PowerPoints to Purpose: Pioneering AI with Pedagogical Purpose by Jason M. Kosmiski

 PowerPoints to Purpose: Pioneering AI with Pedagogical Purpose
by Jason M. Kosmiski, M.Ed.

Back in My Day: We Thought PowerPoint Was High-Tech

I began my teaching career in 1998, long before educational technology was a thing – when having a computer lab was a luxury and AI was more associated with Terminator 2 than classrooms. Back then, integrating technology often meant typing papers in Microsoft Word or having students create a PowerPoint presentation, which rarely enhanced student understanding in meaningful ways. These early attempts were more about adding technology as an afterthought than using it with purpose. Today, the idea of “intentional use” has become a common buzzword in education, but it really does carry weight when it is clearly defined. Simply assigning tech-based projects, like PowerPoints, didn’t achieve that; students reorganized existing information without deepening their comprehension. Making a presentation about Abraham Lincoln, for instance, didn’t further students’ understanding of Abraham Lincoln beyond what the textbook already said.

The Great Handbag Heist: Teaching Character Through Clutter

At Cranberry High School (Venango County), we get to choose the lesson for our yearly state evaluation. With a new, younger admin team – and me turning 50 – I felt like I had something to prove, especially to my evaluator, our new assistant principal. After all, I did start teaching back when Will Smith was still “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It.”

One of my favorite lessons was developed in conjunction with a block student from Clarion University a few years back. She told me about a creative writing exercise one of her classmates designed for a class, where the prompt included items from a purse. The writing exercise consisted of telling a story about a fictional character using the items from the purse. I was teaching characterization at the time and thought that, with modifications, this prompt could effectively be used to teach indirect characterization to 9th graders. 

I ransacked my basement for items: broken glasses, an old cell phone, a circuit board from an old PlayStation, among other things. I grabbed an old purse from my wife’s stash and went into school early. I pulled a student desk to the front of the room and laid out the purse and all five of the items I pilfered from the junk in my basement. I found an article online called “What the Inside of Your Purse Says About You,” by Sam Escobar, and added it to the assignment. I also developed a Google Form where students could create a character profile. I told my students that this “lost purse” was discovered. The assignment:  describe a character who would have these items in his/her purse. Students were permitted to work in groups and were encouraged to go up to the desk and look at the physical items displayed there. Group discussions during this project are always interesting, and students really get into developing their characters using indirect characterization and the random items I choose to display.

The Lost Purse Project: five items discovered in the “lost purse.” Groups of students use these items along with methods of indirect characterization to develop their own fictional characters. 

 

Lost Purse 2.0: Leveling Up Character Creation with AI

I have been actively using artificial intelligence in my classroom since 2023, but I haven’t integrated it directly into lessons that would allow students to use it. After much thought, I decided to add an AI component to this year’s version of the “Lost Purse” assignment. I used a very targeted approach to dip my toe into the proverbial waters of AI in the classroom. 

There was no way that I was going to allow students unfettered access to artificial intelligence in my classroom. Besides, most AI companies have policies that state that users must be 18 or older to use their products. Artificial Intelligence is also subject to the same old pedagogical missteps of using technology for the sake of the technology, and not adding to student learning. I wanted my use of AI to be “intentional.” I wanted to use AI as a vital part of the assignment, not as a novelty divorced from the objectives of the lesson. I didn’t want a PowerPoint assignment for the sake of “using technology” in my class.

I was familiar with Magic School AI and knew it was compliant with COPPA, GDPR, SOC 2, FERPA, and state privacy laws. The platform has a feature that allows educators to customize AI tools for students and deploy them in a very controlled environment called “student rooms.” My initial idea for this year’s lesson was to allow students to use their character information to train their own, unique chatbots who would take on the personas of their fictional characters. Because of the educational nature of Magic School AI, this was not possible. They weren’t able to ask their chatbots personal questions, and I received alerts that students were misusing the platform in the teacher dashboard. 

Fail Forward: When the Chatbot Chat Fell Flat

That iteration of AI integration failed; I needed to pivot (the fancy buzzword is “fail forward”). I piloted this activity in my sixth-period academic English class (the one that was being observed by the assistant principal for my evaluation), but I had four more sections of English to introduce this lesson to the next day. Magic School AI also contains an AI image generator in partnership with Adobe Express. Instead of a chatbot, I created a Magic School room where students could use this image generator to produce portraits of the characters they created during the assignment. 

Student Example: Ninth-grade students used the image generator tool in Magic School AI to supplement their character profiles by creating photorealistic portraits of the characters they thought up in the “Lost Purse” project. 

Student's Character Sketch: Stephanie Moon is a very recognizable person but her skill of stealth makes her seem invisible. She has red hair and a face full of freckles. She always wears her classic gold hoops. If you want to be her friend, good luck, because she is very rude and distant. When she was a kid, she was orphaned because her parents died in an electrical fire. She was adopted by her parents. As she got older, she was always quiet and had a knack for computer things. She was so good she was offered a job as a hacker. To keep this from her parents she said she wanted to be a yoga instructor at her friends studio. They strongly resent her for this. By day, she is a yoga instructor, by night, she is a hacker that protects the world from an organization called "THE LETTERS". She lost her purse after a mission. She purposely left it so hopefully another hacker would find it, follow the clues, find Stephanie, and help her stop LETTERS.

So, AI Art – Hot or Not? Students Spill the Tea

I gave my student an opportunity to evaluate the Magic School’s application of the image generator tool through a survey I conducted after the assignment was completed. Eighty-four students out of ninety took part in the survey. Overall, 69.1% of the students who used the Magic School student room and the image generation tool rated these tools as easy to use and understand (see Fig. 1).

Figure 1: Ease of Use

69.1% of the students surveyed felt that using the Magic School AI image generator tool and student rooms were very easy.

Figure 2: Ease of Use Challenges

While 17.8% of students found Magic School’s execution of their image generation tool difficult to navigate, 34.5% didn’t experience any challenges while utilizing the AI tool.

    My goal in designing this AI experience was to integrate it as an important part of the assignment – to use the AI “intentionally.” I asked students if using the image generator helped them to visualize and develop their characters better. The results here were mixed. 45.2% of the students stated that the AI image of their character made them feel more real. On the other hand, 44% said that they already had a preconceived idea of what their character looked like in their heads, and using the AI only somewhat influenced the design of their characters. Furthermore, 10.7% felt that using the AI had absolutely no influence on their character design at all (see Fig. 3). 

Figure 3: The Influence of AI Images on Character Design

The percentage of students who felt that the image generator had an impact on the design of their characters was almost equal to those who felt satisfied with the preconceived character concepts they envisioned.

Do I consider this experiment a failure? Not at all. I consider this attempt at intentional AI integration a BETA test. I actually began this learning experience trying to incorporate an AI chatbot into the assignment, but ended up with a lesson in AI image generation. I learned several things, some unrelated to my English class, and a lesson in characterization. The experience taught me more about my students and their experience with using AI. As noted in Fig. 2 above, 40.5% of the students said that their initial prompt didn’t generate the results that they intended, causing them to have to tweak their prompts and eventually run out of the free credits they were initially provided (One of the drawbacks to using the “freemium” version of Magic School; unfortunately, students were only able to revise their image prompts ten times before they ran out of “credits.”). One student noted, “Maybe it [the image generator] could give you a better description of what you are looking for when you are generating your AI.” Another student wished, “For the AI to be able to understand the prompts better, so it takes less time to find an image.” These challenges stem from a lack of experience writing prompts for AI, not any deficiency on the part of the AI. I feel like there is another lesson somewhere in these findings. One that would familiarize students with the basics of effective AI prompting. A lesson I would incorporate before setting off to use AI in my classroom for the first time.   

The Final Byte: What I Learned About AI and Imagination

My early use of AI in the classroom, like those “groundbreaking” PowerPoint lessons of the past, showed that having tech isn’t the same as using it well. The Magic School image generator hinted at AI’s potential, but nearly half the students still preferred their own mental images – proof that AI won’t completely kill creativity just yet. This experience highlights the need for thoughtful tech use. Moving forward, we must teach students how to prompt effectively and understand AI’s limits – like bias and hallucinations – so it truly enhances learning, rather than becoming another flashy tool we use without purpose. Otherwise, we risk merely going through the motions, much like those early PowerPoint days, without truly leveling up our pedagogical practices.

Author Bio: Jason M. Kosmiski is a seasoned English teacher with over 25 years of experience. He recently earned his M.Ed. in Educational Technology and Online Instruction from Penn West University. He's an expert in Google Classroom and a Magic School AI Pioneer. A member of PAECT and a Keystone Technology Innovator, he's passionate about leveraging AI in education. He's presented on AI at various professional development sessions and has used it extensively in his classroom to enhance teaching and save time.

Who Will Teach the Children? A Concern Raised from My Upcoming Retirement… By Carol Frow

Who Will Teach the Children? A Concern Raised from My Upcoming Retirement…

By Carol Frow

I have always hated the teacher t-shirt that says the three best things about teaching are June, July, and August. What a terrible image to portray about teaching! 

Just recently someone commented innocently on my retirement social media post that I could now do all the things I wanted to do, and a former teacher lashed back that the comment insinuated that I hadn’t enjoyed doing what I have done for the last thirty-four years. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have loved working with my students. I have loved developing lessons, creating units of study, working with talented educators, seeing students grow and change, discovering who they were – and years later seeing them reaching all of their potential. For more than half of my life, I have been an English teacher and proud of it. 

Retirement. Ever since I announced that this would be my last year in the classroom, I have been inundated with comments from fellow educators. Most have been congratulatory, but others have left me wondering about the current state of education. So many comments indicate envy. Many tell me that they wish they were retiring too. They tell me that they have X number of years left, if they can make it that long. I never counted years until recently, which was an indication that it was time for me to move on. However, these people telling me that they’re longing for their turn to retire are young. 

Many comments are about longevity. One colleague referred to me as an angel to have been an educator this long while still smiling and staying positive about teaching. Others exclaim that they will never last as long as I did. These are also young teachers. 

That there is going to be a teacher shortage is a fact. Collegiate friends tell me that the number of education majors drops annually. Who will teach the children in the future? Will those currently teaching in schools have longevity? What can be done to keep them there?

I don’t think these questions are hard to figure out.

• Educators need to be respected by their administrators, colleagues, students, students’ parents, and community. 

• Educators need to have autonomy and be trusted to make the best decisions for the students in front of them.

• Educators need to be creative and allowed to do what is best for the children in their care.

• Educators need to work in a supportive environment where morale is high and positive energy fills the work space.

• Educators need to be appreciated for their hard work and extra efforts.

• Educators need to be surrounded by those who challenge them to be their best selves so they can provide the best for their students.

• Educators need to be encouraged to keep learning so that their students will have the best learning experiences possible. 

And the biggest one of all…

• Educators need colleagues who will encourage them, support them, help them, and work with them to build a community of learning full of positive energy and respect. It is more important than ever to find your professional home, and I hope WPCTE can be that for you.

I have been fortunate in my years of teaching to have been a small part of thousands of students’ lives. I have been blessed to work with many incredible educators, mentor so many skilled college students who now have classrooms of their own, and work under the guidance of administrators whose hearts have been in the right place – doing all they could to better the lives of the students. 

Happily, my educational journey is far from over. I may be leaving my classroom – and the checking of thousands of essays behind – but I am not leaving education. As the Executive Director of WPCTE, I am so fortunate to be connected to educators throughout our area and to further education through our conference, online professional development, and networking with NCTE and its affiliates. I also recently completed graduate studies to earn my Letter of Endorsement for Instructional Coaching and have begun my new business, Carol Frow Coaching. Soon, I will be working with teachers to help them better instruct their students. So, I’ll not be leaving working with students either as I intend to run book clubs and writing groups for students through my local library. 

Retirement. I think I may be busier than ever while staying positive about education. And still smiling.

Author’s Bio: Carol Aten Frow is the Executive Director of WPCTE and a thirty-four year public school educator. Currently a seventh and eighth grade ELA teacher at Belle Vernon Area Middle School, Carol enjoys reading, quilting, traveling, and curling up on a cold evening with a hot cup of tea and her cats - (John) Milton, Leo (Tolstoy), (John) Keats, and the newest addition, Harper (Lee).

Amplifying Student Engagement and Voice through Slam and Spoken Word Poetry By: Katie Katkich

 Amplifying Student Engagement and Voice through Slam and Spoken Word Poetry

By: Katie Katkich

Imagine this: You flip open your teacher planner.  You scan the pages and notice that today you will begin a new unit within your classes.  Poetry.  Excited to get your kids inspired and engaged, you prepare for the week to come.  Organizing activities and texts, you know that this unit will be one where voices are heard, students find their power, and even the quietest of students find themselves dancing with the words on the page in front of them. 

On the first day, there is an undeniable energy buzzing within the room.  As the week progresses, you find your desk scattered with poetry collections and sticky notes from students covered in ideas – each one a spark ready to catch fire and to be explored.  Poets ready to emerge from the ashes and take flight.  As students explore the likes of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou, their eyes sparkle and they are entranced by the power of the spoken word, eager to shape their own words in just the same way.

Does this sound like your classroom, or are you smirking yet?  Far too often this is anything but the reality English teachers find themselves in when introducing poetry to students.  Simply utter the word, and students dramatically throw themselves to the ground kicking and screaming.  The word is more often than not met with skepticism, boredom, and panic.  Students can be seen visibly sinking in their seats, bracing for what they assume will be weeks of forced rhyming and the dissection of poems they “just don’t get.”  Groans will be heard as a few optimists gleefully sit quietly amongst their peers, individuals burying their excitement beneath the collective dread.  

For many students, poetry feels abstract, intimidating, or worse, irrelevant.  They cringe at the slightest mention of it and drag themselves through the readings, assignments, and activities with heavy sighs and reluctant groans. That’s where slam and spoken word poetry come in – poetry that isn’t just locked away in some dusty textbook or written in a language that appears to be from another century or world for its young readers. Slam is intense and jarring.  It is alive and pulsing with emotion. It is raw and relevant.  It engages with an audience, evoking energy and passion, pushing limits, and demanding a response. Because slam and spoken word poetry combine the elements of writing, performance, and audience participation, these elements bring new life to an artform students consider to be dead.  When students hear individuals sharing their stories, their struggles, their feats, and their lives, something shifts.  There is a seismic jolt in how poetry is viewed, consumed, and respected.  Students quickly realize that poetry is much more than just identifying rhyme schemes and a poet’s use of metaphor.  It is about expression.  It is about shared stories.  It is about sucking the marrow out of life and sharing it with others to consume.  

Introducing slam and spoken word poetry into the classroom creates a bridge to the poetic world.  It allows poetry to become palatable for students, and to close the initial gap of resistance. It promotes engagement, turning poetry into something that they have to study and into something that they then get to experience.  With each line written or explored, a classroom becomes a place where voices matter, words carry weight, and where poetry becomes a tool for connection. Slam and spoken word poetry serves as a window and a door, allowing students to see themselves, to see others, and to immerse themselves into worlds they have yet to explore.  In order to create these connections, slam poetry and spoken word’s power can be tapped into through the fostering of  self-discovery, prioritizing individual stories, and building an environment that is supportive and encouraging. These aspects create a powerhouse that allows for students to interact with poetry on a relevant, meaningful, and engaging level.  More importantly, it serves the needs of each student in developing an understanding and respect for the world and others around them. Curating and implementing activities that foster these skills is the cornerstone of effective slam and spoken word integration.

Developing Unique Voices &  Fostering Self Discovery Activities

• “This I Believe” Poem: Adapted from NPR’s “This I Believe” essays, students  craft and perform a spoken word piece about a core belief that shapes their worldview.
• "Dear Future Me" or "Dear Past Me" Letters to Spoken Word: Students write letters to their past or future selves, turning them into spoken word pieces that explore growth, change, and self-discovery.
• The Unfinished Sentence: Students are provided with sentence starters and then expand their response into a spoken word piece that explores personal truths.
• Snapshot of My Life Photo Response:  Students explore personal photos and choose a single moment from their life that represents a larger theme and tell it as a spoken word piece.  The implementation of vivid sensory details and strong emotions are encouraged to bring the moment to life.

Prioritizing Individual Stories Activities

• My Name, My Story: Inspired by Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, students explore the meaning of their name, its history, how they feel about it, and how it reflects their identity. They then transform their reflections into a spoken word performance.
• Portrait Poem: Students create a portrait of their culture that includes insight and exploration of their traditions and deeply held beliefs through the use of descriptive language. This writing exercise can be paired with the creation of a physical portrait they create.
• Soundtrack of my Life: Students think about the soundtrack of their life, choosing sounds (not just music, but laughter, sirens, whispers, arguments) that have shaped them.  They then build a spoken word piece incorporating these sounds to tell their personal story.
• Six Word Memoirs: Students start with a six-word memoir, expand it into a free-write, and transform it into a spoken word performance that delves into personal experiences and emotions.

Supportive and Encouraging Environment Activities

• Community Agreements Brainstorm: Before diving into performances, students co-create a list of guidelines for a respectful, supportive space. This can include active listening, snapping instead of clapping, giving constructive feedback, and respecting different perspectives.
• Affirmation Graffiti Wall: After performances, students write positive words or phrases on a large sheet of paper about what they connected with in their classmates' pieces. This creates a visual reminder of support and appreciation.

• Story Swap Pair Writing: Students pair up, share a personal story verbally, and then write a poem inspired by their partner’s experience. This can build empathy and help students see the power of different perspectives.
• In House Slam or Poetry Cafe: Hold your own in house slam or cafe reading!  Throw on some smooth jazz, bring the hot tea and delicious treats, and enjoy each others’ stories and insights!

So, imagine this:  You flip open your teacher planner once more, but this time, something has shifted.  Poetry is no longer met with groans and rolling eyes.  Instead, it is alive, buzzing, and deeply personal.  Your classroom hums with a newfound energy.  Students are engaged and on-task.  They are feverishly typing or writing.  They are even fluttering around the room, eagerly sharing their work and their stories.  They are providing support to one another and driving each other towards success as they provide feedback and insight into each other's observations, descriptions, and ideas.  The sticky notes, once tentatively sparks, are now ablaze in the heat of collective creativity and passion.  

Poetry is a force of nature.  It strikes cords and prompts individuals to move and for others to be moved.  It holds a power that once tapped into, can become a catalyst for personal growth, community building, and much more.  This transformation happens when the study of poetry steps outside of the dusty textbooks, and becomes a lived experience.  An experience, where poetry provides a platform for students to explore their emotions, build empathy, and amplify their voices.  Slam and spoken word poetry is a tool that bridges the gap between literature and life.  By doing so, it allows for self-expression, social-emotional learning, and cultural awareness to be fostered and spread.  It ultimately redefines what poetry can be.  More importantly, it redefines ways in which individuals can connect, empower, and create change.  So, the next time you turn to that poetry unit in your planner, try not to brainstorm ways in which you can teach poetry to your students, but rather brainstorm ways in which how you can ignite poetry for them – turning your classroom and their time spent with it into a place where they can warm their souls and light the world around them.

Finding Support for Opposing Censorship: Resources from the National Council of Teachers of English By Sarah Miller

Finding Support for Opposing Censorship: Resources from the National Council of Teachers of English

By Sarah Miller,

Senior Coordinator of Book Initiatives, NCTE 

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has long devoted attention to intellectual freedom in education. With the volume of work that NCTE does and the multiple demands on educators, it is not always possible to remain up to date on all that is available. This post aims to inform you about how we provide support and to connect you to the resources that are most useful to you.

The Intellectual Freedom Center is NCTE’s support hub for teachers facing censorship and advocating for intellectual freedom in education. Its guiding principle is that all students have the right to materials and education experiences that promote open inquiry, critical thinking, diversity in thought and expression, and respect for others. The work has long been grounded also in The Students’ Right to Read position statement. Our resources bring these ideals to fruition by supporting educators and students to fulfil the goals of access to education as foundational to a democratic society.

NCTE uses four methods to support intellectual freedom:

Advocate: Position statements and resolutions are created and updated by NCTE members, reviewed extensively, and voted on by NCTE leaders to become solidified. They are publicly available and indicate NCTE’s official positions on various issues. Censorship is just one theme among many for these documents, but it is one that is requested and used widely. Our position statements and resolutions are referenced by teachers, libraries, districts, news outlets, and more. We encourage you to become familiar with those most relevant to you and use excerpts anywhere they may be useful.

 

Support: In addition to leading the way with advocacy documents, NCTE also proactively provides resources to educators. The most important of which is the first of its kind book rationale database. There are more than 1,400 rationales available – a number that continues to grow – and all are created and reviewed by other teachers. Titles include classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird and The Bluest Eye as well as newer titles like The Hate U Give and Milo Imagines the World. There are books for readers grades Pre-K through 12+. Sections of the rationale include book information like plot summaries and Lexile levels, what standards the text meets, suggested teaching approaches, potential for censorship challenge, settings teachers recommend using the text for, and additional resources that expand educators’ options for deepening understanding of the text and related subject matters.  

 

Respond: The Intellectual Freedom Center receives and responds to censorship reports. Anyone is welcome to fill out a school censorship report. The concerns and challenges are reviewed and cataloged. If needed or requested, NCTE will curate appropriate resources. We also document the types of challenges and escalate as needed. Escalation looks different depending on the circumstances of the report and membership status, but all the information is useful for helping us to continue to evolve the work of intellectual freedom in education. 

 

Partner: NCTE has a formal partnership with the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC). We collaboratively to create resources and consult on individual cases with permission. We also sign dozens of letters annually that are sent to schools and districts to express concern or support for best practices for book selection, book reviews, and policy updates. NCTE is also a long-time member of the Banned Books Week Coalition, has a long working relationship with the American Library Association and their Office for Intellectual Freedom, and is a close partner in the Unite Against Book Bans campaign. PEN America is another close partner in the fight against censorship, sharing resources, expertise, and opportunities. NCTE works closely with state and regional affiliates, like WPCTE, to further this cause. And we have close relationships with publishers, authors, and many other organizations doing intellectual freedom work.

For those of you attending the WPCTE conference next month, I will share additional information there about NCTE’s resources, including at breakout sessions focusing on rationale creation and use. I am also happy to answer any questions or provide additional support. You can reach me at IntellectualFreedom@ncte.org. 

Thank you for the work you do to support students and literacy every day. It is seen, honored, and appreciated.

Hearing the Music in a YA Verse Novel by Lliam Shaw and Hannah Lewis

 Hearing the Music in a YA Verse Novel

English Festival’s 2025 featured author Susan Hood’s Alias Anna

by Lliam Shaw and Hannah Lewis

The English Teacher Who Couldn’t Tell a Sonata from a Sonnet*

When Hannah read Alias Anna, collaboratively written by Susan Hood and protagonist Zhanna’s real-life grandson Greg Dawson, in preparation for her first WPCTE English Festival virtual book club session with her 10-12th-graders, she was immediately struck by the musicality: first of all, verse novels already lend themselves to a certain rhythmic or melodic way of reading, even when written in free verse. Were we to judge a book by its cover, Alias prepares us to engage with music before we even crack the book, with the Balbuso Twins’ and Laura Mock’s beautiful cover design featuring (ostensibly) protagonist Zhanna dressed in a piano-key-and-sheet-music scarf. 

Once she started reading, though, she knew that music was playing a much larger role in the text than she could unpack herself. From the moment Ukrainian Jewish girl Zhanna describes her childhood attraction to the mournful music of funeral processions in “Music was the Magnet” (Hood & Dawson 19) to her radio performance of Bach’s Two-Part Invention No. 1 in C Major, played entirely in the dark (40), to her death-defying run away from where the Nazis held the Ukrainian Jews to rescue her treasure–a piece of sheet music she could already play by heart, Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu (101), up to her incognito performance of the Chopin Scherzo in B-flat Minor–played as “Anna” for an audience of loathed Nazi officers (184) and even her poetically just performance of her beloved Fantaisie-Impromptu before an audience of liberated Jews as herself, Jewish Zhanna (271), music drove the story in ways that Hannah couldn’t understand with her limited knowledge of Central-and-Eastern European classical music traditions. She reached out to a colleague who connected her to Lliam Shaw, middle-school music teacher and classical music enthusiast, who was happy to share his expertise with Hannah’s eager English Festival students

Music History as Human History

Lliam is a believer of the self-coined phrase “Music history is human history.” There is always a connection between what is going on in the world, or “textbook history” as he calls it, and what is going on with the music output at the time. When he examined the musical selections in Alias Anna, it was easy to see how the specific pieces were chosen for emphasis, as they serve purpose in both a narrative and historical context. Bach’s music, specifically his music for keyboards, is known for its intricate sound and deep spirituality, but most notably, its demanding technicality. Bach transcended just composition, just as Da Vinci did engineering, and Newton did physics, becoming both the pinnacle and the foundation of the field. The choice to specifically name Bach was not just some grab-bag idea, but a thoughtful one, representing Zhanna’s technical mastery and her profound spiritual connection to her instrument – she doesn’t need to rely on seeing the keys because, whether it be in memory or muscular, the music is within her.

The Chopin pieces are especially weighty, considering their historical significance and context, which may have escaped the English Fest students’ attention without Lliam’s expertise. Chopin was a Polish composer who, just like Zhanna, witnessed political upheaval, living through both the November Uprising of 1830 where Poles rebelled against Russian rule, and the 1848 February Revolution in Paris. His music, while not outrightly political, represents his belief in independence and nationalism, a symbol the Nazis were more than willing to erase. There are other comparisons between Chopin and Zhanna, too, such as their virtuosity recognized at a young age, dedication to the piano, and deep familial connections, which make the choice to emphasize Chopin clearly effective, as much as the mention of Bach.

Not only is the choice of composer a refined pick, but the specific pieces too. Chopin’s Scherzo in B-Flat Minor is a turbulent, expressive piece with extreme technical demand, which many believe to be his most outright radical composition, directly influenced by his feelings of the political revolutions he witnessed in real time. Listen to the composition, linked here and above, and you can hear the chaos within the music. 

The irony of her performance can not be overstated enough, and Hood highlighted that in her retelling – Zhanna is a Jewish girl, actively hiding among her enemy as Anna, masterfully playing music composed by a Polish composer, who had similarly witnessed political persecution, to an audience who wants to eradicate both Jewish AND Polish culture and history. The piece reflects both the complexity of the situation and the immense internal struggle Zhanna is feeling at the very moment of performance. 

When you listened to the performance, could you hear it?

Collaboration for Stronger Classrooms

The role of music in Alias Anna exemplifies how young adult verse novels can interweave creative elements to enhance both meaning and form. Many verse novels inherently carry rhythm or musicality, and the collaboration of Hood and Dawson adds an extra layer to that. Susan Hood collaborated with an expert–Zhanna’s very own grandson–marrying the authentic story of one with the narrative capabilities of the other. 

Just as Hannah reached out to Lliam to better understand the musical complexities and nuances, Hood’s collaboration with Dawson allowed her to capture both the historical facts and the profound emotional resonance of the real story of a real person, playing real music with real history. This all goes to show how much collaboration in both the creation and interpretation of literature can enrich our understanding of it, whether it’s an author working with a primary source, or a teacher partnering with a colleague to unlock a deeper meaning for her students, and in turn, herself.

We will end with a call to action: 

What expertise do your colleagues hold that could enhance the experience of the readers in your classroom? Ask around and find out!

Streamline Student Research with Learnics By: Elizabeth Pernelli

Introduction by WPCTE Executive Director Carol Frow 

A year ago, I met a lovely lady, Elizabeth Pernellii,  at a conference and chatted with her about Learnics, a Google extension that seemed to be an answer to many of my needs concerning research, keping materials neatly in one place, and citing sources, so I eagerly accepted three free evenings of training on this system. It was great!  So, I invited Liz to contribute to our blog so that others would hear about this program!

Navigating Book Bans: Keeping Choice Alive in the Rural Classroom By: Dr. Mark A Curcio

 Navigating Book Bans

Keeping Choice Alive in the Rural Classroom

While writing my dissertation on the development of male adolescent readers, I explored a range of theories that shape student growth—topics like student choice, reading fluency, and stamina all played central roles. But one issue came crashing into focus as I wrapped up my study: the contentious topic of book bans and censorship. It’s a debate that resurfaces yearly, sparking intense discussions among ELA teachers and making headlines nationwide. This isn’t just a distant controversy; it’s impacting real classrooms, especially in rural communities, shaping what students read and how freely they engage with literature.

During my studies, I noticed a clear divide in attitudes toward censorship that often reflects the “urban-rural political divide.” From my experience as an adjunct professor in the city of Pittsburgh and a full-time high school teacher in a rural community, this divide is hard to miss. Generally, urban areas lean more liberal, while rural regions tend to be more conservative. And it’s often in these rural, more conservative areas where we see the most challenges to books in school libraries. 

A “rural area” is designated as one with a population of less than 1,000 people per square mile. In Westmoreland County, several school districts are considered rural due to their geographic location, low population density, or the communities they serve. Although the county includes more urbanized areas, especially around Greensburg, much of the land is rural, with small towns, farmlands, and natural landscapes characteristic of the Appalachian region. This rural landscape influences local community values, economic activities, and educational policies, which can play a role in debates around issues like book censorship in schools.

Unfortunately, the landscape of book censorship has only intensified over the past decade. In 2023, a record-breaking 4,240 titles were targeted for removal across the U.S., shattering the previous year's high of 2,571. Many of these books tackle social justice, discrimination, and equity themes that provide students with important perspectives they may not encounter otherwise. In Pennsylvania, school boards have the authority to pull books that don’t align with federal and state laws, including First Amendment standards. The American Library Association warns that limiting access to such books restricts exposure to diverse viewpoints, which can be deeply harmful. 

ALA: Number of Book Titles Challenged Across the Country Per State in 2023

This access issue has specific implications for rural schools, especially for young male students who often crave control over their learning. Books that support self-efficacy for adolescent males—particularly those from low-income backgrounds—do so by (1) promoting psychological well-being, (2) reflecting shared struggles, (3) offering guidance on handling current challenges, and (4) highlighting the gaps between real-world experiences and fictional portrayals. Censoring these books denies students the chance to connect with stories that validate their struggles and restricts their exposure to the “real world” beyond their immediate surroundings.

Book bans can feel like something that happens “somewhere else,” but that’s no longer true. While Virginia is often spotlighted for high-profile bans, Pennsylvania is seeing a similar rise in censorship efforts. In Hanover County, Virginia—a suburban and rural mix—a recent vote granted the county full authority to remove books from school libraries without input from parents or teachers.  Moves like this send a clear message: educators, librarians, and even parents are losing a say in what students can read.

So, where does that leave us as teachers?

If choice in reading is a major motivator, what happens to rural students when that choice is taken away?

One way to address this challenge is to intentionally structure choices in a way that genuinely supports students. For example, engaging students in the book selection process, offering thoughtful suggestions, and helping them connect their choices to their interests and goals can empower them to take ownership of their learning. 

Another way to increase choice in reading is by dedicating periods to independent reading group discussions. This past weekend, I came across a Netflix commercial that skillfully turned the common phrase of recommendation, “it’s so good!” Through reading groups, this phrase can be used to talk about books. Like music and TV shows, sometimes all it takes is for the right person to give the right recommendation at the right time. 

Trust me—I understand how stressed and burned out we are, but students must experience the growth that comes from reading. If we want them to read books, we must prioritize them in our classrooms through choice, no matter the challenges we face.