S'More From The AP
Week Ending October 10, 2014
Global Read Aloud!
The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. In the past we have used Twitter, Skype, Edmodo, our wiki, email, regular mail, Kidblog, and any other tools we can think of to make these connections. Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year.
The authors also will participate with your class in this year's Global Read Aloud! This week I'm highlighting this because I think it is a project that is really worthwhile. It is just kicking off, so if you think you might like to participate now is the time!
I'm including links for you if you want some more information. The GRA has an official web presence, including an online sign-up if you decide to participate! The official Twitter hashtag is #GRA14 (I will link it below so you can check it out). I will also include a couple of videos, including one from the GRA creator, teacher Pernille Rip. Finally, I'll include links to reflections on the project from other teachers so that you can read about their successes, challenges, and how they and their students felt overall about the project.
This year the GRA book choices are:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
One For The Murphy's by Lyndy Mullaly Hunt
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
The author study will be Peter H. Reynolds. The books for that are:
Week 1: The North Star
Week 2: I'm Here
Week 3: Ish
Week 4: Sky Color
Week 5: Going Places
Week 6: Your Choice!
In honor of Global Read Aloud 14, our principal shares her love of reading and some of her favorite books of all time in this week's The Principal Ponders. She is also offering up a little challenge and prize! If you feel inspired, share some of your favorite books in the comments below!
The Principal Ponders
This week marked the beginning of the 2014 Global Read Aloud. For those of you not familiar with this day, the Global Read Aloud was created in 2010 with a simple goal in mind: one book to connect the world. Teachers can determine the scope and depth of the project, but in the end, they acquire a community of other educators to do a global project with, and hopefully the inspiration to continue the connections throughout the year.
I have always loved to read and it makes me cringe when I hear kids say they hate it - yikes! My personal belief is that it is our calling as educators to change this. Now, I'm not saying that we are going to make book worms out of each and every student, but I do think we can turn off the "negative book light" that is shining for some kids and replace it with a "positive reading beacon."
One way we can do this is by sharing with students some of our favorite books or experiences with reading. Some of my favorite books I read as a child were "Charlotte's Web," "Tales of A 4th Grade Nothing" (and all the books that followed this one), and "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler." And not to forget "Make Way for Ducklings," "Blueberries for Sal," and the many "Frog and Toad" books that my parents read TO me as a child.
It's also important to let kids know what we are currently reading, even if it is just the newspaper in the morning. I used to tell my students the story of how my brother and I loved to read SO much that my mother had to ban us from bringing books to the breakfast/dinner table! That didn't stop us - we resorted to reading the back of the cereal boxes or any other labels on items that were on the table!
We want kids to love reading THAT much! If you haven't read "The Book Whisperer" by Donalynn Miller, I encourage you to do so. It is an easy read, written by a teacher, not someone who isn't in a classroom. She will inspire and motivate you to find ways to connect with your students and get them to love reading! In the meantime, please check out the links below:
http://pinterest.com/pin/A8e4OgAQgIAD1H4IWnkAAAA/
http://pinterest.com/pin/A8epFgAQQPEDoeKyMHcAAAA/
Choose one of these or create your own to hang outside your door to let your students and EVERYONE at OSE know what you're currently reading. You never know who will see your sign, the book(s) you are reading, and be inspired to grab a book they might not otherwise have chosen. Who knows..... a special treat might even appear in your box for having your sign displayed....you can never underestimate the power of reading! :)