Category: Teacher-author
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read both my Ask a Tech Teacher education blog and my writer’s blog, WordDreams. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month:
January 1st is Public Domain Day! This is an observance of when copyrights expire and works enter into the public domain–free for all to use. According to Public Domain Review, here are some of the newly available artistic works you might like a/o January 1, 2026:
The picture above is interactive on the website. If you click it, you enter Public Domain Review’s website and can then explore each of these new sources of inspiration, free to use.
A few recently released that caught my attention:
Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:
https://forms.aweber.com/form/07/1910174607.htm
“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month:
This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.
This month’s question — What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?
I use AI sparingly, mostly because it pops up in something else I’m doing. For example, I use AutoCrit to review my manuscripts as I finish up. AutoCrit will do an AI summary of the book, the chapter, give story ideas (plot threads that need work or can be carried over into sequels), marketing ideas, and more. I found them useful albeit vanilla. To activate them effectively requires a personal touch and voice only the author can add.
I use Grok to provide ideas on what something I’ve never experienced before looks/feels like. Grok adds lots of sensory detail I didn’t expect and provides sources I can click through to for more.
[gallery type="square" columns="2" size="medium" ids="73753,73754"]I’m looking forward to reading other ideas, see what I’m missing.
For more on what others shared on this topic, click through to Alex Cavanaugh’s website. (more…)
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my writers blog. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month:
There are many unethical practices (much to my dismay), but one caught my attention recently. Wiley, a 217-year-old scientific publisher–arguably the gold standard for scientific researchers and one I’ve submitted to–retracted more than 11,300 compromised articles and closed 19 scientific journal because of fraudulent data and materials. They did this because leaving such false research out in the world as legitimate under cover of the well-respected Wiley name threatened not only their legitimacy but the nearly $30 billion academic publishing industry.
Delving into Wiley’s problem unearthed many causes. One all agreed was a critical culprit was fake scientific papers from so-called “Paper Mills”, companies scientists use to appear reputable. Why is this so important? Money for one, but also a University requirement that their professors “publish or perish”.
When neuropsychologist Bernhard Sabel put his new fake-paper detector to work, he was “shocked” by what it found. After screening some 5000 papers, he estimates up to 34% of neuroscience papers published in 2020 were likely made up or plagiarized; in medicine, the figure was 24%. Science.org 2023
I’m not sure when it happened, but today, the questionable ethics of scientific publications has become “too big to ignore”. In fact, there’s an entire website devoted to tracking this. Check out Retraction Watch if you’re interested or just feeling too positive some day.
In this increasingly politicized world where everything comes down to “he said/she said”, I used to rely on science as my true north. I guess that changed.
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog–Online Images
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month. I last published on this topic on my ed blog in 2017. A lot has changed since then so it’s time for an update:
When I teach professional development classes, by far the topic that surprises attendees the most is the legal use of online images. And they’re not alone. On my blog, in teacher-author forums, and in the virtual meetings I moderate, there is much confusion about what can be grabbed for free from online sites and what must be cited with a linkback, credit, author’s name, public domain reference, or specific permission from the creator. When I receive guest posts that include pictures, many contributors tell me the photo can be used because they include the linkback.
That’s not always true. In fact, the answer to the question…
“What online images can I use?”
typically starts with…
It depends…
To try to understand this topic in a five-minute blog post or thirty-minute webinar is a prescription for failure. It is too big. Instead, I’ll summarize the top topics and if your interest is piqued, dig deeper.
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month on my writing blog, WordDreams, for the teacher-authors in the group:
My virtual book tour to introduce my latest prehistoric fiction, Badlands, Book 2 of the trilogy, Savage Land, has finally ended. I am thrilled with the wonderful support from so many readers and authors! It was much more complicated than any prior book launch and not without mistakes on my part (some of you know what I’m talking about). But I met lots of new readers and writers and remain convinced that blog hops are a great way to introduce new books.
I launched my first Indie book, To Hunt a Sub, via a blog hop because I didn’t know what else to do. It worked well enough (there’s a learning curve) that I used the same approach for each of my subsequent books.
If you’re thinking of doing the same, take note:
- It requires an active blog (opening a blog for purposes of a blog hop doesn’t work well–I’ve seen it tried)
- It requires aggressive participation in hosts’ posts by interacting with visitors
- It requires that you pay lots of attention to visitors and commenters on your own blog posts leading up to the launch
Why a blog rather than Facebook or an online event? I really have no success with any social media other than blogs. I can’t think of the last time I had a new subscriber to my FB or Twitter account.
- If the goal was to get noticed, it worked. I received awards for the Top New Release in Biographical Fiction and later, in Classic Historical Fiction. Those lasted a few days, each
- I also received over 35 reviews, many attributable to the blog hosts, others to KU exposure. There were some spirit-lifting comments like this one that absolutely made it all worth it:
Jacqui Murray does a masterful job of blending prehistoric history with real life events. The emerging human civilization with its daily challenges of finding food and shelter against a wild and unpredictable environment is amazing. … A fantastic thriller. –Grace Blair (more…)
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month:
What Should You Know About Interactive Storytelling?
Here’s what I cover:
- What is it?
- How can writers use it?
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
What is interactive storytelling
Interactive storytelling is a growing trend that allows readers to actively participate in shaping the narrative. With advancements in augmented and virtual reality, stories are no longer confined to the pages of a book. Authors can provide immersive experiences and create narratives that respond to reader choices.
Interactive storytelling allows the audience to actively shape the story rather than passively consume it. Unlike traditional storytelling with a fixed plot, interactive stories let users influence the direction, outcomes, and details through their choices and input. It blends creativity with technology, making each telling unique. 81% of marketers agree interactive content grabs attention more effectively and 66% admit it increases audience engagement. I can attest to this popularity. As a teacher, I occasionally asked students to choose from among several story endings or create their own. A good example is Mission USA, a website that uses interactive storytelling to teach historic events such as the American Revolution, Civil Rights, the Great Depression, and more:
Students click into one of the stories and are asked to make decisions similar to those made during that time period and then experience the consequences of their choices–whether the Loyalists or Tories won, how a family survived (or didn’t) the Great Depression, or something else. Here’s a video to explain it:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb_te-MmM04?si=v9ZG8x8n6TjCGMgk]
Another example many will remember is Oregon Trail where participants were expected to stock their Conestoga wagon to head to the Oregon territories (or California). Along the way, they made decisions such as whether to purchase mules vs. oxen, how to ford a river, how to cure diseases and injuries, and more. Their selections ultimately determined if they survived.
How can writers use interactive storytelling
Teacher-Authors–Join me to launch my Indie Book
Starting tomorrow, on my writer’s blog, WordDreams, my wonderful efriends are helping me launch my latest prehistoric fiction, Badlands. Early reviews…
“Your best ever”–husby (you say he said the same thing last time? I don’t remember)
“…prehistoric man takes on nature in all her fury and survives.” –Sandra Cox
I’ll be visiting writer friend blogs April 15-26th. We’ll chat about Badlands and writing in general. Here are articles you can read in alphabetic order. The first are about the Neanderthal world and the last few writerly topics:
- Neanderthal Doors
- Neanderthal Healing Tips
- Neanderthal nomadic life
- How to research prehistory
- What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters
- 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer
- 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Park II
Here’s the schedule of who I’ll visit when:
April 15: Sally Cronin–Spotlight
April 16: Life of a Neanderthal Nomad–Liesbet Collaert
April 17: 8 Bits of Life Wisdom From My Computer–Chris?
April 18: 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me Part II–Sandra Cox
April 19: What I Learned from my Neanderthal Characters?–Liz Gauffreau
April 21: Prehistoric research–Alex Cavanaugh
April 22: Miriam Hurdle–Spotlight
April 23: Anneli Purchase–Spotlight ???? Confirm that
April 24: Healing Tips from Neanderthals–Colleen Chesebro
April 25: Neanderthal doors–Dan Antion
April 26: Lynette d-Arty-Cross–Spotlight?
Each day, I’ll post a short introduction to the host. It’ll include a link to their blog.
Badlands by Jacqui Murray,
Book 2 in the Savage Land trilogy
Book 8 in the Man vs. Nature series
Editor: The extraordinary Anneli Purchase
Amazon Universal link http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0DFCV5YFT
To celebrate the launch of Badlands, Book 1 in the trilogy, Endangered Species, will be
FREE on Amazon Kindle April 15-20, 2025
If you miss the freebie, all of my prehistoric fiction is on KU which makes it free to KU readers all the time.
Here’s the sign-up link if the image above doesn’t work:“The content presented in this blog are the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction, or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learning systems without prior written consent from the author.”
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Man vs. Nature saga, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the acclaimed Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is also the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, an Amazon Vine Voice, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Balance of Nature, Winter 2026
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my WordDreams blog. In this monthly column, I share the most popular post from the past month here. If you follow WordDreams, you may have already seen this:
Teacher-Authors: What’s Happening on my Writer’s Blog
A lot of teacher-authors read my Ask a Tech teacher. In this monthly column, I share a popular post from the past month from my writing blog, WordDreams
Good efriend Terri Webster Schrandt reminded me of National Love Your Pet Day last year on her blog, Sunday Stills. I’ve waited all year to add my own celebration!
According to National Today Calendar, February 20 is Love Your Pet Day. As if we need only one day to love our pets.
“On February 20, we celebrate National Love Your Pet Day, a day to embrace one special trait that makes us human: our love of our pets! There are many things that differentiate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom, but one of the more unusual behaviors is our longstanding tendency to keep other animals as pets. Gallup reports that sixty percent of Americans are current pet owners.”
To celebrate, here’s my slideshow of my dog, Casey. Feel free to attach links to your beautiful pets in the comments so we can visit!
Teacher-Authors–#BookBlast for my latest Prehistoric Fiction
This post has little to to with technology in the classroom but a lot to do with the launch of my latest prehistoric fiction, Endangered Species, Book 1 of the trilogy, Savage Land. Join the Blog Hop over at my writer’s blog, WordDreams!
Curious? Not sure you want to invest your time yet? Here’s the trailer:
Alright! Here’s what’s going on:
I’ll be visiting writer friend blogs January 6-26, 2025, and then continue with the occasional “I’m Traveling” visits throughout 2025. We’ll chat about Neanderthals, early man, Endangered Species, and writing in general. Here are articles you can read in alphabetic order: (more…)
