Fort Collins, CO (May, 2007) -- Schools nationwide are facing regularly the challenge of budget cuts for programs, all the while risking a loss of creative edge as they prepare to maintain decent standard test scores. Thus is the inspiration for Cheryl Miller Thurston’s Scattershot (http://www.scattershot.typepad.com/), a blog about education, humor, creativity and general musings for teachers who are constantly looking for fresh classroom ideas.

Fans of Thurston’s innovative teaching books will want to subscribe to this feed for regular postings on such topics as testing, language, grammar, kids, and…well…one-armed farmers. Thurston’s observations come from a desire to revolutionize the way teachers think about education and to make schools a place students love to be:

“With the current emphasis on getting kids to perform better on tests, aren’t we also missing something? Are we creating a generation of kids who mark bubbles correctly on multiple choice tests, but who have had the joy and excitement of learning drilled out of them?

Maybe we need to work more on the “it” factor—helping kids to sparkle with life and a real delight in learning. Maybe, just maybe, doing the steps perfectly doesn’t get you as far as doing them with real joy.”

Scattershot is an enjoyable look at trends in education and will help teachers, parents, and school administrators connect to effective teaching ideas.

About Cottonwood Press
Thurston is the creator and owner of Cottonwood Press, a Colorado-based publisher that uses an offbeat approach to education, focused on engaging learners in a way that encourages them to tap into their natural creativity. Cottonwood Press publishes books and materials for language arts, music, social studies, drama, and more. Some bestselling titles are Surviving Last Period on Fridays and Other Desperate Situations, Hot Fudge Monday, UnJournaling, and Writing Your Life. For more information, visit www.cottonwoodpress.com.

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