launched Doing What Works, an online repository that focuses on quick delivery of practical, research-based educational techniques. Beyond presenting the research that supports certain practices, site visitors can access video, slides, or audio recordings of practitioners using those practices in schools or see examples of tools for implementing strategies in their own schools.

Leading Source:  award-winning, editorially independent education magazine published monthly by the National School Boards Association. Founded in 1891, American School Board Journal chronicles change, interprets issues, and offers readers—some 50,000 school board members and school administrators—practical advice on a broad range of topics pertinent to school governance and management, policy making, student achievement, and the art of school leadership. In addition, regular departments cover education news, school law, research, and new books.

Inservice: Inservice is the ASCD community blog—a place for educators to gather and share ideas. We hope it will promote the kind of exchange that happens in inservice meetings, where educators discuss how best to support their students. We want it to be a resource for everyone who cares about and serves education, learning, and teaching. Some topics discussed on Inservice include teacher professional development, No Child Left Behind, assessment of English language learners, and whether or not middle schools really work.