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Tomorrow, our very first virtual book clubs kick off. The project has been an immense puzzle and also quite a time consumer, and yet, I am excited to see these hopefully take off and help the students not only discuss amazing books but also just be together. We have been apart for more than 8 months physically, I hope that this will be a social boost for many and also a meaningful learning opportunity. I am also excited to jump into this inquiry unit as its focus is whether we already live in a dystopian society? I cannot wait to see what the students come up with and how they will expand their questions and answers as the unit progresses.

As we first started to plan for these virtual book clubs back in October, we quickly realized that unlike previous years, there were a lot more moving pieces to consider and that the orchestration would be a lot more immense. After all, we are fully virtual, kids do not come to school, so how would we pull this off?

So I am sharing everything I have here in this blog post in case you find yourself wanting to do virtual book clubs as well but it feels a little unwieldy. Perhaps the behind the scenes work we have done can help you start with them or perhaps you have some amazing ideas of your own to share. Either way, here you, you can make a copy of everything if you want to edit, just give credit. To see what I have done in previous years when we are in regular learning mode, go here.

To select their books - 4 weeks prior.

We knew that selecting and then distributing their books would be the first major hurdle but once again our incredible librarian team were prepared. They already have a safe weekly pick up for books, what we needed to make sure is that they had enough time to pull the books and prepare them for the pick up.

A slide from their book club choices

I introduced very briefly the unit in early November and then assigned students this slideshow to go through and select their top 5 books. They were asked to please select a book they hadn't read before and also pick one that would feel manageable to them. Once students had looked through the slideshow, then then filled in this form so that I could start puzzling them together. And puzzle them I did. It took a while to get all of the students into manageable groups (less than five kids) and also to make sure that we had enough books. Our librarian had given us total number of books available for each title and a colleague had taken the time to breakdown how many books each of us would get. We revealed them in class the following week and kids then could email me if for some reason they had ended up with a book they actually didn't want or if there was another group they would rather be a part of. Only one student did.

New this year is the short story option, we have a few students who are really trying but life is just a lot right now. We wanted to make sure they could also find success and not feel even more overwhelmed with the proposect of reading a long book. We pulled three short stories (The Pedestrian, Harrison Bergeron, and The Perfect Match), one for each week, and then distributed those to students. We will meet on Wednesday's (our fully asynchronous day) and discuss the stories. I am excited to see if this will work and how the participation will work out.

The following week, students then picked up their books during our three pick up times. If a students was not able to pick up their book, they would get it delivered right to their mailbox. This was a massive undertaking but it worked, I am so grateful to all of the people who made physical book copies possible for the students to have.

Setting Up their Reading Schedules - One week before

Now that students had their books they needed to create reading plans and also set up discussion norms. In class, we had them work through three tasks: 1. Set up their reading plan, 2. Sign up for their discussion time with me, 3. Discuss and add to their norms. This took about 30-40 minutes, a lot longer than it would in class, but that seems to be the normal pace for virtual learning.

Their reading plan document is housed in the Hyperdoc we have created for the students with resources. This is their one stop shop for everything related to their book clubs such as teaching points, rubric, discussion help, meeting times, and reading plan. While it is available to the students, I honestly don't know how much they will use it and yet having a shared collection of everything they need can only help.

To figure out their reading plan, they all went to this shared document and broke down their book. We reiterated that they shouldn't finish their book more than two days ahead of the last day and if they wanted a bigger challenge they could read more than one book. This was hard for some students and easy for others so I jumped around from breakout group to breakout group to assist where needed. One group I am still assisting and will pick up the pieces with them tomorrow.

For their meeting times, I am hoping to have 2 groups discuss in front of me live during our 70 minute block. That means that only one or two groups a class have to discuss outside of their class time. I am also grateful to the support staff I have embedded within our class that are also observing and assessing discussions with us. They know the kids and the curriculum as well as I do. Kids signed up on a first come-first serve basis as it then served as a motivator to get their reading plan completed. They can see the meeting times document at any time, but I have also sent Google Calendar invitations to all of them with the link to our Google Meet for when we discuss.

For the discussion of their norms, we used Jamboard. I have had mixed results with it, but this time I was fairly pleased with how it turned out. You can see what it looked like here. Kids had decent discussions about accountability and also how they wanted this experience to run.

While all of the students have done book clubs multiple times before, 7th grade tends to be the first time they have to decide what they will be discussing and prepare accordingly, rather than the teacher telling them what to track. So we have a "cheat sheet" which really is just scaffolds in order to help them be successful. Some of these discussion points are learning targets from the Teachers College Dystopian Unit which we use as a foundational guidance and others are once we have discovered with book clubs throughout the years. Choice reigns supreme and it is important for us that students can steer their discussions ina natural way, they do not have to stick to these but this is a starting point.

Actual Book Clubs - Three Weeks

So how will all of these moving pieces work? Well, I am hoping (because I am writing this before I have kicked it off tomorrow) that our next three weeks will offer students a chance to work independently, as well as not feel overwhelmed. So in order to make that happen, I wanted to offer them up some self-paced learning opportunities using Peardeck, as well as short mini-lessons using our mentor text Ponies by Kij Johnson, and then give them time to read and discuss as much as possible in class much like we would if this were regular book clubs.

In class time will be spent on a mini-lesson - learning targets again are pulled from the Dystopian Unit created by Teachers College. I will be reading aloud our mentor text so we can refer back to it throughout the next three weeks, as well as any of the mentor short films they will be watching asynchronously. I will also have them go into breakout groups for 5 minutes in order to decide what they want to focus on discussing in their groups this week, before my listening on their discussion I ask them what they focused on and I listen for anything attached to that. They can use the "cheat sheet" linked previously in order to help them. Since tomorrow is the first day, I am thinking it may take a little bit longer to get them started but I need to wrap it up within 35 minutes in order to leave them 35 minutes to read, discuss, and work.

So during their in-class learning time and outside learning time, they will have a few things to work through. 1. They need to read their chapters and be ready to discuss. 2. They need to write down any ideas for discussion as well as find evidence. 3. They need to discuss in front of me. 4. They need to work through two learning opportunities in order to expand their knowledge. They will have all week to do this.

So for their discussion, students will be assessed live. I have yet to create a good electronic version of my rubric so I may just do what I normally do, which is print a ton of these rubrics as I like to write directly on them while they speak, as well as tally how much they say and any page numbers they use. I will then either scan and email it to them after their discussion, or transfer it to a markable rubric that will be posted in Google Classroom under their assignments so that each child has one ( I have it posted right now as an assignment for me to fill in).

For their Peardeck self-paced work, they will focus on two learning targets. The first one is simply diving into a book club discussion and understanding better what it is we are looking for. We normally do this during class time but due to virtual time constraints, it is moved into independent work. The Peardeck looks like this, it is short and sweet and to the point because this is not meant to feel like just one more thing to do but rather an exposure, example, and then a quick check for understanding. For the second learning opportunity of the week, they will learn more about utopia, dystopian characteristics and then compare and contrast their book to these definitions. They will also watch a dystopian short film and then write about the rules and how it links to our current society. This Peardeck looks like this. The students will be assessed on the analysis and evidence they use to draw their conclusions. Normally they would also be doing this in class but these are not normal times.

The next two weeks will follow the same format, I have not created the self-paced learning opportunities yet but you can certainly reach out to me if you would like to see what they look like. We will be focusing on our inquiry question; do we already live in a dystopian society and so the learning opportunities will center around that.

So there you have it, so many moving parts but I am excited and I think the students are too. I hope this was helpful to you, let me know if you have any ideas or questions.
Update:
Here are the self-paced lessons students worked through. They went pretty well, it was a great way to fill in more world knowledge and get kids thinking about the world we live in.
Week 3 - Are We Living in a Dystopia Already? Week 4 - Who Has Equal Rights?

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Tomorrow, our very first virtual book clubs kick off. The project has been an immense puzzle and also quite a time consumer, and yet, I am excited to see these hopefully take off and help the students not only discuss amazing books but also just be together.

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by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
(last updated July 1, 2020)
CATEGORY INDEX: By picture book - Posters - Bookmarks - Picture Book Creators - Young Writers - Young Illustrators - Cartoonists - Reading logs & recommendation sheets (including Donalyn Miller's 40 Book Challenge) - Gift Cards & Certificates - Crafts - Calligraphy - Teacher Guides
Looking for the 40 Book Challenge forms that Donalyn Miller has endorsed? Here they are.

Also check out my Learning From Home activities, videos and more.

I'm gradually compiling a list of links to all my print-ready handouts, stationery and other bonus goodies that are currently spread throughout various book-related pages and blog posts. All are FREE to download and print for personal or school use. Teachers and librarians: do you have an idea for a new illustrated activity sheet that would also be of use to others? If so, please let me know!

Also see my FOR THE LOVE OF READING resource page for activity sheets, posters and bookmarks focusing on literacy, and my SUMMER READING RESOURCE page with summer-focused reading recommendation sheets and other print-ready material.
ORGANIZED BY PICTURE BOOK
Click on any of the following books for extra bonus material where you'll find free print-ready activity sheets, Teacher Guides, posters, bookmarks and more:
HOW TO DOWNLOAD ACTIVITY SHEETS
Clicking on most of the following links will prompt an immediate download.

In some cases, you will be given a preview instead. Make sure the file is a PDF (look at browser bar to see what the ending of the file name is) before copying, else you may be copying a low-res version that won't print very well. To download a PDF file form a preview, click with the Ctrl key and hold (Mac) or right mouse click (PC) on the image until a dialog box appears. At that point, you'll be asked where you want to save the image to.

If you're using the latter method to copy an online image for personal use, always make sure you state the source of the image, if the image itself doesn't include copyright info.
ORGANIZED BY ACTIVITY
COLORING PAGES: There are too many of these to list individually; see the print-ready book bonus pages above.

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BOOKMARKS:
Book Recommendation Bookmarks: Squirrel author - Squirrel author/illus

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WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING PICTURE BOOKS (teen or adult): Thumbnail sketch template from my Picture Book Creation series - my post about creating templates for my picture book process - 40-page self-ended picture book thumbnail template (interior illustrations) - Brainstorming template: picture book spread (square) - Brainstorming template: picture book spread (landscape)

Also see activity sheets for Young Illustrators and Young Cartoonists.

Click image below or here for a Story Starter booklet PDF that prints one ONE double-sided sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper. Cut along solid lines, fold along middle and staple. If you're still confused, here are detailed instructions. I recommend printing one testing booklet first.

FOR YOUNG WRITERS: This section is still being updated! Aim to finish by end of summer 2017.

I'm Bored theme freeform writing pages: ballerina with potato - astronaut - warrior princess and potato | NAKED! theme freeform writing pages: caped boy reading book | WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? theme writing pages: Lined with boy hugging book - Lined with dancing squirrel - Page from book outline with half blank for drawing, half lined - Minecraft-themed writing and reading sheets - Freckle Juice-themed writing and reading sheets - Robert Cormer poster about not worrying about getting it right the first time - MINECRAFT theme: Creeper wider-spaced writing sheet - Creeper regular writing sheet

FOR YOUNG POETS (also see my Poetry For Young Readers page): Haiku poster - Poetry worksheet

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Also see my "Look Again" Found Object Art page for young artists, which includes found object art templates: Bird - Monster - Monsters - Found Object Art Instructions - BunnyMonsterThing - Draw costume for boy from NAKED! - Draw a Halloween picture (WHERE ARE MY BOOKS? theme)

FOR YOUNG CARTOONISTS: 4-panel template - 9-panel template

Click on any image below for the PDF.

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ORGANIZED BY TOPIC

(also see For The Love Of Reading, Summer Reading and the list of print-ready posters earlier in this page).
Donalyn Miller's 40 Book Challenge
NOTE: For more information about Donalyn Miller's 40 Book Challenge, please see her post " The 40 Book Challenge Revisited" and this video interview with Donalyn on Reading Rockets as well as her fantastic books, THE BOOK WHISPERER and READING IN THE WILD.

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LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS: "For Our Librarian" gift card ( I'm Bored theme) - Poster: "Without libraries, what do we have? We have no past and no future" - Ray Bradbury -

: "For My Teacher" gift card ( I'm Bored theme)

I'm Bored theme for other occupations: Dentist (her)/ Dentist (his) - Doctor (her)/ Doctor (his) - Piano Teacher - Pediatrician (her) / Pediatrician (his) - I'm Bored ballerina - Also see occupations-focused gift cards under "Organized By Topic"
MINECRAFT-themed activity sheets
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ORGANIZED BY SEASON/HOLIDAY For more summer reading resources, please see my SUMMER READING RESOURCES page.
GIFT-GIVING OR NOTECARDS: Gift Of Time certificate for readers, writers and illustrators - Print-ready gift cards with non-snarky and snarky I'm Bored theme) - Ballerina card - " A gift for someone who is never ever bored" - Also see occupations-focused gift cards under "Organized By Topic". Print-ready gift cards with a Where Are My Books? theme. - Spencer and squirrels with books ( Where Are My Books? theme) gift card - Spencer and sister reading Where Are My Books? gift card -

WINTER: See Debbie's print-ready Winter-themed bonus goodies including posters, cards, gift tags, and activity sheets.

EASTER: I'm Bored girl in bunny ears with Potato basket gift card -

THANKSGIVING: "I am thankful for" writing and drawing sheets ( I'm Bored theme) - Potato Thanksgiving card templates in color - b&w with caption - b&w with no caption

HALLOWEEN: See my Halloween-themed activity sheets for young readers page.

HANUKKAH: Happy Hanukkah book-reading gift card (I'm Bored theme) in color and b&w.

BABY SHOWER GIFT CARD: A Gift For The Baby ballerina card ( pink border or yellow border) - Congrats On Being New Parents ( I'm Bored Theme, also see single parent option)

RELATIVES: I'm Bored theme gift cards for granddaughter ( rarely bored/ never ever bored), grandson ( rarely bored/ never ever bored), grandma, niece ( rarely bored, never ever bored), nephew ( rarely bored/ never ever bored), grandpa, godchild, aunt, uncle, daughter, son.

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CRAFTS FOR YOUNG READERS
CRAFT INSTRUCTIONS: How To Create A Potato Stamp ( I'm Bored theme), How To Make A Book Cover Out Of A Paper Bag

MASKS AND PUPPETS: Where Are My Books? masks: Spencer - Squirrel - Sister - Dad - Mom | Where Are My Books? finger puppets: Spencer & his Mom - Sis and Dad - Squirrels, Narwhal and Book . I'm Bored! finger puppets (girl, flamingo, potato)

Click image below for a design-your-own mask template and instructions:

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CALLIGRAPHY TEMPLATE
I've been gradually learning how to do types of calligraphy, and created my own practice template. Feel free to download and use for your own personal use!

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Debbie's Print-Ready Bonus Goodies - Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Twitter: @inkyelbows)

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by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (last updated July 1, 2020) CATEGORY INDEX: By picture book - Posters - Bookmarks - Picture Book Creators - Young Writers - Young Illustrators - Cartoonists - Reading logs & recommendation sheets (including Donalyn Miller's 40 Book Challenge) - Gift Cards & Certificates - Crafts - Calligraphy - Teacher Guides Looking for the 40 Book Challenge forms that Donalyn Miller has endorsed?

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As I mentioned last Monday, more and more, teachers seem to be requesting educational resources that go beyond traditional teachers guides and activity sheets. So while I do still have those kinds of materials on my website, I also offer resources that delve deeply into the nonfiction reading and writing process from an author's point of view.

Some of these resources focus on books I've written and describe various stages of my creative process in detail, while others provide more general informationand highlight books written by a wide variety of nonfiction authors.

My website houses video mini-lessons that focus on such nonfiction topics as text structures, text features, rich language, and voice. There's also a slide show with audio clips the describes the nonfiction writing process and an interactive timeline with videos that highlight various stages of the nonfiction writing process AND downloadable manuscripts that show how the text changed over time. I hope you'll take a look at these resources and incorporate them into your writing instruction.

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Resources for Educators: Video Mini-lessons

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As I mentioned last Monday, more and more, teachers seem to be requesting educational resources that go beyond traditional teachers guides and activity sheets. So while I do still have those kinds of materials on my website, I also offer resources that delve deeply into the nonfiction reading and writing process from an author's point of view.

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How Can Audio Books Boost Mental Health? We're All Ears! | Psychology Today Canada

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Listening to novels and non-fiction being read aloud can help us become not just more well-read, but can improve mental well-being too. And whilst audio books are undoubtedly 'having a moment' with sales flourishing year-on-year, perhaps some of this success is because oral storytelling has a long history and draws on deep cultural and psychological impulses.

1. 'ONCE UPON A TIME...' TUNING INTO A STORY CALMS AND COMFORTS US

For many of us, our first experience of books is not reading to ourselves, but being read to by adults - by our parents, primary carers, nursery teachers. Perhaps this is where my new-found enjoyment of audio books stems from; they cast me back 50-odd years to my early childhood, snuggled up in bed being told The Tale of Mrs Tiggywinkle by Beatrix Potter or Hans Christian Andersen's Hansel and Gretal. I was blessed in that both my parents liked reading to me and I was of a generation when it was the easiest way to get me and my brothers off to sleep.

Back then there were no electronic devices to tempt us with games and movies into more adrenalized activity. Being read to helped calm us, and self-soothing is part of the allure of audio to young and old today, allowing us to regress to being a child again in a safe, controlled way.

2. STORIES HELP US MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD

I appreciate that not everyone has a mum and dad who like reading as much as mine did (my mother wrote children's books and my father, a psychoanalyst, was aware of the rich power of the stories we tell ourselves) but I am certainly not alone in appreciating the oral tradition of storytelling. Throughout history stories have been passed down this way. Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm -- even Shakespeare -- drew heavily on ancient tales that were handed like a baton in relay race from generation to generation. As Professor Helen Cooper of Cambridge University reminds us, the story of Hamlet was first written down around 1200, and was in oral tradition before that.

Stories provide boundaries: a beginning, middle and end to universal dilemmas. For millennia they have helped us make sense of the world, and non-fiction books, with their analysis of history, nature, lives, the universe and so much more, broadly aim to do similar. But print and ebooks do this, yet compared to audio, print sales are flat and ebook sales are in decline. Audio is the fastest growing segment in digital publishing and podcasts are booming, transforming the way we consume radio. Why the sudden rush to listen in a world where much more sophisticated technology is so readily available?

3. LEND US YOUR EARS -- AUDIO USES A DIFFERENT SENSE

Perhaps one reason is that we're visually overstimulated. I'm an author so it stands to reason that I love the written word, yet I find it hard to read when my eyes are tired. If I've been sitting at a screen all day, by the evening I'm worn out of focusing close-up. And you don't have to be a professional writer like me or my friend Laura Wilkinson (left) to spend a great deal of time looking at a screen -- according to CNN, the average American spends 10 hours a day staring at a screen, in the UK the figure is similar. Audio, on the other hand, stimulates a different sense -- by using our ears, we can relax our eyes.

4. AUDIO HELPS REDUCE NEGATIVE THINKING

Perhaps another reason for the appeal of audio books is that they can help to boost mood.Those of us prone to anxiety and depression understand from bitter experience the negative spin cycle of thoughts that accompanies both mental states. Slowing these thoughts enough to read can be hard, if not impossible. Whereas audio does this for you. For those who find it difficult to quieten their inner demons, listening to someone else read aloud can help by replacing negative thoughts with something else.

5. AUDIO IS A GOOD STRESS BUSTER

You don't have to suffer from anxiety or depression to find being read to therapeutic -- books are a good antidote to stress, humorous books especially.

'They are like anger management for me. Now I relish traffic jams, delayed trains and planes and situations that would hitherto have tried my patience because I can listen to a bit more of my book,' says designer Jonathan Roberts.

The benefit is amplified because audio is one of the most intimate forms of media -- listeners work together with the narrator and author to create mental pictures of situations and characters. Audio books can captivate the imagination, allowing listeners to create a whole world at once within and outside themselves.

6. LISTENING DEVELOPS EMPATHY

Listening to a good story can also promote empathy. Reading aloud to children can showcase 'different experiences, backgrounds, religions, identities and more to help your child find him or herself ... as well as learn about other people's lives. This will teach children the importance of empathy and kindness,' says Amy Joyce in the Washington Post. And what's true for kids is true for adults too, though it depends on what we choose to listen to, of course.

7. AUDIO CAN BE THRILLING

Narrators make a story come alive and they don't need to be professionally-trained actors to do it well. It can be thrilling to hear one of your all-time literary heroes read his or her words.

'If the writer is someone who can communicate well aloud (some writers can't), you often get much more insight into a story or poem by hearing it,' writes Neil Gaiman in the Guardian.

Hopefully I did a good job of reading the audio version of my own non-fiction book, Making Friends with Anxiety; as much of it is written in the first person, it would have seemed strange to have someone else speak about my experiences. (I'll allow you, dear reader-listeners, to be the judges of whether I pulled it off.) Obviously these things are subjective, but a poor choice of narrator can kill a book, fast. I've abandoned more than one audio version of a novel because the reader's voice grated on me, whereas others have added to the enjoyment, so one minute I feel as if I'm being stroked like a cat, the next as if I'm in the room, listening to a conversation.

8. IMPROVING TIME MANAGEMENT

Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, audio books also allow us to transform mundane chores enriching a commute or car journey, doing the ironing or washing up. A workout can double-up as a chance to stretch ourselves mentally, too.

'I use up 'dead' time, even walking while listening to my book,' says Creative Director, Debbie Fagan. 'Audio gets me "reading" way more than I otherwise would.'

9. AUDIO KEEPS US YOUNG

The benefits of audio books stretch into old age as well. Recent research shows that being read to helps maintain good mental health in the elderly. For older people who can no longer hold a book due conditions such as arthritis or central nervous tremor or who find text hard to read due to a visual impairment such as macular degeneration, audio books can be a way to access the literature that many of us take for granted, and the RNIB sell a portable player designed specially for the blind or partially sighted (£40 UK only).

10. AUDIO IS ALMOST EFFORTLESS -- BEGIN WITH BABY STEPS

Last but by no means least, listening to audio books is easy -- they can be downloaded via any smartphone, tablet, desktop or MP3 player. So when you're on the move there's no need to pack a book -- chances are you carry one of these tools already.

If you've not tried audio before, start small. Perhaps listen to the audio version of a book you already like or a short story by an author you have a taste for. Alternatively, if you're feeling particularly anxious about it, there are, of course, one or two non-fiction books available on audio that focus specifically on managing stress and reducing worry and panic....

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How Can Audio Books Boost Mental Health? We're All Ears!

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Listening to novels and non-fiction being read aloud can help us become not just more well-read, but can improve mental well-being too. And whilst audio books are undoubtedly 'having a moment' with sales flourishing year-on-year, perhaps some of this success is because oral storytelling has a long history and draws on deep cultural and psychological impulses.

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Thinking Big About Writing – TWO WRITING TEACHERS

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The writing work in our building is transforming, and it is exciting to be a part of the change, to witness the impact on kids as we make our workshops increasingly authentic and compelling.

We are constantly reflecting on what's working-what's leading to measurable shifts in how we plan for writing (and how kids experience writing)-as well as where we might be getting stuck: places there is genuine motivation to transform the task, and yet, our best intentions are still missing the mark in some significant way.

Comparing and contrasting the work of teams-as a team member and coach-I find myself circling back to a series of questions:

Is the form of writing real world enough?

Is the audience authentic enough?

Have we invested enough time in the ideating stage of planning?

Is the thinking and writing work complex enough?

Are there enough opportunities for writers to spiral through the new thinking and writing work over the course of the unit?

I can trace the map of our transformation in this line of questioning-not a red eye cross-continental flight, but a summer road trip of innovation. Looking back at units of study across grade levels, I can find examples of where we have upped our writing game as a direct result of one or more of these questions.

1. Is the form real world enough?

This one can be tricky, because what feels "real world" to us as adults isn't always aligned to how kids experience the world. For example, asking kids as a final product to create a book is pretty typical-kids read books in the real world; the process of making books is authentic and can be super engaging. I am 100% with Katie Wood Ray in her assertion to our youngest writers that, "We are people who make books."

And. . . it does feel like sometimes we default to books as published product; books become the ceiling of our imagination.

As we challenge ourselves to think bigger, we might up the ante by creating digital books, or by adding a digital component to a paper book (e.g. QR codes inside that link to audio or video created by kids to supplement the book), similar to what we might see in our own professional books-even Katie's most recent books!

We might challenge kids to create books that look more like the ones they love to read. Think Steve Jenkins for informational picture book texts. . . he's a master of organizing nonfiction in creative ways. Consider mentor texts that mix forms and genres. . . .

The informational texts that kids gravitate toward are complex, with authors making intentional decisions about genre, form, text structures, and text features, making them much more engaging to read and to write. It's definitely messier to create a book that incorporates a hybrid structure, but it's also more real world. There's more space for young writers to make decisions and to notice the effects of those decisions on their reader.

Bypassing books entirely (if we dare), there are endless possibilities of real world writing. As a school we've explored podcasting, blogging, TED Talks, video Op/Docs, and more. I'll expand on some of these as we continue moving through the five questions. We've found that opening ourselves up to the many ways kids read the world has led to dramatic increases in engagement.

2. Is the audience authentic enough?

All workshops (hopefully) include opportunities for writers to share their work in a variety of ways, reaching beyond teacher and family as the sole audiences. Writers share with each other in writing communities or even across classrooms, with grade-level or off grade-level peers. Classrooms and schools organize sharing celebrations, where guests come in and writers showcase or present their work. Other communities share their writing digitally through websites, newsletters, and social media. All of these examples are positive and motivating for our young writers.

A subtle shift I've noticed in some of our recent units has been moving from AN audience to a more intentionally relevant audience. For example, in the past our fifth graders shared their informational Reading/Writing inquiry projects with third graders as their grand finale. And while most of the third graders listened politely as the fifth graders taught them all about the topic they had been (to varying degrees of passionately) investigating, it kept falling a bit flat. The third graders didn't always have the background knowledge to completely understand, and the fifth graders didn't see this particular end goal as reason enough to invest weeks in the inquiry.

This year, the team tried something different. First, they brought science standards into the informational Reading and Writing standards that had been integrated previously. With a driving question to connect the inquiry projects ( How can we, as scientists, interpret the connections and impact between humans and the environment?), it was possible for kids to discover entirely new audiences.

As kids researched and wrote about their own more targeted driving questions connected to the class question, they demonstrated a need to teach and to advocate for change. The audience for their proposed solutions suddenly extended far beyond the classroom and school. Writers began thinking bigger; they began to envision the community or potentially even global impact of their research and writing work.

As you might imagine, this has been incredibly motivating. We are seeing a deeper level of research, thinking, and investment from kids. As we move into the final bend of this unit, students will be sharing their projects with their self-selected, more relevant audience(s), rather than teachers deciding on a single, shared audience.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that choosing another grade level as an audience can't be authentic; it really depends on what the purpose of the writing is. What I'm reflecting on is how sharing with another grade level sometimes becomes the default, a routine, rather than a thoughtful decision based on the purpose and goals of the writing. When this happens, kids are less inclined to interpret sharing with another class as an authentic audience.

3. Have we invested enough time in the ideating stage of planning?

The power of collaboration is in the thinking together. In my experience planning with teams, the magic happens when we let ourselves get comfortable not knowing yet. Not deciding yet. We put ideas on the table. We ask questions. We add on to the thinking of others. We imagine and we test drive ideas. Many ideas go nowhere, and that's okay.

This can feel muddy, and not everyone has a high tolerance for ambiguity. It's understandable that teachers might feel pressured by limited time to jump right in with the first decent idea and begin planning the nuts and bolts. All too often, though, this keeps us mired in safety.

Thinking outside the box takes some warming up, some stretching of the boundaries of our comfort zones. Experiencing the power of a little productive struggle-as well as the resulting aha moment-is worth the time when it generates worthy learning experiences for kids.

The fourth grade teachers at my school embraced the unknown when they designed a unit last spring, transforming a literary essay unit into one in which kids wrote and created video Op/Docs (Opinion Documentaries).

The team knew they wanted writers to create something that looked different from the standard five paragraph essay. . . but they didn't know exactly what that might be. They were clear about the thinking work they needed students to do in order to be successful writing literary essays, and they had already integrated the standards and learning targets for this writing unit with a Historical Fiction reading unit. They just needed a concrete vision for where the thinking work of literary analysis/literary essay lives out in the real world. . . .

A half day planning session led down an unlikely rabbit hole about the documentary "Free Solo" and then to a New York Times video Op/Doc called "What if he Falls?" We recognized immediately that these "texts" would captivate our writers. This led to unpacking the thinking work it would take to create an Op/Doc and comparing it with the thinking work of crafting a literary essay. The thinking work was so aligned, in fact, that we were able to use our Lucy Calkins Writing rubric and our Reading learning progressions to guide/give feedback and to assess student work throughout the unit and on final projects.

We would never have arrived at the place we did without the time we took to ideate and explore. It was incredibly messy. . . and it is hands down one of the most powerful planning experiences I have ever had.
If you're curious about the details of this project (and its impact on kids), I share more here, on my personal blog.
4. Is the thinking and writing work complex enough?

In the fourth grade Op/Doc example, the driver was a sense that the form of five paragraph literary essay was limiting; students were not choosing and developing ideas that were big enough, which meant students didn't care enough to write well about them. If we wanted kids to engage in this thinking work deeply over time, they needed to feel compelled to develop and share their thinking. They needed texts and tasks worthy of all that talking and writing.

Once we landed on the video Op/Doc form, it opened up everyone's thinking. We were able to use our video mentor texts to scaffold a parallel process: naming the critical choices that characters made in the historical fiction books kids were reading, imagining which choices (as well as potential consequences of those choices) were big enough to warrant being featured in an Op/Doc. What kind of work might kids have to do to understand these complex characters, historical settings, and multiple perspectives, so that they would be willing and able to take a stance on those choices (and back it up with evidence)?

The thinking work was so complex, it required us to try it out ourselves, using their read aloud text, Number the Stars. This helped us to anticipate what would certainly be challenging for kids, as well how we might explicitly connect the skills kids would need by the end product to the daily work of book clubs, reader's/writer's notebooks, and planning/drafting literary essays that incorporated text evidence.

We know it's best practice to write alongside students, making sure we have tried ourselves any writing work we ask students to do. In this example, it was an excellent data point to recognize that we absolutely had to do it ourselves in order to even begin to figure out how to try this work with kids! Enough complexity? Check!

5. Are there enough opportunities for writers to spiral through the new thinking and writing work over the course of the unit?

This final question is critical, because we don't want the thinking and writing work to get lost in a shiny end product that might not truly demonstrate what writers have learned. I think sometimes we get fixated on the final product too early, perhaps feeling pressure for that product to turn out a certain way. As a result, we spend an excessive amount of our workshop on the publishing, rather than investing the time young writers need in workshop to approximate, iterate, and eventually master the new skills.

With workshop time to practice, get feedback, apply new learning, try it with a different piece, and so on, writers have ample opportunity to become more proficient. When the time comes to apply their learning to whatever final product has been chosen, they're ready! In fact, they're chomping at the bit to demonstrate what they have learned in a novel way.

This brings to mind my third grade colleagues, who this fall transformed the end product of their personal narrative unit from more traditional written narratives into podcasts that they shared with our community. The stories writers told in these podcasts revealed something at the heart of each child-connecting to their Civics unit about what and how we share about ourselves connects to the heart of the classroom community. The Writing unit was integrated with their Reading unit, in which kids explored ways that readers read to uncover what's at the heart of characters.

In order to be ready for the podcast phase, kids wrote many narratives. They had frequent opportunities to mine for ideas, to flash draft, to use mentor texts, to give and receive feedback, to set goals, to revise with teaching points of minilessons and conferring in mind. As they were engaged in this writing work, students were also analyzing the fiction they were reading, noticing the strategies that authors use to craft characters with the complexity of real people, and trying these strategies out for themselves in their own writing.

By the time kids were ready to choose one of their narratives to polish and perform on their podcasts (in groups of four), they had been immersed in opportunities to grow as narrative readers and writers (and members of communities who care about each others' stories). Did the fact that they would be making podcasts increase their motivation to set goals, work hard, and produce high quality writing? Yes, absolutely.

And. . . the teachers were intentional about the layers of learning that led up to this final project. Kids were ready for it because of the way learning built across the unit. They didn't need to spend weeks on the "polished" narrative, because when it came time to polish, they had multiple narratives that reflected their growth as writers.

A Final Thought

The process of writing to clarify my own thinking is authentic for me. Crafting this blog post has helped me to better understand the coaching moves I might incorporate into future work with teams as we think big about writing. Much like writers immersed in a transformed task, I am genuinely wrestling with something challenging I am motivated to get better at doing. By setting aside time to reflect and share, I'm beginning to notice and name what's working, so that I can try out and become increasingly strategic in my planning and coaching.

I invite you to layer one or more of these five questions into your own planning for writing workshop and see what happens.

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The writing work in our building is transforming, and it is exciting to be a part of the change, to witness the impact on kids as we make our workshops increasingly authentic and compelling. We are constantly reflecting on what's working-what's leading to measurable shifts in how we plan for writing (and how kids experience...

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Our 2020-21 Writing Curriculum for Middle and High School - The New York Times

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Our 2020-21 Writing Curriculum for Middle and High School (Published 2020)

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A flexible, seven-unit program based on the real-world writing found in newspapers, from editorials and reviews to personal narratives and informational essays.

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10 Tips for Conferring with Student Writers Online

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When Carl Anderson wrote A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences in 2018, he never could have imagined that in 2020 we would be conferring with students on virtual platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. But as Carl states below -- "Writing conferences are still at the heart of teaching writing." -- and so we must adapt.

Below and in the attached free guide, Carl offers words of wisdom as well as clear sets of skills teachers need to know to effectively talk with children about their writing.
In Carl's own words:

Writing conferences are still at the heart of teaching writing. That's because these 1:1 interactions with children give you the opportunity to provide the individualized support students need from you to grow as writers. In fact, conferring is more important than ever, as conferences give you and your students the opportunity to maintain and further develop the relationships that you miss when school is not meeting in person, or when your school is doing a version of blended learning. As John Hattie explains in Visible Learning (2009), these relationships help your students learn from you.

Whether you are conferring face-to-face in classrooms, or virtually, conferring effectively requires several sets of skills: you need to know how to talk with children about their writing, assess them as writers, and teach them well, all in the 5-7 minutes that conferences typically take. Conferring with children online requires one more: you need to know how to best use online platforms to confer successfully. Here are ten tips that will help you make great conferences possible online.

To learn more about A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences visit Heinemann.com and/or watch the video below.

This book is part of the Classroom Essential Series.
To view other books in this series click here.

Carl Anderson is an internationally recognized expert in writing instruction for Grades K-8, working as a consultant in schools and districts around the world. A long-time Staff Developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Carl is the author of numerous books on teaching writing, including the bestselling How's It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers.

His latest book, A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences, is part of the Classroom Essentials series. Full of classroom video, the book helps teachers understand the underlying principles and reasons for conferring with students, and how to make writing conferences a part of teachers' daily routines.

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10 Tips for Conferring with Student Writers Online

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When Carl Anderson wrote A Teacher's Guide to Writing Conferences in 2018, he never could have imagined that in 2020 we would be conferring with students on virtual platforms like Zoom and Google Meet. But as Carl states below -- "Writing conferences are still at the heart of teaching writing."

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Centering Reading Joy in the Virtual Classroom

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Centering Reading Joy in the Virtual Classroom

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Our class lists were released yesterday and with it came the excitement for the upcoming year. While it may not look anything like I have ever taught before, the year will still start, the 80 or so students will still arrive, and the work with kids will continue much like it has in other years.

This year rather than having a luxurious 5×90 minutes a week with every child, we are fully virtual for the first quarter at least, a decision I am inherently grateful for. That means that I will see my students 2×70 or 4×35 minutes depending on when I have them during the day. They will have 60-90 minutes of asynchronous work to do as well throughout the week. A huge reduction of time and thus also a huge need to really focus in on what we will do together, the learning journey we will be on. As I sat in a meeting with my fantastic colleagues last week, one thing immediately became clear, we all wanted to preserve independent reading during our live time, but not just that, we wanted to center it in reading joy.

But how do we do that when the students are not right there? When we don't have the tool of proximity, body language, and being able to physically hand them a book? When the time is much shorter? When we can't read the room or pull them in for a quick conference? When everything has to be pre-planned, pre-scheduled, and done from afar? Well, there is a way to do so.

We will center it in identity. I have written a lot about how (re)discovering and continuing the development of their reading identity is at the center of the work we do. With tools like our reading identity digital notebook which centers in discovery, goal setting, ad honest reflection, this is the work we do all year. That means that within the first week, our students will do their initial reading survey (slide 13 on) in order to establish a baseline for how they are starting and where they need to go. This also offers me a chance to get to know them and their journey up until now. I ask for their honesty but also know that some students rightfully so don't trust me yet. After the survey, the very first reading conference we have discusses their answers and helps them evaluate the goal they have set. The survey offers me a place to start and a place for the students to reflect back upon as they grow.

We will center it in our reading rights. As a class, we will create our reading rights much like we have in the past, but instead of being able to post our reasons for why reading sucks or why it is magical, we will do it on Padlet. Students will then work in small breakout groups to notice patterns and decide what type of rights they would like to have as readers in our community. I know there are a few rights that they will have no matter what they come up with; they have the right to choose books that matter to them, they have the right to abandon any book, they have the right to do meaningful work, they have the right to read with others. Every year, the students create fantastic rights that create the foundation for our learning together, to read more about the process see this post.

We will center it in personal goal setting. For several years, I set all goals for students and then grew frustrated when there was no buy-in or little progress on the goal. Now, students set their own goals, determine steps for how they will reach them, and reflect at set times on their progress, fine-tuning what they need to work on and (hopefully) noticing their own progress and developments. (Slide 7 on). Diving into the 7th grade reading challenge and discussing what a goal may be beyond quantity has been instrumental to the work we do as it allows kids to see beyond the page number for worthwhile reading habits. Reading growth comes in many sizes and it is important that we acknowledge, protect, develop and praise that. To see more about our reading goal setting, read this post linked here.

We will center it in choice. Getting books in the hands of kids is at the forefront of our ELA departments mind and in collaboration with our incredible library staff, it will happen. We will book talk books during our live time; I do a quick read of the blurb and give my opinion encouraging kids to write down potential titles on their to-be-read lists. We also have static book recommendations as found in our class hub which is housed on our class website. Our librarian will also be booktalking and highlighting books. Students will be able to request books both from the library and from our classroom collection through a simple Google form (here is what mine looks like) and they will have the opportunity to be "surprised" - adding in additional books they may like with every pick up order. They will then have twice weekly pick-up times where books can be grabbed following safety guidelines. If a child cannot pick up the books, we will find a way to get them to them. Book access is paramount for all kids, no matter their access to transportation. For those looking to book browse and shop safely while in class, please see this post for ideas.

We will center it in time. Even though I will have less live time with students than normal, we will still spend time reading together. For the class that only has me for 35 minutes a day, it will be 10 minutes of uninterrupted reading time (mics off), for those with 70 min in a day, it will be 15-20 minutes. I will be working behind the scenes with kids who may not have books, don't want to read etc during this time. I will say again; if we say we value reading as one of the biggest components of student growth then we have to spend time on it and not just assign it assuming it will happen. Of course, I will hope that the students will also read outside of class but recognize that for some that will simply not happen. The very least I then can do is make sure they have time to read with us when we are together.

We will center it in talk. Reading conferences usually happen when students are doing their independent reading and while that would still be super convenient to continue, I have a feeling that during that time there will be plenty of "in the moment" things to take care of. So instead, I will ask students to confer with me every two weeks where we will have a private ten minute conversation in regard to who they are as a reader and how their goal is progressing. Not only will it give me a glimpse into their reading life, but it will hopefully also serve as a way to get to know them better. Students will have a choice to do it virtually or via the phone, I wrote more about the set up and process here.

We will center it in read aloud. Using read alouds, picture books in particular, has long been a mainstay in our community. This year is no different as I kick off the year with a picture book read aloud, We Don't Eat our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins, as a way to dive into what we need to feel safe. I will read it live holding it up to the computer, but as the year progresses, I will scan the pages in so the students can see them in a slideshow while they listen to my voice read it live. Reading aloud bring joy, invites reflection, invites conversations, and offers us a springboard into topics that matter to us; identity, consent, fighting oppression, curiosity and many other aspects of the world. Sharing texts, whether short stories, long form, or picture books, allows us a shared language so we can speak books to one another.

We will center it in time. Building a community centered on reading joy takes time. For some kids they are already invested and ready, others will work on it all year. I know that this year presents additional obstacles that make the road seem even longer, the climb even steeper, yet I can honor every child's journey by giving them all year to grow. By getting them books. By helping them discover personal value in reading beyond what the teacher asked them to do. I can center our practice in what we know is good for children; choice, time, meaningful work, skill development, community, and access.

We will center it in acceptance and celebration. Our students come to us with so many different emotions tied to reading. I will not help them if all they feel is judged within our virtual walls. I will not help them if I determine their path or tell them how to be a reader. Instead, I can create a space where kids feel that wherever they are on their journey is okay, that however they feel is okay. We will do meaningful work together, we will share read alouds, we will speak about what it personally means to be a reader and develop the skills we need to be stronger readers. We will use reading as a tool of transportation, as a tool of growth, not just in the skills we develop but also in how we view the world. There is room for every child's reading journey on this mission, there is no one size fits all approach needed.

I know it can be tempting to create a lot of accountability measures in this virtual/hybrid Covid-19 teaching time. I know that it may seem like no big deal if we have kids log every minute, every page. If we ask for adult signatures to prove that they are, indeed, reading like they say they are. If we tell them all to read the same book over and over in order to create classroom conversation. If we ask them to write a short summary, do a small recording, take a quiz every time they finish a book. But what may seem insignificant quickly becomes a potentially damaging requirement. Writing one small summary about a book does not do a lot of harm but having to repeat the process every time one finishes a book can quickly lead to disdain for the reading process itself. Asking kids to log often leads to kids only doing the bare minimum rather than paying attention to when they have the capacity to read longer or the desire to. Asking kids to only read the same books does little to develop their independent reading identity and often makes them liars. The short-term gains from many of these accountability measures are not worth the long-term damage. So rather than focus on the quick accountability tools, take the time to really build the community. To invite the students into the governing decisions. To take stock and change course when it doesn't work. To continually keep the dialogue open. And to give yourself grace as well. This year for many is not what we had hoped it would be. For many of us we are in entirely new territory. But we got this. We will do our best and then we will return the next day and try again. We don't need to have all the answers just an idea of where to start.

Building reading joy is possible in virtual teaching, it may just look a little bit different than it has in the past and if there is one thing I know we educators are good at, it is embracing change and making it work. So one step at a time, we got this.
If your district or conference are interested in bringing me in virtually or live throughout the school year, please see information here. I have been supporting teachers remotely and in-person as they plan for meaningful literacy instruction in an in-person, virtual or hybrid model throughout the years and would love to help others as well.

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Centering Reading Joy in the Virtual Classroom

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Our class lists were released yesterday and with it came the excitement for the upcoming year. While it may not look anything like I have ever taught before, the year will still start, the 80 or so students will still arrive, and the work with kids will continue much like it has in other years....

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regieroutman.org :: Nurturing Writers with Equity in Mind

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Thank you for joining us. To the right are the resources and handouts mentioned during the Conversation.

This video and articles are also posted at The Daily Cafe.

Enjoy,

Regie and Gail

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Thank you for joining us. To the right are the resources and handouts mentioned during the Conversation. This video and articles are also posted at The Daily Cafe. Enjoy, Regie and Gail

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Creating a Community of Learners.docx - Google Drive

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Small Group reading instruction webinar Nell K. Duke

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Small Group reading instruction webinar Nell K. Duke

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Small Group Literacy Instruction at a Distance

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Read the World Distance Learning Support - Video

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Read the World Distance & Digital Learning Support - Video

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Print lessons and thinksheets are available in our book Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age.

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Synopsis

The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in.

Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid."

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there's a lot more to her-and to everyone-than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike.
Read Chapter One here! Teachers - Share (and find!) Fish in a Tree ideas that you have enjoyed using with your kids. Printable Fish in a Tree Teacher's Guide!
Awards and Honors:

Schneider Family Book Award

SCBWI Crystal Kite Winner

ALSC Notable Book of 2016

New York Times Bestseller

Global Read Aloud choice, 2015

SLJ Best Book, 2015

Audible.com (Amazon) Kids Audiobook of Year Winner

Will be published in 15 different languages thus far

ALSC Notable Children's Recordings Nominee

ALSC Notable Children's Book Nominee

Indie Best Book Choice

Amazon Best Book of the month

Amazon Best Book of the Year (9-12 yo), 2015

Amazon bestseller re: books about disabilities

Barnes and Noble ~ Best books about bullying

ALSC Summer Reading List, 2016

SCBWI Summer Reading List, 2016

*State Lists:

Great Stone Face Award Book (New Hampshire)

Colorado State Book Award nominee

Golden Sower Award (Nebraska) nominee

South Carolina Junior Book Award nominee, 2016-2017

Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (Illinois) nominee, 2016-2017

Iowa Children's Choice Award nominee, 2016-2017

Georgia Children's Book Award nominee, 2016-2017

North Carolina Battle of the Books, 2016-2017

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Maryland) nominee, 2016-2017

Maine Student Book Award Nominee, 2016-2017

Buckeye State Award List (Ohio), 2016-2017

William Allen White Award List (Kansas), 2017-2018

Visit Ally's Sketchbook of Impossible Things

Read (or add your own!) SUCCESS STORIES of people who struggled in school and later set the world on fire! (as Mr. Daniels would say ;-) Buy merchandise from a non-profit online store Help yourself to some Fish in a Tree badges
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SOLVING THE SECRET CODE:
HELLO! Below is the code that Mr. Daniels writes on the board for the students to solve. Unfortunately, I will not give you an answer for it. However, I will tell you a couple of things:

1. Yes, it can be solved.

2. Each letter stands for another letter in the alphabet and follows a pattern. So, for example, if I told you that every letter in this word < ALD > was really the letter that is three letters after it in the alphabet, <ALD > would really be < DOG >. This code below follows a pattern similar to this.

3. Writing out the entire alphabet for yourself and experimenting will make this easier to solve.

4. If you find this hard, don't quit! It's supposed to be hard and it feels AWESOME to solve something difficult.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The videos below were done in conjunction with Global Read Aloud. Each video covers 8 chapters of the book. Video 1: Chapter 1 - 8 Video 2: Chapter 9 - 17 Video 3: Chapter 18 - 24 Video 4: Chapter 25 - 33 Video 5: Chapter 34 - 42 Video 6: Chapter 43 - end I begin each taping with a reading of the last chapter in the block and then answer questions form readers for that chapter block ONLY. The last video has a bit more of an overview.

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Synopsis The author of the beloved One for the Murphys gives readers an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something...

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The Book Wrangler – Elementary Classroom 

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The Book Wrangler – Elementary Classroom & School Library Resources

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Whether you head back to school in August or September, these Epic reads can help you get the year started off on the right foot. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is important to thread throughout your morning meetings and content all year long, but it can be especially beneficial to highlight in tho…

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Kristi | Launching Units to Support a Year Like No Other

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Launching Units to Support a Year Like No Other

Posted at 17:44h in by Uncategorized kristimraz

Dear Readers,

For the next few weeks I am going to posting units for your use as we enter into the new school year. They are free, I encourage feedback, and I hope that you find them useful and meaningful in the months to come.
ABOUT THEM ALL:

They are ALL living documents. The K/1 has been updated a handful of times in the week since I originally posted it. Keep checking back at the document if you print it

I welcome and encourage feedback. If something does or does not work, let me know. Especially for those of you who start school earlier, you can help refine the work for those who will start a little later.

I tried to keep any and all prep work to a minimum. We are all trying to keep our heads above water. Once you get a sense of the units, you should be able to do 99.9% of the work with your children- no making the charts the night before or any of that.

The first one is for K/1 and contain a mash-up of community and relationship building, show and tell, interactive writing, phonics and shared reading. You could call it a reading unit, but it crosses out of that neat box into other areas. The unit is written with variations for distanced, virtual, or blended schooling. It is also written with the feedback of many brilliant educators, I celebrate them at the end.
K/1 Reading Unit: Shared Stories, Shared Voices!
The 2/3 unit tries to bridge community building, identity, agency, and getting to know your readers. There is a huge emphasis on collaborative conversations. I tried as much as possible to account for all the variations in schooling, but honestly, who knows what it will look like tomorrow. Remember to check out the end where I thank the talented educators who gave their feedback.
2/3 Reading Unit: Building Communities of Readers
4/5 Reading Resources are here! This is a different set-up than the others because I think starting the year with a communal study of a book would be amazing to build relationships, support your readers, and manage a few variables. The incredible Kate Roberts has written a book called A Novel Approach which marries the core beliefs of readers workshop with the idea of a whole class novel. Since the wheel has already been invented, I am sharing some resources with you about the wheel. Kate holds true to the importance of choice, the importance of agency, and the importance of choosing a text that matters to your kids. Kate calls it a "read-aloud" focused unit, and that gives me a great framing on how to think about how it can live within the structures of a typical reading workshop.
Here is Kate talking about it on Zoom with me. Here are some resources Kate created to help you make this work for your community. Here is Kate's website so you can soak up her brilliance. They have made a ton of helpful materials for online teaching.
We talked a little bit online and off about how much book choice matters. You might choose a selection of books that are connected to your kids and their passions and ask them to vote on which ones they would want to read and study. We Need Diverse Texts is a great place to find some titles.

Last by not least, this is not a year long curriculum, after a read aloud focused unit, you will want to shift kids into their own texts. Hopefully, by then, maybe, the world will make a little more sense, and if not, perhaps the book we have shared as a community helps us have ways to talk and think about ourselves.

I would pair this study with some of Sara Ahmed's identity work in Being the Change.

AND PLAY. Okay, this one has been a while in the making but also probably needs the most feedback. In this document, I've tried to figure out how play works in a virtual and distanced space. Please give feedback and the document can grow and change as people are experiencing it in real time. My Purposeful Play Co-authors and I also have a post coming out on this topic which has even more information and materials.
A Handbook for Play in the Virtual/Distanced Classroom
The resources are all free. Use them, give feedback, share them. They are living, they will change. You can contact me through the blog or leave a comment, I will approve them all and make changes that need to be made.

Having said all of that, if you would like additional support, you can always connect with me for a webinar or private office hours. As a matter of fact, why don't I just dive right into a shameless plug. Here are all the ways I am working with schools at this time:

Individual office hours: In this format, teachers/admin/coaches schedule time to talk, usually about 20 minutes. We might plan, co-teach, talk, problem solve, whatever!

Virtual labs and meetings: In this format, we meet as a group (usually as a grade team, though it can be 1-1) and plan something, then we co-teach or, if you would prefer, I demonstrate on a zoom or whatever virtual platform you are using. Think small group work, shared reading, read aloud, minilessons, etc etc.

Meetings: Self explanatory. I meet with teams, individuals or whole groups and we plan, problem solve, try things out with tech, etc etc

Workshops: The difference here is its mostly content delivery from me to your staff. You can also do these as courses- a course about play, a course about shared reading, etc.

A Benevolent Hovering Presence: In this option, we just set up a standing date across the weeks for check ins, meetings, workshops, etc.

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Launching Units to Support a Year Like No Other

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Posted at 17:44h in by Uncategorized kristimraz Dear Readers, For the next few weeks I am going to posting units for your use as we enter into the new school year. They are free, I encourage feedback, and I hope that you find them useful and meaningful in the months to come.

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Publisher Guidelines on Fair Use for Online Storytimes 

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Many teachers & librarians are reaching out to authors and illustrators to ask about permissions for sharing online read-alouds, either live or recorded, for students who are currently learning at home. While we may be able to say "Sure, that's fine with me," we actually can't give you legal permission. That has to come from publishers, and many have begun to issue statements and guidelines to help out. Please note that some are sharing policies publicly, while others are asking teachers & librarians to request those guidelines via email. You can either email the publisher or the author of the book you'd like to read, as many of us have those guidelines and have been told it's fine to share them with you via email. Here's what I have so far. Publishers, authors, & illustrators - please email me if you have more official updates, and I'll add as soon as I can.

From Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House has extended its open license for online story time and classroom read alouds and live events, through December 31, 2020. Details are here. This covers my History Smashers series.

From Chronicle Books:

Chronicle Books will be updating their guidelines soon to extend story time permissions through March 31, 2021. I'll post specific guidelines soon, but you can plan on being able to use these books through early Spring.

Chronicle's policy covers nearly all of my picture books, so read away!

From Scholastic:

Scholastic has also extended its guidelines for online read-alouds through December 31, 2020. Details are here.

This policy covers my Marty McGuire series, my Ranger in Time historical adventure chapter book series, and my Silver Jaguar Society mysteries.

From Bloomsbury Kids:

Bloomsbury Kids has extended permissions through December 31, 2020, allowing both live-streaming (not recorded) and password-protected, private read-alouds of entire works, as well as publicly shared read-alouds of excerpts (no more than 20%), all through the end of the school year. Bloomsbury is asking that you contact the publisher or the author of the work for more information on those guidelines. Note: Bloomsbury is working on an updated policy to allow read-alouds through the fall - stay tuned!

This policy applies to most of my stand-alone novels, including these frequent classroom read-alouds!

There's a wonderful and extensive teaching & discussion guide for CHIRP that you can download here. Thanks to educator/writer Melissa Guerrette for creating it!

From Candlewick:

The Candlewick guidelines above refer to my Fergus and Zeke easy readers.

From Lerner Books:

Lerner Books has extended online read-aloud permissions through March 31, 2021. Details are here. This covers my book TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM.

More fair use guidelines from publishers:
Sourcebooks has shared these guidelines. Here are guidelines from Charlesbridge, which is requesting that people email for permissions.
Little Brown Books for Young Readers has published this book sharing permission statement for educators.

Here is the current Penguin Random House Open License for Online Storytime, Classroom Read-Alouds, and Live Events.

Boyds Mills & Kane released this list of guidelines for Online Reading During the Coronavirus.

Lee & Low has shared these temporary guidelines for online read-alouds.

Simon & Schuster has extended its Online Book Reading Guidelines through December 31, 2020.

Here are MacMillan's Content Use Guidelines for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents.

And here is a temporary permissions statement from Abrams Children's Books.

HarperCollins has shared these guidelines for authors, illustrators, and educators regarding online read-alouds.

The Quarto Group's guidelines for online read-alouds are here.

From Barefoot Books: Thank you for your permission request. We are happy to extend gratis permission for the [name of organization] to do virtual story times with any of our books, so long as you credit the author, illustrator and Barefoot Books as the publisher. We also ask that you provide a link to our website, www.barefootbooks.com, in any posts or captions along with the story time. This permission extends through December 31, 2020.

That's the information I have for right now, but I'll keep updating this page as I learn more. If any other publishers or authors have additional permissions statements or updates, please reach out via the contact form on my website to share, and I'll be happy to add.

Teachers & librarians - Thank you so much for all of the work you're doing to make learning and reading accessible for all during this time. You're such heroes for our kids and families right now. We see you. And we appreciate you so much.

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Publisher Guidelines on Fair Use for Online Storytimes & Read-Alouds during COVID-19

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Many teachers & librarians are reaching out to authors and illustrators to ask about permissions for sharing online read-alouds, either live or recorded, for students who are currently learning at home. While we may be able to say "Sure, that's fine with me," we actually can't give you legal permission.

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Book Shopping and Handling Books in Our Classrooms During Covid-19 – A Few Ideas – Pernille Ripp

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But How Do We Build Community? Ideas for Virtual and Hybrid Learning – Pernille Ripp

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While my district has yet to release its plan for the fall here in Wisconsin, things are not looking so good. The last two days we have set new records in my county for positive test results for Covid-19, as a family we went through our own wait-time to get results this week so we have continued to stay at home with very limited movement. And while there is a lot of uncertainty that are furiously being discussed and planned for as best we can, one thing is practically certain; our year will not start in the normal sense.

And it shouldn't, we have changed. Our world has changed.

Community lies at the heart of everything we do, the threads that bind us together create a learning space that will hopefully work for all of the children in our care. I know most of the learning success I had in the three months of crisis teaching was dependent on the community we had spent all year establishing and maintaining. On the trust we had built, on the care for each other, on the fun we had had. We know that building that community is hard work, it is not just simply putting together fun activities and hoping kids will buy into it and immediately build trust. There is so much that goes into creating the space that we hope kids will flourish in throughout the year. But how do we do that when we are not face to face? When we perhaps are both teaching live and online at the same time?

My hope every year is that the children in my care feel safe within our community. Safe to be who they are. Safe to challenge themselves. Safe to take risks. Safe to disagree. Safe to speak up. Safe to show up even if they are not at their best. Safe to go on a year long identity journey together. One that hopefully will matter to them beyond "just" developing their English Language Arts skills.

And yet the whole determination and definition of safe is something that has been weighing on me. When we say that we want our classrooms to be safe, what do we really mean? I have been reading the brilliant book Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in Classroom by Matthew R. Kay and he writes about this as well, "...for most students, a teacher's safe space designation doesn't mean much." Because we don't definite it, because we don't think about our cultural norms that at times exclude kids, because we don't think about the extent of the required needs to be met for someone to feel safe. And so when I think of community building work, I want it to be meaningful, it want it to be real. Yes, there is room for fun, for get-to-know you activities, but how do we go past that? How do we get further?

For me, I plan on spending our face-to-face time on a lot of the community building we usually do. As it stands, it sounds like my district will be hybrid with some face-to-face and some online, where I teach both at the same time (no, I am not sure how that will work). This means that as always we will spend the first few weeks laser focused on laying the groundwork for our year-long identity work. We will do the work we do every year. We will reflect on our reading and writing identity. We will discuss when reading sucks. We will create our reading rights together. We will set meaningful goals for our own growth. We will read and discuss personal essays that speak to not fitting into the world, into being seen as different, into finding your people, finding your own strength. We will start our focus on whose voices are missing and how that impacts our understanding of our world. We will do all of this together so that online can become learning time. So that online can be manageable for the kids who can access it. So that the online work becomes a time for kids to go deeper with what we are already doing rather than further to-do's. And yet, the community aspect also needs to continue to be developed while we are apart, so that we can feel connected, so that we can grow together.
A few ideas I am contemplating using:

Ready-Set-Go conferences before the year starts, we offered these up last year face-to-face and had a good turnout. This year, depending on access, they will either be face-to-face or virtual for a chance for us to meet.

Yard visits, for those who are okay with it, I would like to say hello from a distance before the year starts. Either by standing in the street, a public park, or some other decided place. This will be an option to see each other from a far and say hello.

A welcome video for the students hopefully shot in our classroom so they can get a sense of what it looks like. If not it will be from my home with my kids.

Welcome postcards. I wrote a lot of postcards in the past few months, I think they made a difference, and even if they didn't, it is one more way to say hello. I am playing with the idea of including a postcard they can mail back to me with the postage already paid. I don't know how many kids would take me up on it but perhaps some would.

Weekly surveys checking in worked well for me last semester. Here is a sample of one.

I want community to be built through the work we do, not just as an add on feature, so the work we do needs to be worth their time and dedication. This is huge as I start to plan the work and our year focus.

Easy accessible Google Slides to work through every day they are online, only a few items but I want to focus on sharing either through video, audio, or written form. We will use Padlet, Flipgrid, or whatever else we can use to respond to each other.

I won't be able to do morning meetings live because I will be teaching at the same time, I will be doing recorded morning messages every day though and keep them short! My own kids scoffed the minute their morning videos were longer than 3 minutes.

I will be offering free PD on how I plan on embedding authentic choice and voice throughout our year in August, I will be definitely sharing more about my ideas for building community authentically. To sign up and see more information, please go to this website and search for my name. This is also the heart of my work alongside students and I write extensively about it in my book, Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Learners.
I want to be mindful of a lot of things:

Virtual teaching is inherently more inequitable than even live teaching.

Not all kids will be able to access virtual teaching for many different reasons.

Kids have no reason to trust me.

Having a device (provided for all kids by my district) does not mean you have space to or time to use it.

Students are in many different places in their journey of learning and also in how safe they feel at school. I want to be acutely aware of this and let it guide my work.

The world continues to be overwhelming, kids are in a lot of different places when it comes to their mental health. Everything we do has to be shaped through equity and care.

I will be one of many classes.

We, teachers, need to deeply collaborate especially when it comes to how much work we are asking kids to do.

We need even more safety nets such as trusted adults for every child.

We need to find ways for students to connect with one another, not just in an academic sense.

I keep thinking about this webinar: A conversation with Bettina Love, Gholdy Muhammad, Dena Simmons and Brian Jones about abolitionist teaching and antiracist education. I have been a part of a lot of learning this summer and this was one of the most powerful hours I spent, their voices are definitely resonating loudly as I plan for my upcoming year.

Yesterday on Twitter I asked for ideas for building community online because surely others have been grappling with this idea as well. I promised I would share the ideas here as a list not to take credit, but instead to highlight all of the ideas floating around. So thank you to all who shared. Thank you to all who took the time to share new or tried and true ideas. May we all be able to find something that will help us out.

Major take aways from ideas shared:

Identity work and creating learning conditions that honor each child is a must.

Having access in many different ways to allow kids choice.

Making yourself available in many different formats.

Scheduling virtual drop-in times where kids can hang out and also interact with you works well.

Don't require video or their face to be shown.

What works for your students will depend very much on your students.

Don't be afraid to try things and then change them or not use the idea if it doesn't work.

What were other ideas shared?
The brilliant Julie Jee also asked this question, here is the thread with all of the ideas shared.

I am grateful for all of the ideas shared, there were even more than were posted here, to see the original thread, click this link. We may face an uncertain future when it comes to our school but one thing remains; the kids will show up and need us to be fully human, to be present, and to be safe. I hope that you can use some of these ideas to help you move toward that.

Also, if your district or conference are interested in bringing me in virtually throughout the school year, please see information here. I have been supporting teachers remotely as they plan for meaningful literacy instruction in a virtual and hybrid model throughout the summer and would love to help others as well.

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But How Do We Build Community? Ideas for Virtual and Hybrid Learning

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While my district has yet to release its plan for the fall here in Wisconsin, things are not looking so good. The last two days we have set new records in my county for positive test results for Covid-19, as a family we went through our own wait-time to get results this week so we...

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Is That Higher-Order Task Really Higher Order? | Cult of Pedagogy

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The mobiles hang from the ceiling like jewelry, filling Ms. Jackson's language arts classroom with bright, twirling colors. They make a pretty canopy over the room, and if you look closer at the individual dangly bits on each mobile, you'll see that they contain words: Alliteration, says one, and below it hang four more pieces of paper that give examples of alliteration. Personification, says another. Simile. Metaphor. Onomatopoeia. They're figurative language mobiles. Ms. Jackson's students spent two full class periods working on them, and many even took theirs home to finish them before they were put up for display.

When she wrote those two days into her lesson plans, Ms. Jackson thought she was adding higher-order thinking to her students' learning. After all, they were creating something, weren't they?

Well, yes and no. Yes, they created mobiles with wire hangers, construction paper, markers, and glue. But they didn't actually create anything with figurative language, like a piece of original writing, for example.

The mobiles, in fact, represent no higher-order thinking at all.

It's kind of a given that most teachers want their students to be doing rigorous, challenging work. Ask any teacher, "Is it your goal to simply have students regurgitate facts in your class?" and every time, the answer will probably be no.

And yet, that exact thing is happening more often than we realize.

It's not for lack of trying: For years, teachers have consulted their Bloom's flip charts and DOK wheels to choose the verbs that are meant to represent higher levels of thinking. In a lot of cases, though, while the right verbs are being used, the tasks they represent aren't actually on the level teachers think they are.

Over the years I've seen teachers make two specific mistakes with higher-order thinking tasks more often than any other, so I'm going to drill down and focus just on those two mistakes here.

Defining Our Terms

First, let's make sure we're on the same page: When people talk about higher-order thinking, what do they mean, exactly? The answer can be different depending on who you ask.

First, there's the question of which framework you're using. Bloom's Taxonomy is commonly used by teachers to classify learning outcomes, as is Webb's Depth of Knowledge framework. Other teachers prefer the SOLO Taxonomy created by John Biggs.

For the sake of efficiency, I'll stick to Bloom's for this discussion; specifically, I'll be referring to the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy, which was first published by Anderson and Krathwohl in 2001.

So if we just look at Bloom's, which levels would be seen as representing "higher-order" thinking? Logically, it would seem that any task that goes above the Remember level-where students simply recall information-would be considered "higher" because it's higher than that lowest level. But in many discussions of higher-order thinking, this label is often reserved for the three highest levels: Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.

So for now, when I say "higher order," I'll be referring to those three levels.

By the way, there is nothing inherently wrong with the lower levels; taking in information, understanding it, and applying it are all necessary and vital parts of a good education. But if our students work only at those levels day in and day out, they aren't becoming good thinkers. Without regular opportunities to pull ideas apart, evaluate texts and situations, and use what they learn to develop new ideas, they aren't going to be able to do much with the information they learn at the lower levels, especially once they're out of school.

On top of that, a course that only asks students to receive information and spit it back out is really, really boring. If we want engaged students who actually care about what they're learning, we have to ask them to do more than just regurgitate.

Two Common Mistakes

When teachers I have worked with plan learning experiences, and they want to include higher-order thinking activities, they most often tend to make two particular mistakes. Avoiding these two errors should go a long way toward making the "higher-order" label more accurate in all schools.

Mistake 1: Thinking a task is at the "Analyze" level when it's really at the "Understand" level

Because we use the word "analyze" so often in conversation, its meaning has gotten slippery. Someone could say "analyze that painting," and another person might answer by giving a basic description of the painting and offering an opinion about its meaning.

True analysis goes deeper, breaking a whole into parts and looking at how those parts impact the whole, differentiating relevant from irrelevant information, organizing ideas within a particular structure, or recognizing underlying bias, values or point of view.

"To truly analyze a painting, for example" says author and instructional coach Julie Stern, "we would require that students do one of the above, such as discussing how the use of colors, materials, or other artistic technique impact one another, or how they impact the overall meaning of the painting."

For the analysis to be legitimate, Stern adds, we also have to be careful that the situation presented is one that we have not previously taught in class. "We have to be sure that students are not merely remembering and repeating our analysis of the painting, novel, war, etc., that we studied together in class." Instead, students can demonstrate their analytical skills by analyzing a completely new painting.

Because we don't always think of analysis with this tighter definition, we sometimes think certain tasks are at the "Analyze" level, when they are actually at the "Understand" level.

It's not surprising that we make this mistake: The "Understand" level encompasses a surprising number of cognitive tasks that go well beyond simple recall of facts: Anderson & Krathwohl's revised taxonomy includes interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining within this level. Understand-level work can be rigorous and challenging; it should be a regular part of the work students do. But there are much higher levels of thinking that we can build into our classroom routines on a regular basis.

Mistake 2: Thinking a task is at the "Create" level when it's actually a "Remember" or "Understand" task with a pretty package

Teachers assign all kinds of projects that they believe hit the Create level of Bloom's: posters, dioramas, booklets, and so on. While it may appear on the surface that students are actively creating something new, in a lot of cases they are still working at a very low cognitive level, merely reassembling facts and delivering them in a pretty package.

Technology can make this problem worse: Students may be tasked with creating a video, a Prezi, or even a digital game, but if the content of the end product is little more than a rehashing of facts, that task is still at a lower level.

"Create, according to the Revised Bloom's," Stern explains, "requires students to organize elements into a pattern, structure, or product that is new, or has not previously existed. One way to think about it is that 'analysis' is breaking elements apart to discuss how the parts impact each other or the larger structure. And 'creating' is putting the elements back together in a new way or in a new situation."

So when studying animal habitats, having students build a clay model of a habitat for an animal you studied in class might feel like a creative project, but in reality, students are just making a 3-D representation of facts they already learned.

"When we ask students to 'create' a poster, brochure, video, or digital game that creatively explains the main points discussed in class," Stern says, "we are not reaching a higher level of thinking. Again, it might be helpful to think about a new context or situation, even a hypothetical one, not simply a new product. If we want students to create a habitat for an animal, it should be a different type of animal than ones we previously discussed."

Here's another way to look at it: Work at the Create level doesn't really need glue, markers, scissors, or technology to qualify as a "Create" task. If you remove all the "creative" trappings and just look at the mental work students are doing, it should still involve creating something new with the content they're learning.

Sample Lesson: Bill of Rights

Now let's take a look at these mistakes within the context of a more complete set of lesson plans, followed by another set that does a better job of building in higher-order thinking.

Tony is an 8th grade social studies teacher who is designing a set of lessons on the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. His state standards say that students should be able to do the following in regards to the Bill of Rights:

Identify and explain the rights granted to all citizens by the Bill of Rights

Identify and evaluate contemporary issues that involve the rights granted by the Bill of Rights

We'll start with Tony's original lesson plans, the ones he's used to teach the Bill of Rights for several years now. Then we'll look at another set of plans from the Bill of Rights Institute that tackles the same basic goals, but pushes students to higher levels of thinking about the material.

Time frames are based on class periods of about 45-60 minutes.

Bill of Rights Lesson Plan: BEFORE

(Duration: 1 week)

This activity is at the Remember level of Bloom's: Students are simply taking in the information and recording it.

Tony believes this activity is at the Create level, because students are creating their own websites, but because they're just defining the amendment, giving examples, and linking to other examples without commentary, the work never rises above the Understand level. Unfortunately, because students are learning new technology in order to do this project, it takes most of the week to complete, which makes it a strong candidate for the Grecian Urn label: a task that consumes far more time than it gives back in terms of learning.

While most of this test is at the Remember level, Tony believes the final question is at the Analyze level, because students are "analyzing" the relationship between the Bill of Rights and their own lives. In fact, they are really just giving examples of the rights in their own lives, and exemplifying is at the Understand level.

Bill of Rights Lesson Plan: AFTER

(Duration: 1 week)

This revised version contains more higher-order thinking. It comes from the Bill of Rights lesson plan offered free as part of the Being an American series offered by the Bill of Rights Institute. Although the original plan says it's for a single day, it relies heavily on homework to make that happen. Moving the homework activities into class time would make this about a 1-week set of lessons.

This task is at the Understand level, because students are interpreting the rights into their own language. Again, some lower-level thinking is going to be a part of any learning cycle, so this set of plans will also include some activities in the lower levels. With that said, work at the Understand level is still more cognitively complex than the Remember level: This activity does push students to do more than simply copy down the information.

This is at the Evaluate level, because students are making judgments about the relative importance of the amendments.

This activity is at the Understand level, because students are being asked to classify each scenario as an example of a specific right.

4: The Bill of Rights Today (1 class period)Students must locate five current news stories related to the Bill of Rights. For each one, they will need to summarize the story, identify which amendment is related to the story, and discuss how the issue might touch their own lives. 5: "Life Without..." Stories (1-2 class periods)After reading a short story, "Life Without Rights for the Accused," which illustrates life in a society where government does not honor the criminal procedure protections in the Bill of Rights, students write their own stories about what life would be like if citizens didn't have one particular right.
Although this activity is similar to the one before it, having students classify stories by the most relevant amendment, this task is a bit more complex because the scenarios here are not pre-screened for them: Students will have to find their own articles and dig through irrelevant details to determine which amendment is most clearly illustrated in the articles. That kind of work takes this activity closer to the Analysis level.

This is at the Create level. Students are using their knowledge of our current rights and how they play out in everyday life to imagine a different society where those rights are not present.

Even though both sets of plans take about the same amount of time to teach, the "After" set gives students many more opportunities to engage deeply with the content, and students in that classroom are more likely to finish the week with an enduring, transferable understanding of their constitutional rights. If you were walking past both classrooms, it might look like the kids making their own websites are doing more engaging, 21st-century work, but cognitively, those websites don't demand much from students at all.
What do I want students to be able to do with this knowledge once the lesson is over?
Beyond the Levels, Beyond the Verbs

When we are striving to develop deeper, more rigorous learning experiences for our students, it's easy to get bogged down in trying to figure out exactly which level a task fits into or which verb is the most accurate. If you find yourself spending way too long on the labeling aspect of planning, it's time to stop and refocus on a different question...

In other words, why are they learning this stuff, how do I want them to transfer that learning to real life, and how can I replicate those uses in a classroom activity?

Let's consider the Bill of Rights. We want our citizens to understand their rights so that when their rights or the rights of people they know are violated, they'll recognize it and be able to take action. This is one of the ways we participate in a democratic society, right? So an activity where students look at sample situations and identify which rights are being infringed upon is one way to have them transfer their knowledge of the Bill of Rights into new situations, cases that might be similar to things they may experience themselves. Finding more articles from current publications can extend that learning even further.

And what about the Create task in the "After" lesson? What is the value of having students write a story about life without one of the freedoms granted by the Bill of Rights? This kind of activity deepens their understanding of their rights. Rather than simply recopying the same information into a new package, they are being asked to actively imagine a different life from the one they're living, with one significant right removed from it. That kind of exercise gets them to think more about how these rights actually impact their day-to-day lives, which is a far more complex task than recalling the list of rights from what they were taught.

The "After" lesson presented here is just one example of how to build more higher-order thinking into students' learning experiences. It can be done in lots of ways, and the goal isn't to always hit every level; instead, choose activities that will get students working with the material in ways that will serve them later in life.

The next time Ms. Jackson teaches figurative language, she can skip the wire hangers and just have students use figurative language in their own personal narratives, poems, or essays. The writing won't necessarily make the classroom any prettier, but for the rest of their lives, those kids may be more likely to use better metaphors, personification, and alliteration to make their writing more powerful: college essays, professional presentations, even love letters.

Which is kind of the point, isn't it? ♦

Come back for more.
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Is That Higher-Order Task Really Higher Order?

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Ask any group of teachers if their goal is to simply have students regurgitate facts, and every one of them will say no. Despite that, it keeps happening.

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5 Traps That Will Kill Online Learning (and Strategies to Avoid Them) | EdSurge News

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For perhaps the first time in recent memory, parents and teachers may be actively encouraging their children to spend more time on their electronic devices. Online learning has moved to the front stage as 90 percent of high-income countries are using it as the primary means of educational continuity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

If March will forever be remembered as the month that virtually all the world's countries closed their school doors, will April be remembered as the month that the students around the world embraced the world of online learning?

There is no shortage of optimistic speculation from education experts and innovators that this experience will have a transformative effect on education after the pandemic is over. The hope is that teachers will be more well-versed in the range and use of quality online learning resources, schools will welcome innovation that drives better and more enriched learning experiences, and students will demand more interesting multimedia and multi-modal learning experiences.

I certainly hope this will be true. But what if it is not?

There is some evidence that such hope will not materialize, at least if we continue with what we are doing now. Christopher Pommering, founder of Learnlife, a global network dedicated to fostering lifelong learning practices, says many of the 1,000 school leaders across the 60 countries in its network report that both teachers and students are burning out from trying to conduct the traditional school day in an online environment.

"We are being flooded with requests for assistance on how to develop effective and engaging remote learning experiences, especially after the first or second week in which schools try to transfer their normal curriculum to an online format and parents and teachers realize it doesn't work," he says.

To understand the major pitfalls of online learning and what we need to do to avoid them, I recently spoke with Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (Editor's note: ISTE is the parent organization of EdSurge.) As someone who earned his stripes as a classroom teacher and designer of multiple online courses, and who previously held positions as the Chief Innovation Officer for the State of Rhode Island and Director of the Office of Education Technology for the U.S. Department of Education, Richard is a go-to person for exploring the shift we are experiencing in learning today.

As Richard posits, if we aren't careful to avoid the pitfalls, "it will guarantee that nobody will ever want to do online learning again after coronavirus is over."

Here are Culatta's top five pitfalls that could kill online learning-and how to avoid them.

1. The Content Trap

When you look at moving a school online, the first question is often, "What content do we need to make available?" Immediately everybody's mind goes to uploading chapters of the textbook and worksheets to Google Classroom. People often forget that the learning content is one small fraction of an effective learning experience.

When people fall into the content trap, online learning has all of the materials but none of the heart. Students are just sitting there, clicking "next" through presentations that have been uploaded to an LMS. It's painful to watch. You can see the kids slipping into a coma while they sit there. It teaches kids to hate learning. It teaches them that learning is boring.

To avoid the content trap, it is important to consider all of the critical elements of learning and think about how to design them for a virtual space. For example, what do virtual conversations look like, or virtual art projects?

Or what about digital recess? There are lots of fun ways to do recess in a virtual space. You could certainly do group exercises in front of the computer but, depending on the age of the kids, you could use free apps, some with geotagging, to run around the block and see how far you have gone or do a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood.

The point is: Don't just upload scanned textbooks and worksheets and think it's going to be a good learning experience. It's actually going to be a horrendously boring and painful learning experience. If that's what we're going to do, we might question whether it's better to just not do learning at all.

2. The One-Size-Fits-All Trap

When we move to an online environment, we shouldn't assume that one approach or type of activity will work for all students (and frankly, we shouldn't assume this in the classroom either). It is easy to create online assignments without remembering that every student has unique needs, interests and challenges.

Fortunately, it turns out that providing personalized learning experiences is one of the areas where online learning can improve on the classroom experience. Since every kid isn't sitting in the same classroom at the same time, there is no excuse to not have them working on a variety of different activities that align to their own unique interests and strengths. If a kid is learning math, for example, programs like DreamBox Learning or Zearn can adapt to the needs of each individual learner and share progress with teachers and parents.

This is particularly important for special populations, such as young children, English language learners, or students with physical, emotional or cognitive challenges. We have Individualized Education Plans (IEP) for a reason, and we can't forget that when we move online we also need a digital IEP where we create an individual program using the virtual environments.

Fortunately, there are lots of digital tools to facilitate this. For some kids, it could be as simple as installing screen readers or using voice commands. For others, it might mean breaking the content into smaller pieces and having more check-ins. There are a variety of apps, like Newsela, that adapt and adjust the content to a wide variety of English language proficiency. At ISTE, we are launching a new course for teachers around designing online learning with special populations in mind.

3. The Isolation Trap

Teaching and learning online does not mean learning alone. But many people forget that. School provides critical human interactions-a chance to engage with friends, not only on a social level, but also for learning. It also provides the chance for mentorship from an adult. There are a lot of different ways to do that online. In fact, I would argue it may be even easier to do peer collaboration in virtual spaces.

There are a whole bunch of tools that can facilitate collaboration without some of the challenges, like noise, that you run into in the classroom. In the classroom, we limit our social learning experience to other kids in the class. But when you are in a virtual space, that sort of collaboration could be with kids all around the world.

It is also a great way to think about incorporating experts that, frankly, would never come to the school in person. In a virtual space, you can invite a book author, engineer or a legislator to engage with your students directly. That access to expertise and global peers can make online learning a much more connected environment than the traditional classroom.

4. The Teaching Transfer Trap

Another big pitfall is thinking that if you know how to teach in the physical world, all you need to do is just log onto an online tool, and you will be effective at teaching in the virtual world. That is just absolutely not true.

Of course, the basic foundations of learning are the same. But the way you manifest those in a virtual space is very different. For example, if you are trying to assess student learning online, a teacher who does not have experience teaching online might revert to using multiple choice tests or uploading worksheets. In the virtual classroom, there are far more options for assessing learning than there are in the traditional classroom, but no teacher is born knowing how to do this.

While the basic principles of assessing learning remain the same, teachers must learn new approaches for authentic assessment in a virtual space. For example, you might ask them to make their own Khan Academy-style videos explaining how to solve a problem. You could even have other members of the class review the script for accuracy, as a test of their knowledge. Using document histories the teacher can see all of the contributions that different students have made along the way.

But teachers need support to learn skills like authentic online assessment. It is inappropriate to just expect that because a teacher is really good in a physical classroom, that he or she will suddenly just know how to be a good teacher in a virtual classroom. Teachers also should be recognized for the skills they develop in this domain.

5. The Learning-is-Serious Trap

For some reason when learning moves to a virtual space, it generally also becomes much more serious. I've watched this happen over and over again. A teacher who is funny and engaging in the physical classroom often doesn't know how to convey that "fun-ness" through virtual tools. When that happens, learning becomes very serious and, honestly, boring.

Fortunately there are many simple ways to make a virtual classroom fun. In virtual classrooms, something as simple as playing music when people sign in to the session can completely change the tone, and signal "this is a fun place, we're going to learn and it's going to be fun." Using video interstitial transitions can both break up the experience and add humor. Creating polls is another way to keep learning fun and can still be related to the topic. If you're having a math class, posting a silly question like "what is a vampire number?" (yes, that's a real thing) and seeing what answer students choose can help lighten the experience of being online.

Ultimately, learning online can have many benefits and allow for new ways to engage and challenge students. But only if schools do not fall into these five traps. It's upon school leaders to ensure that educators are supported and trained to do just that.

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5 Traps That Will Kill Online Learning (and Strategies to Avoid Them) - EdSurge News

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For perhaps the first time in recent memory, parents and teachers may be actively encouraging their children to spend more time on their electronic devices. Online learning has moved to the front stage as 90 percent of high-income countries are using it as the primary means of educational continuity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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7 Strategies Designed to Increase Student Engagement in Synchronous Online Discussions Using Video Conferencing - Dr. Catlin Tucker

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One of the primary roles that a teacher plays in an online class is the facilitation of learning. Facilitation is the teacher's ability to clearly communicate learning objectives and support learners as they make progress toward those objectives. When teachers are working with students online, their role as facilitator encompasses their interactions with students in [...]

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An Educational Leadership Special Report | Volume 77

All stories in this special issue of Educational Leadership are free and open to all users.

This issue is available for download as a PDF. To support ASCD's work and receive unparalleled professional-learning content and other benefits, please consider becoming a member.

Feature Articles

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A New Reality: Getting Remote Learning Right

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On between 9 pm and midnight EST, ASCD will be performing maintenance on our websites. You may experience issues accessing our websites. An Educational Leadership Special Report | Volume 77 All stories in this special issue of Educational Leadership are free and open to all users.

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Helping teachers and students make the switch to online learning.

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Helping teachers and students make the switch to online learning.

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Over the past two weeks , we 'v e published a series of blog posts aimed at helping our customers during the COVID-19 outbreak. In one of them , I shared a letter from Lily Zheng , our friend and coworker in Shanghai . Lily's letter included lessons she'd gathered from China-based E ducation customers who moved to 100 percent remote learning back in February . Faced with delaying the term, these schools sprung into action, quickly migrating their entire curriculum online. A nd a s countries around the world are impacted by the outbreak, many more educational organizations will need to do the same.

We want to help . My colleague Barbara Holzapfel and her team focus on creating technology for schools and universities , and they count a number of remote-learning educators among their customers. S he has asked some of these experts to share the remote-learning tips that they've gathered over the year s . From preserving student-teacher 1:1s to bringing lessons to life in the virtual classroom, it's rich with useful advice for any educational organization that may soon be moving online . Take it away, Barbara.

Making remote learning effective and engaging with Microsoft for Education

In the weeks since the COVID-19 outbreak first hit China, our Education customers in the region have done amazing things to keep students learning while they transition to learning remotely. From e-learning innovations to keeping students' spirits high with photo and cooking challenges, teachers and students have shown extraordinary resilience during this difficult time.

Now, as countries around the world take steps to contain the virus, many schools and universities globally are moving classes online. Teaching and learning from home is a big change for most students and educators. Without a physical classroom, how can you check that students are engaged and progressing? How do educators and faculty stay connected?

We want to help ease the transition, so we have asked experienced online educators-including Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) and O'Dea High School here in Seattle-to share the tips they've gathered over years in remote education.

But we also want to do more. Microsoft Teams is available for free to educational institutions through the Office 365 A1 offer. This provides a completely free customized hub for class teamwork with Teams that includes video meetings, online versions of the Office 365 apps, as well as compliance tools, and information protection.

Moving to a virtual classroom

As schools move to a remote learning environment, Teams can provide an online classroom that brings together virtual face-to-face connections, assignments, files, and conversations into a single platform accessible on a mobile device, tablet, PC, or browser.

To help make this process as simple as possible, we have created a best practices guide for school leaders and IT to get up and running quickly, so their students and staff to begin communicating remotely.

Once Teams is set up, educators and staff have the ability to create their own class in Teams, add selected students, share lessons, create assignments, collaborate virtually in real-time, and do grading and provide personalized feedback all in one hub.

A few quick tips from expert educators to help you get started:

Have interactive discussions with your class by sharing your screen to present your lesson and encourage students to ask questions using the chat feature.

You can show a film by sharing your system audio in a meeting.

During a lesson, you can moderate the class discussion by muting students, making them presenters, or if needed, removing them from the meeting. Finally, record the lesson so students can review it on their own time.

Record a class session in case some students can't join during the live session.

For assessments, you can easily create and grade quizzes in Teams using Microsoft Forms.

Let your students know your office hours and when they can reach you for questions.

Encourage students to use Immersive Reader in Teams to help them read messages and understand assignment prompts, enabling them to follow along and contribute.

Create a Fun Channel. Have a virtual science fair or poetry reading group. This will go a long way with students of all ages.

Getting support and training for educators and staff

We want to help support educators with practical guides, professional development, and how-to information that will help empower them and their students to stay motivated and engaged with learning. We have created a series of webinars that can be accessed on-demand for educators to get started on Teams, and resources in our Microsoft Educator Center to help new and existing users get up and running. We also invite you to join our newly launched Remote Learning Community where educators launching distance learning programs from around the globe are sharing best practices, and our Microsoft Education team is answering questions in real-time.

Read about adjusting to working from home.

Help students stay engaged

Continuing to drive student engagement and focused learning while outside of the classroom can be a challenge, especially for those moving to remote learning for the first time. Both educators and parents need support from their schools to help make this work. To help parents and guardians support their children, we have created a Remote Learning Guide for students and parents. For educators, tools like Flipgrid, Skype in the Classroom, and Minecraft: Education Edition can also help mix up the day and give students ways to communicate and demonstrate learning in new ways.

In addition, here are some tips we have heard from educators who have helped create healthy and effective learning environments that allow students to thrive in this new virtual setting.

Stay healthy and charged: Learning from home can be a new experience for students. Encourage them to take breaks between lessons to stretch, hydrate, or just unplug.

Stay focused: Find a quiet place where they can focus on the lesson with minimal distractions.

Stay connected: School is important from a social perspective. Not seeing their friends face-to-face every day can be hard for students. Help them adjust to this new reality by encouraging them to schedule a lunch session for classmates to stay connected. If they are out sick or can't join class because of an appointment, remind them to change their status or set a status message so their classmates are also aware.

Motivate your class: Use Teams to encourage joyful challenges throughout the week by creating a Fun Activities channel. For example, hold a cooking contest and have students share their creations in the channel. Recognize your students by sending them Praise in the channel, inspiring more students to participate.

Bring lessons to life: Make a lesson interactive by enabling Whiteboard in Teams during a live lesson. Have students come up to the whiteboard and solve a math problem or demonstrate their art skills, just like they would in a physical classroom.

Connect with students individually: It can be difficult to gauge how students are faring without seeing them in person, so connecting individually is very important. You can support students 1:1 in a chat, creating a safe space for students to ask their questions and get the extra help they need.

I hope these tips from our educator community help you create an engaging remote learning environment in which both students and educators can stay connected.

We recognize navigating this new way of learning presents a set of challenges that are new to everyone impacted. Our team is available to answer questions you have around remote learning in our new Remote Learning Community. We hope to help make this transition as easy on you as possible.

You can also see this post on the Microsoft Education blog.

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Helping teachers and students make the switch to remote learning

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Over the past two weeks , we 'v e published a series of blog posts aimed at helping our customers during the COVID-19 outbreak. In one of them , I shared a letter from Lily Zheng , our friend and coworker in Shanghai .

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story | TED

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Margin Notes

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Resource Round-Up

Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students.

CBC Books has compiled a list of 20 Canadian titles for kids and teens to read for National Indigenous Heritage Month.

What's Going On in This Graph, is a regular series hosted by the New York Times Learning Network. Students are invited to read and respond to a wide range of graphs, maps, and charts.

CBC Books has curated a collection of 73 Canadian Short Stories available online for free.

Teaching Tolerance offers a vast collection of resources and teaching strategies with an emphasis on democracy, social justice, and anti-bias.

Lyrikline is a searchable website of poets and poems (in print, audio, and video format) from around the globe.

Margin Notes © All Rights Reserved
Design by Carla Izumi Bamford
Powered by Wordpress

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Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students. CBC Books has compiled a list of 20 Canadian titles for kids and teens to read for National Indigenous Heritage Month. What's Going On in This Graph, is a regular series hosted [...]

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40 Ideas For Using FlipGrid In The Classroom -

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by TeachThought Staff

We've shared How To Use Flipgrid in the past.

In this post, we're sharing a graphic from Flipgrid that provides ideas for using FlipGrid in the classroom for every grade level. In a post by Terry Heick on viewing comprehension strategies, he talked about how video and text are similar-and not similar.

Like reading a text, video comprehension is a matter of decoding, but with different symbols based on unique modalities. Light, sound effects, scene cuts, dialogue, voice-overs, video speed, music, and more. How should students 'approach' a video? How should they watch one? What should they do when they're done? More largely, what viewing comprehension strategies should students use to promote close viewing? What can they do to increase comprehension and retention of video content so that they are able to repackage meaning into other media forms?

One takeaway is that video can be used as a surrogate for writing and a supplement to 'speaking' and real-time, in-class presentations. Short, easy-to-create-and-share video isn't hugely different than short, easy-to-create-and-share writing-useful for assessment, collaboration, reflection, goal-setting, connecting with communities, and more. Moreover, FlipGrid attempts to make it easy to limit who can view (in contrast to larger social media sites where such controls may not be as functional or obvious or elegant), making it a better fit in many cases for students, teachers, and schools.

So here are 40 ideas for using FlipGrid in the classroom, separated by pre-K through 8, High School, and College/University. One way to think of it is not so much as 'using FlipGrid' but 'ideas for the kinds of things students can document and share with short videos.' Below is a list to get this kind of thinking started, from FlipGrid themselves and modified slightly for clarity and fit by TeachThought.
40 Ideas For Using FlipGrid In The Classroom Ideas For Using FlipGrid In Pre-K through 8th Grade
1. Class Intros/Icebreakers

2. Booktalks

3. Class news/school events

4. Math/ STEAM journaling

5. Content check-ins

6. Shared learning processes

7. Goal setting

8. Family involvement

9. Global pen pals

10. 'What if?' scenarios

11. Music/Art performances

12. Just for fun!

14. 'Aha moments' or 'wonderings'

15. End of year memories

16. Current or istorical events

17. Travel reflections
Ideas For Using FlipGrid In High School
18. Class introductions

19. Content check-ins

20. Shared learning processes

21. Virtual Career Day or Science Fairs

22. Expert discussions

23. Class news or schools events

24. Reflecting on learning

25. Interviews, re-enactments, or dramatic skits

26. Book reviews

27. Sports evaluation and training

28. Music, artistic, or dramatic performances

29. Project-based learning reflection during or after the project

30. End of year memories

31. Student government voting

32. Auditions and tryouts
Ideas For Using FlipGrid In College/University
33. Weekly check-ins with instructors, students, group members, etc.

34. Reading reflections

35. Thesis brainstorming, practice, or review

36. Content experience

37. Qualitative research

38. Focus groups

39. Current event reflection, summary, skimming, survey, or review

40. Goal setting
40 Ideas For Using FlipGrid In The Classroom

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40 Ideas For Using FlipGrid In The Classroom

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by TeachThought Staff We've shared How To Use Flipgrid in the past. In this post, we're sharing a graphic from Flipgrid that provides ideas for using FlipGrid in the classroom for every grade level. In a post by Terry Heick on viewing comprehension strategies , he talked about how video and text are similar-and not similar.

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Before my eighth-grade history students moved into online learning this spring, I had no idea about one student's affection for Cup Noodles or another's sweet way of talking about her 5-year-old brother. Perhaps I should have known, but I didn't, and I wish I had.

Distance learning has enabled these intimate glimpses into students' lives and thought processes, and I worry that these moments won't happen as much once we eventually return to campus. However, I realize that doesn't have to be the case-and so I've been thinking a lot lately about ways to translate the best aspects of online instruction to the physical classroom.

What I Want to Bring Back to My Classroom

Providing feedback on what works in a quick email: With all of us being so far from each other and everything being turned in online, it feels natural to send a handful of kids two-line emails for each small assignment, highlighting something specific that worked. I'm judicious about doing this so that I don't spend forever grading quick-completion assignments. However, I do want students to know that I'm seeing their work and thinking about them.

I'd love to continue this practice back in the physical classroom, even if it's only for a minute during class while students are working on something else, because it can be more permanent and private than saying something aloud.

Following along online while talking with students about their projects: While discussing research that students have done for history projects, it's been easy to look at and comment on the group's shared Google Doc while they're in a Zoom breakout group with me. Back in the physical classroom, I'd like to carry my laptop around more often so that I'm not simply looking over their shoulders, but also engaging with them by making written comments in real time that they can follow up on later.

Screen sharing has been invaluable for helping students investigate whether a source is valid or find citation information. It's also helped me navigate tech questions, such as how to move a file into a Google Drive folder. Even in a regular classroom, I could take more time to walk individual groups through processes like these.

Using exit tickets as a formative assessment: I've used online exit tickets for different purposes, whether asking students to summarize their progress on a group project or to write about what made a podcast powerful. I hadn't consistently used exit tickets in the physical classroom, but now I want to. The information they provide has shaped my understanding of my students and helped me plan for the next class.

When we're back in the classroom, I'd like to think about how best to do an exit ticket according to the daily lesson. Some days it might be a Google Form so that I can compile, copy, and save information easily. Other days it might be a projected chat window where students can talk about what they found interesting about a topic. Other times, it might be an old-fashioned slip of paper so that I can keep feedback anonymous and sort ideas into categories.

Offering creative and fun summative assessments: Since we transitioned to distance learning, my students have appreciated that their teachers have assigned creative projects, both to individualize instruction and to give students a chance to socialize through virtual breakout groups. My students also like offering feedback on their classmates' projects through Google Drive and Google Forms. These compliments are much easier to pass along than the handwritten comments that students used to write in class.

Providing space for relevant side chatter: Even with a focus on content-driven responses, there's still room for appropriate humor and on-the-side interaction among students. I've been delighted by the informality of kids' chipping in an idea that they don't necessarily want to interrupt class to share but that they do want to get out there. (As I'm teaching, I monitor the chat, laugh along with the students, and then suggest that they lay off if it goes too long!) It would be ideal to keep this chat going every day in the physical classroom, maybe on a screen behind me, so that I can hear from every kid more frequently throughout class.

Introducing warm-up questions about students' lives: My favorite part of online learning has been the immediate glimpse of students' lives that they offer in the chat at the beginning of our eighth-grade U.S. history Zoom sessions each day. I post a question, students respond, and I call on a few to explain.

Lighter questions have included: What did you have for breakfast or lunch today? What is something you've enjoyed creating or doing with your hands this week?

Heavier questions have included: What is something nice you could do (or have done) for someone else while in quarantine? What have you learned about yourself or others while at home?

For the last question, I have loved hearing from some seemingly extroverted students who found that they were enjoying time alone, and vice versa. Some kids have discovered that they like cooking, and others their siblings' sense of humor. I have also heard from a few kids whose answers concerned me, and I followed up later with them or their counselor.

In a recent survey, a number of students said that they also love this daily warm-up, that it makes "the feel of this class familiar and comfortable." I plan to incorporate this quick check-in either by voice or onscreen, or both, when we're back together in real life-which I hope will be sooner rather than later.

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Distance Learning Strategies to Bring Back to the Classroom

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When schools closed, teachers were forced to get creative-and they've learned things they can use when they're back at school. Before my eighth-grade history students moved into online learning this spring, I had no idea about one student's affection for Cup Noodles or another's sweet way of talking about her 5-year-old brother.

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Book Title Generator • The Ultimate Bank of 10,000 Titles

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Book Title Generator • The Ultimate Bank of 10,000 Titles

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Jumpstart your novel with this book title generator, which can churn out 10,000+ good book title ideas. New book titles are added each week.

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National Geographic | National Geographic

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National Geographic | National Geographic

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Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: sonja.wright@nbed.nb.ca. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored.

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May 25

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Resource Round-Up

Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students.

Teach This Poem features one poem each week, accompanied by related resources and activities designed to help teachers quickly and easily bring poetry into the classroom. You can subscribe to the weekly Teach This Poem email.

Moving Writers is one of our go-to sources for ideas. They are currently featuring many lesson ideas and mentor texts for teaching literacy remotely.

The Beaverbrook Art Gallery offers a number of ways to stay connected with their programmes and resources. These options are categorized on their website by Read, Listen, Watch, and Create.

This post from the School Library Journal blog offers podcast playlists for students of all ages.

Writer's Digest has curated a list of 100 poetic forms ranging from abstract to zappai.

Margin Notes © All Rights Reserved
Design by Carla Izumi Bamford
Powered by Wordpress

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Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students. Teach This Poem features one poem each week, accompanied by related resources and activities designed to help teachers quickly and easily bring poetry into the classroom.

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Keeping a Notebook list of activities

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Keeping a Notebook List (Students - Please use the e-mail of a parent or guardian to access)

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At Pixar, we LOVE shorts! In fact, our first ventures in storytelling through film were with short films and commercials. Beginning with Luxo Jr., shorts have allowed us to tell stories in different ways than our feature films, but often with just as much emotional impact.

Innovative storytelling has always been at the core of Pixar's foundation, and our shorts allow the freedom to experiment and develop both new ways to tell stories and new technologies - many of which often then go on to be used in our feature films. Just as important, our short films also allow us to cultivate the next generation of storytellers here at the studio, letting individuals work on smaller teams and often hold leadership positions for the first time.

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At Pixar, we LOVE shorts! In fact, our first ventures in storytelling through film were with short films and commercials. Beginning with Luxo Jr., shorts have allowed us to tell stories in different ways than our feature films, but often with just as much emotional impact.

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Margin Notes

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Resource Round-Up

Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students.

If you are interested in history and architecture, take part in the virtual York Street Heritage Quest. You can also, go to York Street and view the architecture as it is now in person.

Parlay is library of ready-made discussion prompts that encourage higher-order thinking and connect learning to the events and ideas shaping our world. This is free to teachers until the end of this academic year. It can be done as online round table discussions or in class Socratic Seminar style discussions.

As the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change, Do Something's millions of members represent every US area code and 131 countries.

The Encyclopedia of Gear, created by Outside Magazine, is described as "187 amazing stories about everything we use."

This School Library Journal feature by Mahnaz Dar provides links to 19 webcomics for middle-grade and young adult audiences.

Margin Notes © All Rights Reserved
Design by Carla Izumi Bamford
Powered by Wordpress

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Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students. If you are interested in history and architecture, take part in the virtual York Street Heritage Quest. You can also, go to York Street and view the architecture as it is now [...]

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Middle School Writing Apps and Websites | Common Sense Education

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Resources to inspire and support middle schoolers' writing. Explore this Middle School Writing Apps and Websites Top Picks list of 32 tools curated by Common Sense Education editors to find relevant and engaging edtech solutions for your classroom.

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"nikki's jam" "nikki grimes" "nikki grimes shares" "nikki grimes reads" nikki grimes "children's literature" "children's author" "read aloud" "children's books" "kids books" nikkigrimes

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Nikki Grimes shares some her favorite works, writing prompts, and readings. Thank you to the various publishers for allowing me to share!

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You Just Discovered a New Planet (Writing Prompt)

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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4th Grade Graphic Novels Book Collection on Epic

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Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Research Guides: Children's Literature: Concept, Music, Rhyme, and Wordless Books: Concept Books

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Use this guide to find books on concepts, music, poetry, and nursery rhymes. Wordless books can also be found within this guide. Find books for young children in this tab.

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"Start with a Book has done the work for you. As a busy parent, I've come to realize that this is my one-stop shop for book ideas and other learning resources when my kids ask me questions about music, dinosaurs, buildings ... and the list goes on."

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Start with a Book | Explore great children's books and activities in science, social studies, arts and literature

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"Start with a Book has done the work for you. As a busy parent, I've come to realize that this is my one-stop shop for book ideas and other learning resources when my kids ask me questions about music, dinosaurs, buildings ... and the list goes on."

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Add diverse voices and fresh content to your lessons with free, high-quality podcasts.

If you haven't thought about how you might use podcasts in your teaching, take note: A 2019 study found that over 50% of people in the U.S. age 12 and up have listened to a podcast. In addition, podcast listening among young people age 12-24 increased 48% from 2017 to 2019. This fresh, engaging medium has gone mainstream and can be a great addition to your lessons.

There are lots of benefits to using podcasts in the classroom. For one, podcasts are free. Plus, you can find podcasts on nearly every topic, from science questions to lesser-known history, and in nearly every genre, from short fiction to in-depth journalism. And, as the popularity of podcasts continues to grow, more creators are focusing on content for young people. So why not give podcasts a try?

To help you get started, we've put together a list of our favorite podcasts for the classroom. We took our best guess for the target grades since we couldn't listen to every episode. Use the grade recommendations as a guide, and age them up or down as needed. Some content in these podcasts can be mature, so always preview the episodes before you share them with students.

Grades Pre-K-2
The catchy soundtrack is the star in this delightful podcast from children's music duo Andrew & Polly (not surprising, since the hosts have created songs forWallykazam! and Sesame Studios). But this funny program also covers a range of topics by talking to actual kids as well as experts, providing thoughtful fun for young ones and their grown-ups.

Grades K-5
Kids are always asking seemingly simple questions that have surprisingly complex answers, such as "Why is the sky blue?" and "Who invented words?" This cute biweekly radio show/podcast takes on answering them. Each episode features several kid-submitted questions, usually on a single theme, and with the help of experts, it gives clear, interesting answers.

Grades K-5
Wow in the World takes kids (and their grown-ups) on a journey fueled by curiosity and wonder. In this weekly show, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz explore the science behind topics kids will love -- from singing mice and wombat poop to the amazing power of a dog's nose. Teachers can get access to classroom activities and conversation starters with a membership to Tinkercast, the company that produces Wow in the World. Plus, in response to the school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, the creators launched a spin-off podcast called Two Whats?! and a Wow, an interactive, science-based game show with daily 10-minute episodes.

Grades 1-6
Similar to But Why, this is another podcast that takes kid-submitted science questions and answers them with the help of experts. What makes this one different is that it tends to skew a bit older, both in its questions and answers, and it has a different kid co-host each week. The result is a fun show that's as silly as it is educational. Teachers can encourage students to take one of the topics and research it more completely or to use it as a jumping-off point for science experiments and research-related questions.

Grades 3-6
Often compared to a kid-friendly Radiolab, this podcast not only addresses fascinating topics but also tries to foster a love of science itself by interviewing scientists about their process and discoveries. The hosts don't assume that listeners have a science background -- but even kids who think they don't like science may change their minds after listening to this podcast. Teaching materials for the episodes are available for purchase on the podcast's website.

Grades 3-8
This fun and fast-moving spin-off of the popular Brains On! podcast is a kid-friendly debate podcast. A kid judge listens to and scores the rousing, fact-based arguments of two contestants. With episodes like "Piranhas vs. Venus Flytraps" and "Pizza versus Tacos," kids will be hooked, and they won't even notice that they're learning how to defend their ideas along the way. Use Smash Boom Best in a persuasive writing or speech unit, or as a fun addition to your science or history class!

Grades 5-8
This excellent biweekly podcast features middle schoolers talking about a popular middle-grade or YA book as well as sharing their favorite book recommendations. Public radio figure Kitty Felde runs the discussion, and each episode includes a passage of that week's book read by a celebrity guest.

Grades 6-12
This Peabody award-winning radio series/podcast delivers scientific ideas in a creative, innovative way. The episodes are a joy to listen to, with a great deal of emphasis put on sound design in addition to the hosts' clever banter. Teachers of science, math, ELA, and other subjects can use full episodes or segments as prompts to get kids thinking or to kick off a discussion. Some episodes feature strong language, so be sure to preview them before sharing with students.

Grades 9-12
Grammar is notoriously boring, but Grammar Girl, part of the Quick and Dirty Tips Network, manages to make it interesting, and English teachers everywhere are grateful. The website has transcripts of each episode, but the audio delivery is animated and friendly and probably of more interest to students. This podcast is best for middle and high school students and incorporates both traditional grammar questions and more quirky analysis of new types of grammar (e.g., grammar unique to social media).

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17 Great Learning Podcasts for the Classroom | Common Sense Education

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If you haven't thought about how you might use podcasts in your teaching, take note: A 2019 study found that over 50% of people in the U.S. age 12 and up have listened to a podcast. In addition, podcast listening among young people age 12-24 increased 48% from 2017 to 2019.

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My son finally restarted reading his book Cinder by Marissa Meyer. In an empty compost bin.

I'm not kidding.

My son avoiding reading is uncommon. Prior to the pandemic, he was a sneak reader. For example, books were smuggled in during dinner and read with stealth under the table. It was such a "problem" last year that his teacher created a table space for him in the classroom where he had to leave his books so he could better attend to instruction.

Since going to remote learning, he hasn't finished one book on his own.

If he's not reading, I imagine many are in the same boat, including adults. Why is this?

1. The Stress of the Situation

Living in lockdown is having an impact on us mentally, including our attention. Our minds are constantly drawn to the situation, which makes it harder to focus on a book. This is one reason why kids who experience trauma due to social, emotional, and/or financial situations often struggle in school: they are too often worried about the realities of everyday life to dig into a story.

2. Our Routines are Off

When schools were shuttered, the routines didn't follow kids home. My son has even commented on this: "I can't read at home. At school, everyone was quiet during reading time." Schools provide structure for our learning. As much as one might decry the arbitrariness or fragmentation of schedules, they do offer structures that people can rely on to prepare for and transition to tasks like reading. We are trying to adapt to a world that is less structured. Kids often don't yet have the tools to manage their days.

3. Homes Aren't Excellent Learning Environments

Imagine this situation as you try to read: One family member is cleaning the dishes, another is done with virtual school work and is now playing Nintendo Switch, and a third is chasing the cat. How's reading working out for you?

We are fortunate that we have several rooms and pocket doors in our old, two story home, yet we still struggle to find a quiet space. Couple this with everyone's not-so-endearing idiosyncrasies after two months of safer-at-home.

4. Lack of Educational Access

Even if schools sent home books with each child before sheltering in place, most students still don't have access to the one thing they need as much as great book: a great teacher. Zoom meetings and learning managements systems can help connect kids with faculty, but it is clearly not the same.

This situation, of teaching and learning from a distance, is beyond our control. Yet it is not beyond our ability to think creatively, to reconsider what we are teaching and how we are choosing to engage readers. Next are a couple of ideas to consider.

Talk About It

I recently had a conversation with a friend in which I shared that my son wasn't reading a lot right now. "Neither am I," she confided. I was surprised to hear that, as she is an expert reader. It also was affirming to know that I wasn't failing as a parent.

We can share our own struggles with our students (or faculty, if a principal) during a video conference meeting. We might ask "Can anyone relate?", and follow up with how we are dealing with this, such as reading lighter fare and rereading favorite books.

Teach How to Learn

As we share our struggles, we can also convey how we have recreated processes and routines at home. For example, I have moved my office into the laundry room. Students need models for learning, and now is an excellent time for this guidance.

Sharing visuals of how we are learning in spite of everything also gives learners a window into our worlds. We endear ourselves to and bond with our students when we offer up some of the personal aspects of our lives.

Keep Instruction Simple

Making instruction clear is a gift we give to our students or staff.

This means reducing or even eliminating the current curriculum. Our school went to no more than two hours of expected learning time. By paring down instruction, we hoped that our students would be more engaged with the time we had with them.

For instance, instead of whole class novel studies plus assigning essays, consider the reading-writing connection. As an example, read aloud favorite poems followed up with shared poetry writing, all via video conferencing. (Check out Regie Routman's video series for an excellent example.)

"Can we keep driving? I was just getting into my book." We had gotten back from the next town over to grab some groceries, and to simply get out. The solitude found in the backseat was not expected. Yet little is surprising in these times. I happily obliged. We will accept any routine or context if it means the kids will continue to read.

One post per week is for subscribers only on this newsletter. For the month of May, all proceeds from new subscriptions will be donated to No Kid Hungry and my city's local food pantry. Thank you for your readership and generosity!

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My son finally restarted reading his book Cinder by Marissa Meyer. In an empty compost bin. I'm not kidding. My son avoiding reading is uncommon. Prior to the pandemic, he was a sneak reader. For example, books were smuggled in during dinner and read with stealth under the table.

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Photo Credits: Adam Van Spronsen/Shutterstock (bear); Kinzie Riehm/Image Source/Getty Images (4 children); Illustration by Allan Davey (Revolutionary War); Courtesy of Lily Hevesh/Hevesh5 (domino sculpture)

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Teaching Remotely for Grades K - 12 | Free Resources and Strategies

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Photo Credits: Adam Van Spronsen/Shutterstock (bear); Kinzie Riehm/Image Source/Getty Images (4 children); Illustration by Allan Davey (Revolutionary War); Courtesy of Lily Hevesh/Hevesh5 (domino sculpture)

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Bibliovideo is a YouTube channel all about Canadian children's books. New videos are added to the channel twice weekly. With funding from the Canada Council ...

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Supporting Reading at Home | Research-Rich Pedagogies

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Reading at Home Archive - Reading for Pleasure

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So 'just relax and read'. Time and space to hear stories and to read and talk informally about what you're reading makes a difference to children's pleasure in reading.

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May 11

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Resource Round-Up

Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students.

A new serialized story of hope during the coronavirus pandemic, set in the moment we are all living through together, Human Touch is being written by Mitch Albom in the present, one week at a time.

Hey, Kiddo author, Jarrett J. Krosoczka is posting Draw Every Day with JJK videos which are also available on youtube.

Poem-a-Day is a daily poetry series publishing new work by contemporary poets curated by poets.org.

The Global Oneness Project explores cultural, environmental, and social issues and offers a library of multimedia stories including of award-winning films, photo essays, and articles.

This Cult of Pedagogy post describes using one-pagers as an option for students to respond to their reading.

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Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students. A new serialized story of hope during the coronavirus pandemic, set in the moment we are all living through together, Human Touch is being written by Mitch Albom in the present, one [...]

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photo prompts

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Chapter One: 'The Boy Who Lived' | Wizarding World

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A trip down memory lane with Harry Potter At Home | Wizarding World

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This year, we brought Hogwarts to you with a very special campaign called Harry Potter At Home. As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at some of our favourite moments.

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KEEPING A NOTEBOOK 1: LET'S BEGIN & MY QUOTE COLLECTION

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Welcome to Virtual School Activities for all ages! A collection of sites to live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other miscellaneous fun educational sites. (This site is updated every few days, so to see the latest links be sure to refresh the site if you’re a return visitor!)

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Week 1 | Remote Learning Resources and Strategies | Grades 1-2

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Get our best book recommendations delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the Scholastic Parents newsletter.

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Balloon - Let's Make Origami! - Exploring Origami - Virtual Culture - Kids Web Japan - Web Japan

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Web Japan > Kids Web Japan > Virtual Culture > Exploring Origami > Let's Make Origami! > Balloon

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Every Monday we're sharing a round-up of resources that might be helpful as you develop opportunities for learning to share with your students. Watch Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher's literacy conversations on Penny Kittle's YouTube Channel. Jason Reynolds posted a daily poem on his blog during April to celebrate poetry month.

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Author and Illustrator Mo Willems has been awarded the American Library Association’s Caldecott Honor three times for his picture book illustration. Additionally, he is the recipient of two Theodor Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors for his Elephant & Piggie early readers. Mo began his career as a writer and animator on Sesame Street, where he garnered six Emmy Awards. His work has been exhibited around the world, including solo retrospectives at the High Museum in Atlanta and the New-York Historical Society. Over the last decade, Mo has written three musical theater works based on his books, two of which were commissioned and toured by the Kennedy Center.

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How to Fold an Origami Star Wars X-wing Starfighter : 13 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables

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Step 2: Form the Bird Base

Have the color you want your X-wing to be facing down. Then mountain fold on one of the diagonal creases. When you press your finger down in the middle, the two corners should pop up. Draw them inwards and down as shown in the pictures, then press flat into the complete bird base.

23 People Made This Project!

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Step 6: Position Your Paper

This is a very simple step. Rotate the paper until its upside down (180 degrees), then fold one layer over so that the side facing up does not have a flap that you made in the previous steps.

Step 10: Shape the Body: Part 2

First, fold the top point down. Then, just like done before, fold the edges inwards. Only this time, pull the edges as far over the center crease as they will go. Do this on both halves, then repeat on the other side.

Step 11: Form the Wing-blaster Things

I have no idea what they are called, but I know that all X-wings have them! Each wing should open up allowing you to perform an inside reverse fold. This is demonstrated step by step in the images.

Step 13: You're Done!

Now go show it off to everyone! If you liked this tutorial, you should definitely check out my youtube channel How To Origami to see other videos on how to make awesome origami stuff! Don't forget to subscribe! :)

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How to Fold an Origami Star Wars X-wing Starfighter

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How to Fold an Origami Star Wars X-wing Starfighter: Like Star Wars 7? Learn here how to make the Origami Star Wars X-wing Starfighter! It can be a little tricky, but with a little practice anyone can do it! Watch the video above for the best instruction, and refer to the instructable for extra tips...

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Great TED Talks to Use With Middle Schoolers and Other Ages Too – Pernille Ripp

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I wanted to immerse my students in thought provoking TED Talks and videos as one of the new options in our final round of "Choose Your Own Learning." Watching these videos will allow us to continue the work we have done all year on expanding our world view and discussing "Whose Voices are Missing?" as well as allow students for a chance to work on their analysis skills. Students will watch one video a day and then either write or record a response to the video. While I wanted to draw in specific non-fiction skills, I also just wanted students to have a chance to connect and respond. To see my very much work in progress assignment, go here.

While I had several videos I knew I wanted to use with students, I also knew that there were many I had not yet discovered. Enter my incredible Twitter network. I sent out the following Tweet

87 replies later, still growing, and I could not believe once again the treasure trove of incredible videos that were suggested. My gratitude runs deep and so does my penchant for sharing, so without further ado, here are many of the replies given to me with thanks to those who shared them. I am so grateful for all of you. Some are not here that were suggested more than once. I have also ones that we have used throughout the year that have started great discussion in our classroom.
Jamila Lyiscott - Three Ways to Speak English
Jamila Lyiscott is a "tri-tongued orator;" in her powerful spoken-word essay "Broken English," she celebrates - and challenges - the three distinct flavors of English she speaks with her friends, in the classroom and with her parents. As she explores the complicated history and present-day identity that each language represents, she unpacks what it means to be "articulate."
NY Times - Growing Up Black in America
In this short documentary, young black men explain the particular challenges they face growing up in America.
Matthew Carter - Your Story is Your Superpower
When two teenage boys robbed Matthew at gunpoint almost 11 years ago in front of his own home, he spent many years being fearful of teenagers and feeling haunted by the memory of a cold gun barrel pressed against his head. He realized that living in a state of constant fear prevented him from living his best life, so he worked tirelessly to change his mindset and learn the difference between things he could control and things he couldn't. Decisions based in fear often result in not being in alignment with our true selves. At its core, the majority of problems seen in most media outlets are stemmed in the emotion of fear. A child is not born afraid. These emotions are imposed on them from another's fears or caused by life experiences which results in us building both emotional and physical walls to keep out what we're so fearful of. Being in the "flow" of life allows our natural state of being - love - to be the driving force in our decision making. Matthew works at The Ohio State University and is working to follow his life's purpose. He has survived two instances of gun violence. He visits schools throughout Ohio and across the country to share his story - a message of hope and perseverance.
Prince EA - What is School For? Kandice Sumner - How America's Public Schools Keep Kids in Poverty
Why should a good education be exclusive to rich kids? Schools in low-income neighborhoods across the US, specifically in communities of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools - things like musical instruments, new books, healthy school lunches and soccer fields - and this has a real impact on the potential of students. Kandice Sumner sees the disparity every day in her classroom in Boston. In this inspiring talk, she asks us to face facts - and change them.
Noah Tavlin - How False News Can Spread
Dive into the phenomenon known as circular reporting and how it contributes to the spread of false news and misinformation.
Stephanie Buari - How Fake News Does Real Harm
On April 14, 2014, the terrorist organization Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, Nigeria. Around the world, the crime became epitomized by the slogan #BringBackOurGirls - but in Nigeria, government officials called the crime a hoax, confusing and delaying efforts to rescue the girls. In this powerful talk, journalist Stephanie Busari points to the Chibok tragedy to explain the deadly danger of fake news and what we can do to stop it.
Asha de Vos - Why You Should Care About Whale Poo
Whales have a surprising and important job, says marine biologist Asha de Vos: these massive creatures are ecosystem engineers, keeping the oceans healthy and stable by ... well, by pooping, for a start. Learn from de Vos, a TED Fellow, about the undervalued work that whales do to help maintain the stability and health of our seas - and our planet.
Jarrett J - Krosoczka - Why Lunch Ladies are Heroes
Children's book author Jarrett Krosoczka shares the origins of the Lunch Lady graphic novel series, in which undercover school heroes serve lunch...and justice! His new project, School Lunch Hero Day, reveals how cafeteria lunch staff provide more than food, and illustrates how powerful a thank you can be.
Gene Luen Yang - Comics Belong in the Classroom
Comic books and graphic novels belong in every teacher's toolkit, says cartoonist and educator Gene Luen Yang. Set against the backdrop of his own witty, colorful drawings, Yang explores the history of comics in American education - and reveals some unexpected insights about their potential for helping kids learn.
McKenna Pope - Want to Be an Activist? Start with Your Toys.
McKenna Pope's younger brother loved to cook, but he worried about using an Easy-Bake Oven - because it was a toy for girls. So at age 13, Pope started an online petition for the American toy company Hasbro to change the pink-and-purple color scheme on the classic toy and incorporate boys into its TV marketing. In a heartening talk, Pope makes the case for gender-neutral toys and gives a rousing call to action to all kids who feel powerless.
Zak Ebrahim - I am the Son of a Terrorist. Here's How I Chose Peace.
If you're raised on dogma and hate, can you choose a different path? Zak Ebrahim was just seven years old when his father helped plan the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. His story is shocking, powerful and, ultimately, inspiring.
Kakenya Ntaiya - A Girl Who Demanded School
Kakenya Ntaiya made a deal with her father: She would undergo a traditional Maasai rite of passage, female circumcision, if he would let her go to high school. Ntaiya tells the fearless story of continuing on to college, and of working with her village elders to build a school for girls in her community, changing the destiny of 125 young women.
Shabana Basij-Raiskh - Dare to Educate Afghan Girls
Imagine a country where girls must sneak out to go to school, with deadly consequences if they get caught learning. This was Afghanistan under the Taliban, and traces of that danger remain today. 22-year-old Shabana Basij-Rasikh runs a school for girls in Afghanistan. She celebrates the power of a family's decision to believe in their daughters - and tells the story of one brave father who stood up to local threats.
Monique W. Morris - Why Black Girls Are Targeted for Punishment in Schools - And How to Change That
Around the world, black girls are being pushed out of schools because of policies that target them for punishment, says author and social justice scholar Monique W. Morris. The result: countless girls are forced into unsafe futures with restricted opportunities. How can we put an end to this crisis? In an impassioned talk, Morris uncovers the causes of "pushout" and shows how we can work to turn all schools into spaces where black girls can heal and thrive.
India Hawkins - Facing the Real Me: Looking in the Mirror with Natural Hair
Growing up, 18-year-old India Hawkins was taught how to maintain her hair, but not how to love her hair. A tangled history of political oppression, irresponsible advertising and unattainable beauty standards meant she spent her childhood using chemicals, heat, and protective styling to "manage" the hair that grew naturally from her head. Until one day India decided to "go natural." But she was in for a shock; India never knew how much she was hiding behind her hair, until the day she cut it all off. In her Talk, India describes the emotional sometimes difficult journey that led her to love her hair.
Haaziq Kazi - Cleaning Our Oceans
When 11-year-old Haaziq Kazi first prototyped his invention to clean plastic from the surface of the ocean, it lasted for about 7 seconds before coming apart in his bathtub. But that didn't stop him! In fact, his invention just got better and more elaborate. In this Talk, Haaziq's enthusiasm and creativity remind us that, when it comes to solving some of earth's biggest problems, our imagination may be one of our greatest assets.
Susan Cain - The Power of Introverts
In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.
Drew Dudley - Everyday Leadership
We have all changed someone's life - usually without even realizing it. In this funny talk, Drew Dudley calls on all of us to celebrate leadership as the everyday act of improving each other's lives.
Matt Cutts - Try Something New for 30 Days
Is there something you've always meant to do, wanted to do, but just ... haven't? Matt Cutts suggests: Try it for 30 days. This short, lighthearted talk offers a neat way to think about setting and achieving goals.
Shane Koyczan - To This Day
By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and ... different. "To This Day," his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators). Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson.
Ash Beckham - We're All Hiding Something
In this touching talk, Ash Beckham offers a fresh approach to empathy and openness. It starts with understanding that everyone, at some point in their life, has experienced hardship. The only way out, says Beckham, is to open the door and step out of your closet.
Proud to Be (Mascots)
Watch the #BigGame commercial the NFL would never air.
Indigenous in New York
Where does history begin? New York's infamous Columbus Circle memorializes the founding of a new world and perpetuates the myth of American exceptionalism, while denying the violence against Indigenous people-a will to ignorance. With a crew of Natives, we asked over 100 New Yorkers to identify the "origin" of our Native models to understand where contemporary Native lives exist in popular consciousness. The indigenous story is more accurate and a story that we all deserve to hear. Let us begin to write and speak a healing narrative that honors Native people, let us get to know each other, let us hug each other-you can and should #HugANative today.
Ron Finlay: A Guerrilla Gardener in South Central LA
Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA - in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where "the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys."
Sugatra Mitra - Kids Can Teach Themselves
Speaking at LIFT 2007, Sugata Mitra talks about his Hole in the Wall project. Young kids in this project figured out how to use a PC on their own - and then taught other kids. He asks, what else can children teach themselves?
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - The Danger of a Single Story
Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Ismael Nazario - What I Learned as a Kid in Jail
As a teenager, Ismael Nazario was sent to New York's Rikers Island jail, where he spent 300 days in solitary confinement - all before he was ever convicted of a crime. Now as a prison reform advocate he works to change the culture of American jails and prisons, where young people are frequently subjected to violence beyond imagination. Nazario tells his chilling story and suggests ways to help, rather than harm, teens in jail.
Joy Buolamwini - How I'm Fighting Bias in Algorithms
MIT grad student Joy Buolamwini was working with facial analysis software when she noticed a problem: the software didn't detect her face - because the people who coded the algorithm hadn't taught it to identify a broad range of skin tones and facial structures. Now she's on a mission to fight bias in machine learning, a phenomenon she calls the "coded gaze." It's an eye-opening talk about the need for accountability in coding ... as algorithms take over more and more aspects of our lives.
Stacy Smith - The Data Behind Hollywood's Sexism
Where are all the women and girls in film? Social scientist Stacy Smith analyzes how the media underrepresents and portrays women - and the potentially destructive effects those portrayals have on viewers. She shares hard data behind gender bias in Hollywood, where on-screen males outnumber females three to one (and behind-the-camera workers fare even worse.)
George Takei - Why I Love a Country that Once Betrayed Me
When he was a child, George Takei and his family were forced into an internment camp for Japanese-Americans, as a "security" measure during World War II. 70 years later, Takei looks back at how the camp shaped his surprising, personal definition of patriotism and democracy.
Judge Helen Whitener - Claiming Your Identity Michaela Horn - Teen Stress From a Teen Perspective
A simple experiment to discover what stresses high school students leads to disturbing results that soon become a story on their own. Michaela Horn shares her journey, results, and the alarming turn of events that unfolded.
Mac Barnett - Why a Good Book is a Secret Door
Childhood is surreal. Why shouldn't children's books be? In this whimsical talk, award-winning author Mac Barnett speaks about writing that escapes the page, art as a doorway to wonder - and what real kids say to a fictional whale.
Brene Brown - The Power of Vulnerability
Brené Brown studies human connection - our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.
Kids on Race "Because I'm Latino, I Can't Have Money?"
Hear some straight talk from middle-schoolers about race and what it's like to grow up in such racially charged times.
Michael Jr - Know Your Why
Comedian Michael Jr. goes Off the Cuff at live comedy show and uses this completely improv moment as a great illustration for knowing your why and purpose in life. See what happens after he asks if he can sing...
Charlie Todd - The Shared Experience of Absurdity
Charlie Todd causes bizarre, hilarious, and unexpected public scenes: Seventy synchronized dancers in storefront windows, "ghostbusters" running through the New York Public Library, and the annual no-pants subway ride. His group, Improv Everywhere, uses these scenes to bring people together.
Phil Hansen - Embrace the Shake
In art school, Phil Hansen developed an unruly tremor in his hand that kept him from creating the pointillist drawings he loved. Hansen was devastated, floating without a sense of purpose. Until a neurologist made a simple suggestion: embrace this limitation ... and transcend it.
Ed Thomas - What Will Be Your Legacy?
A short documentary for the 2010 ESPN Espy awards. This year the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was presented to Ed Thomas and family of Parkersburg, Iowa.
Derek Sivers - How to Start a Movement
With help from some surprising footage, Derek Sivers explains how movements really get started. (Hint: it takes two.)
Maya Penn - Meet a Young Entrepreneur, Cartoonist, Designer, Activist
Maya Penn started her first company when she was 8 years old, and thinks deeply about how to be responsible both to her customers and to the planet. She shares her story - and some animations, and some designs, and some infectious energy - in this charming talk.
Adora Svitak - What Adults Can Learn From Kids
Child prodigy Adora Svitak says the world needs "childish" thinking: bold ideas, wild creativity and especially optimism. Kids' big dreams deserve high expectations, she says, starting with grownups' willingness to learn from children as much as to teach.
Rita Pierson - Every Kid Needs a Champion
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids." Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like.'" A rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.
Richard Turere - My Invention that Made Peace With Lions
In the Maasai community where Richard Turere lives with his family, cattle are all-important. But lion attacks were growing more frequent. In this short, inspiring talk, the young inventor shares the solar-powered solution he designed to safely scare the lions away.
Fernando Pérez - The Importance of Bearing Witness
The importance of listening, and validating the stories of others, is demonstrated through an intimate look at Pérez's great-grandmother who emigrated from Mexico to the U.S. and moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s
Paul Nicklen - Animal Tales from Icy Wonderlands
Diving under the Antarctic ice to get close to the much-feared leopard seal, photographer Paul Nicklen found an extraordinary new friend. Share his hilarious, passionate stories of the polar wonderlands, illustrated by glorious images of the animals who live on and under the ice.
Simon Sinek - Start With Why Cole Plante - Getting Started as a DJ
DJ and producer Cole Plante is only 17 years old, but he's already worked alongside industry superstars Skrillex, Avicii and Major Lazer (to name just a few). In this combination talk and DJ set, Plante shows off his mixing magic and gives tips to aspiring DJs.
CM Hall - Social Justice...In a Cookie
The social justice issue no one is talking about...
I, Pencil: The Movie Beau Lotto & Amy O'Toole - Science is for Everyone
What do science and play have in common? Neuroscientist Beau Lotto thinks all people (kids included) should participate in science and, through the process of discovery, change perceptions. He's seconded by 12-year-old Amy O'Toole, who, along with 25 of her classmates, published the first peer-reviewed article by schoolchildren, about the Blackawton bees project. It starts: "Once upon a time ... "
Joseph Lekuton - A Parable for Kenya
Joseph Lekuton, a member of parliament in Kenya, starts with the story of his remarkable education, then offers a parable of how Africa can grow. His message of hope has never been more relevant.
Vivian Connell - The Monti Video Series
After learning of her terminal illness, Vivian Connell sets out to take her ESL class to the Holocaust Museum.
Suki Kim - This is What It's Like to Go Undercover in North Korea
For six months, Suki Kim worked as an English teacher at an elite school for North Korea's future leaders - while writing a book on one of the world's most repressive regimes. As she helped her students grapple with concepts like "truth" and "critical thinking," she came to wonder: Was teaching these students to seek the truth putting them in peril?
Kelvin Doe - Building a Radio
THNKR is proud to present the next chapter in the riveting story of 15-Year-Old engineering prodigy Kelvin Doe. THNKR has exclusive access to Kelvin as he returns to the United States to deliver a riveting talk at TedxTeen and grapples with the impact of newfound YouTube superstardom.
Kevin Alloca - Why Videos Go Viral
Kevin Allocca is YouTube's Head of Culture & Trends, and he has deep thoughts about silly web video. In this talk from TEDYouth, he shares the 4 reasons a video goes viral.
Pamela Meyer - How to Spot a Liar
On any given day we're lied to from 10 to 200 times, and the clues to detect those lies can be subtle and counter-intuitive. Pamela Meyer, author of Liespotting, shows the manners and "hotspots" used by those trained to recognize deception - and she argues honesty is a value worth preserving.
Ann Makosinski - Why I Don't Use a Smartphone
Imagine all the things you can do...off of your phone. Parents be warned.
Cameron Russell - Looks Aren't Everything. Believe Me, I'm a Model
Cameron Russell admits she won "a genetic lottery": she's tall, pretty and an underwear model. But don't judge her by her looks. In this fearless talk, she takes a wry look at the industry that had her looking highly seductive at barely 16 years old.
Grace Lin - The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf
What your child reads sets the path for their own self-worth as well as how they see others. Grace Lin is a children's book author/illustrator whose book, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon," received the Newbery Book Honor. She shows how the books that are not on your child's bookshelf are just as important as those that are.
Clint Smith - The Danger of Silence
"We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don't," says poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice.
Lindsay Malloy - Why Teens Confess to Crimes They Didn't Commit
Why do juveniles falsely confess to crimes? What makes them more vulnerable than adults to this shocking, counterintuitive phenomenon? Through the lens of Brendan Dassey's interrogation and confession (as featured in Netflix's "Making a Murderer" documentary), developmental psychology professor and researcher Lindsay Malloy breaks down the science underlying false confessions and calls for change in the way kids are treated by a legal system designed for adults.
Laura Rovner - what Happens to People in Solitary Confinement
Imagine living with no significant human contact for years, even decades, in a cell the size of a small bathroom. This is the reality for those in long-term solitary confinement, a form of imprisonment regularly imposed in US prisons. In this eye-opening talk, civil rights lawyer Laura Rovner takes us to ADX, the US federal government's only supermax prison, and describes the dehumanizing effects of long-term solitude on the mind, personality and sense of self. What emerges is an urgent case for abolishing solitary confinement - and evidence for how our tax dollars, public safety and values are implicated in it. "Prisons are administered in our name and on our behalf," she says. "We have an obligation to bear witness."
Aaron Huey - America's Native Prisoner of War Camps
Aaron Huey's effort to photograph poverty in America led him to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where the struggle of the native Lakota people - appalling, and largely ignored - compelled him to refocus. Five years of work later, his haunting photos intertwine with a shocking history lesson.
Bryan Stevenson - We Need to Talk about an Injustice
In an engaging and personal talk - with cameo appearances from his grandmother and Rosa Parks - human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson shares some hard truths about America's justice system, starting with a massive imbalance along racial lines: a third of the country's black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives. These issues, which are wrapped up in America's unexamined history, are rarely talked about with this level of candor, insight and persuasiveness.
David R. Williams - How Racism Makes Us Sick
Why does race matter so profoundly for health? David R. Williams developed a scale to measure the impact of discrimination on well-being, going beyond traditional measures like income and education to reveal how factors like implicit bias, residential segregation and negative stereotypes create and sustain inequality. In this eye-opening talk, Williams presents evidence for how racism is producing a rigged system - and offers hopeful examples of programs across the US that are working to dismantle discrimination.

I know there are many more incredible videos out there to use, I know I discover new ones every year and have missed many here. So leave your favorite in the comments, and again, thank you to all who contributed to this list.

If you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page. I offer up workshops and presentations both live and virtually that are based on the work I do with my own students as we pursue engaging, personalized, and independent learning opportunities. I also write more about the design of my classroom and how to give control of their learning back to students in my first book, Passionate Learners.

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Great TED Talks to Use With Middle Schoolers and Other Ages Too

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I wanted to immerse my students in thought provoking TED Talks and videos as one of the new options in our final round of "Choose Your Own Learning." Watching these videos will allow us to continue the work we have done all year on expanding our world view and discussing "Whose Voices are Missing?"

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Neuroscience reveals how rhythm helps us walk, talk — and even love | CBC Radio

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Rhythm begins in the womb and the heartbeat.

And recent findings in neuroscience reveal that for the rest of our lives, rhythm will continue to have a fundamental impact on our ability to walk, talk - and even love.

Take a scenario almost all of us have experienced before. You're at a wedding. Everyone's talking, drinking, milling around. Then the DJ plays that one song - and suddenly, everyone rushes to the dance floor, as if obeying a collective siren call. Some tunes just make us want to move, even if we've never heard them before - but why?

It all comes down to rhythm.

Before becoming a world-renowned neuroscientist, Daniel Levitin was an accomplished record producer in California. He's worked with Carlos Santana, the Police, Stevie Wonder and countless other musicians. He says that when we hear a rhythm we like, our neurons begin to fire in time with the music. And when those neurons start pulsing, our body can't help but follow along.

According to the author of This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, elite athletes have been taking advantage of this principle for decades, even if they're not fluent in the neuroscience behind it.

Sprinters may listen to music with a tempo that's slightly faster than their natural running gait. The neurons begin firing at this new tempo and the body follows suit, supercharging the athlete's performance in a way that would have been impossible without the aid of that rhythmic jolt.

Rhythmic therapy

Amazingly, the dynamic that gets people on the dance floor when they hear an infectious groove is exactly the same principle used in the treatment of Parkinson's.

A "steady, clear beat" can help Parkinson's patients overcome their characteristic shuffling gait, says Jessica Grahn, an associate professor at the Brain and Mind Institute at the University of Western Ontario. Although this type of music therapy can't "cure" Parkinson's, Grahn says it can significantly improve a patient's quality of life.

Our auditory and motor systems are inextricably intertwined. Music - and rhythm specifically - makes us want to move, says Grahn. But our ability to move also affects the very way we hear music. She has found that Parkinson's patients actually hear rhythms differently than people who don't have movement disorders.

And the workings of rhythm go much further.

According to John Iversen, a research scientist at the Institute for Neural Computation, at UC San Diego, without activity in the motor system, we wouldn't be able to hear the internal pulse - or beat - of music at all. Iversen and his colleagues have developed an hypothesis they call the "ASAP" (Action Simulation for Auditory Prediction), a theory which attempts to explain how our ears help us move - and in turn, how our bodies help us hear.

Language affects how we interpret rhythm

Having a sense of rhythm also underpins our facility with language. Iversen has found that different languages instill certain rhythmic preferences in their respective speakers, and that these preferences affect the way that the speakers actually hear rhythm.

In one study, Iversen presented an ambiguous rhythm to both English and Japanese speakers. The rhythm sequence consisted of alternating long and short tones. With no discernible starting point, the sequence could be interpreted as either "short-long" or "long-short." English speakers heard it as "short-long," while Japanese speakers heard it as "long-short," with both groups following the rhythmic cues embedded in their respective languages.

Nina Kraus is a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, who also happens to have worked with Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart. She wishes people spent more time thinking about the relationship between rhythm and language.

Kraus has found that children who struggle to produce, or hear, rhythms also tend to have difficulty with language processing and reading. Through a pair of longitudinal studies in Chicago and Los Angeles, she's also discovered that playing an instrument or singing for two years can fundamentally - and permanently - improve a child's cognitive abilities. It's a testament to the profound effect that rhythm has on our cognition - and a compelling argument for music education.

But while it's clear that rhythm holds a privileged place in our brains, the question remains: why - why did we evolve to be this way? Scientists still don't know for sure, but they do have some ideas.

One theory is the vocal learning hypothesis, which postulates that our ability to imitate sounds - to hear something and then recreate it - created a close connection between our auditory and motor systems.

It also explains why a cockatoo (another vocal learner) is able to dance rhythmically, like this:

Another theory is that our ability to process and create rhythms arose from a need for social cohesion. Whether for cooperative building projects or military might, we've long needed large groups of people to act as one.

"When I was young, I thought pitch was the most important thing in music. And I'm convinced it's rhythm. Everything is in the timing. Rhythm is really the essence of music," says Laurel Trainor, the director of the McMaster Institute for Music and The Mind in Hamilton, Ontario.

Her research has shown that when two people move in synchrony with each other, they're more likely to feel connected to one another and, consequently, are more likely to help each other.

"It says you're working together [and that] you have a common view of the word," says Trainor.

Whatever its evolutionary basis, it's clear that rhythm is more than a fundamental feature of music. It's also a fundamental part of what makes us human.
Guests in this episode:

Daniel Levitin is a neuroscientist, author and record producer. He's written four New York Times bestsellers including This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession.

Lois Butcher Poffley is a professor of kinesiology at Temple University, and a sports psychologist with a specialty in rhythm training.

Jessica Grahn is an associate professor at the Brain and Mind Institute, at Western University in London, Ontario.

John Iversen is a research scientist at the Institute for Neural Computation, at UC San Diego.

Nina Kraus is a professor of neuroscience at Northwestern University.

Laurel Trainor is a professor of psychology, neuroscience and behaviour at McMaster University. She directs the McMaster Institute for Music & the Mind.

* This episode was produced by Mitchell Stuart and Greg Kelly.

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Neuroscience reveals how rhythm helps us walk, talk - and even love | CBC Radio

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Rhythm is of course a fundamental part of music. But neuroscience is revealing that it's also a fundamental part of our innermost selves: how we learn to walk, talk, read and even bond with others. From heartbeats heard in the womb, to the underlying rhythmic patterns of thought, rhythm - as one researcher puts it - is life.

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Online databases can be accessed in public libraries as well as on this website from any computer with Internet access. The service is free, but you must have a library card in order to access it. To connect, enter the last nine digits of your library card number.

Please note it may not be possible to access this service outside of Atlantic Canada.

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Online databases can be accessed in public libraries as well as on this website from any computer with Internet access. The service is free, but you must have a library card in order to access it. To connect, enter the last nine digits of your library card number.

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The online registration service is only available to residents of the Province of New Brunswick. If you are not a resident, please visit a public library to request a visitor card. Request for replacements of stolen or lost cards as well as requests for educator cards must be done in person at your public library. If you have any questions, or require assistance with this form, please contact us.

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The online registration service is only available to residents of the Province of New Brunswick. If you are not a resident, please visit a public library to request a visitor card. Request for replacements of stolen or lost cards as well as requests for educator cards must be done in person at your public library.

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Buffy Sainte-Marie delivers powerful spoken word poem | Stronger Together

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Buffy Sainte-Marie delivers a powerful message to take heart and take care during the Stronger Together benefit.

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Break Your Own News - Breaking News Meme Generator

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Break Your Own News - The Breaking News Generator

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Today's top story... you! Or, whatever you want. Add your pic, write the headline and we'll go live to the scene. Sort of.

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Watch quality Canadian documentary, animation and fiction films online

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Oliver Jeffers: An ode to living on Earth

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If you had to explain to a newborn what it means to be a human being living on Earth in the 21st century, what would you say? Visual artist Oliver Jeffers put his answer in a letter to his son, sharing pearls of wisdom on existence and the diversity of life.

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25 sweet activities to consider while at home with the kids. Shhh ... many are educational too!

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We know that the amount of time children spend reading has a huge impact. Reading stamina helps support vocabulary development, comprehension, content knowledg

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The Kid Should See This: Educational videos for curious kids of all ages, a free resource for parents & teachers. Science, art, nature, animals, & more.

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"The clean design makes it easy for the eye to know where to go next. There is a wealth of content to choose from."

British Columbia librarian

"The wide range of content available makes this resource ideal for teachers and the various subject matters taught within our school. Curio.ca will not only aid in student learning, but also promote the use of electronic resources in the classroom."

Alberta teacher-librarian

"The work [that CBC/Radio-Canada] developers are carrying out to ensure that Curio is available using responsive web design principles is as admirable as the results are elegant. The technical support team at CBC has always been quick to address our concerns and always provides solutions in a timely fashion. The video quality from Curio is consistently strong... CBC's Curio platform seems to be striving to set the gold standard for streaming video platforms."

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"The clean design makes it easy for the eye to know where to go next. There is a wealth of content to choose from." British Columbia librarian "The wide range of content available makes this resource ideal for teachers and the various subject matters taught within our school.

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All Aboard! Virtual Field Trips and Writing Experiences | TWO WRITING TEACHERS

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Field trips are often the highlight of the school year. I fondly remember a week-long trip I took as a 6th grader to Nature's Classroom and trips to New York City as an 8th grader and a high school student. As a kindergarten teacher, my classes always loved our walking field trip to the local firehouse. As a third grade teacher, my former students have talked about our Bronx Zoo field trip as one of their favorite parts of the school year. There is something so special about being in a new environment, often out in nature, with your teacher and classmates. Memories are made.

At the time of this writing, we are experiencing social distancing due to the spread of Covid-19. We aren't even in classrooms together- teaching is being done remotely as we try to connect with students across miles and through challenging, difficult circumstances. Field trips are, sadly, out of the question.

In New York, our spring break would have been from April 9-April 17. Spring break was canceled as Governor Cuomo asked the schools to continue delivering instruction during this time. My third grade colleagues and I wanted to create something fun and different for our students during this time period. We decided to present them with a new virtual field trip each day.

In this time of remote learning, I've found that educators have been so generous with sharing their ideas and inspiration has been all around. My sister-in-law, Melissa Sokolowski, shared the idea of virtual field trips with me which led to the spark to create a week-long experience for the third graders in my district. Melissa also teaches third grade in a neighboring district and shared how her team was able to create virtual field trips to Disney World. Following her example, we created virtual field trips to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and Animal Kingdom. We then branched out to some other locations, creating trips to Paris, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Washington D.C.

Since we created the virtual field trips, more inspiration has come and this post is expanding the idea of virtual field trips by adding writing experiences as a possible extension. My team and I designed the trips to be a fun and educational activity in an academically lighter week due to what would have been spring break. The menu of writing activities came after I did this work with my students, as a full disclaimer. I haven't tried the menus with my third graders yet since we took the virtual trips before this idea came to be.

This work very much stands on the shoulders of what Clare Landrigan shared about virtual classroom libraries and Pernille Ripp's work on Choose Your Own Adventures with remote learning. Clare's work led me to think about how Google Docs can be a menu that helps students go off to different places. The way she set up her charts, with colored backgrounds and hyperlinks to other places directly inspired how I designed these writing experience menus. Pernille's idea of allowing students to choose their own learning adventure really appealed to me. The way she used Google Docs for this purpose helped me put the pieces together to allow students to choose their virtual field trip and then choose how they will write about their experience.

So...here's the idea! Feel free to tweak, change, add, subtract or in other ways make it your own. Any Google Doc you wish to change, you would need to go to File and then Make a copy. Then you can make any edits you like.

Students can decide which virtual field trip they want to take from the menu of choices. After exploring the trip, they click on the menu of writing options and choose one or more, depending on what you as the teacher ask them to do.

I created a video to show how the trips work with the writing menus.

I think this structure and style of Google Docs that take you to different places can work with so many other writing related lessons. In Clare Landrigan's example, you can create mentor text baskets that students could click on for different craft moves or genres of writing. Clare also recently wrote about using a board for students to get feedback on their writing in her post Every Writer Needs a Reader- How to Design Virtual Response Spaces for Writers.

I'm envisioning the board as a way to organize the craft lesson's I've taught and link to writing samples. My students have been participating in the Classroom SOLSC this month and I've been awarding them badges for craft moves like incorporating dialogue and show, don't tel l. I envision a board where I have the craft moves in the chart and can link to student writing that illustrates the craft move (with student and parent permission, of course). Teacher samples could also be curated in this way so students can see an example if they forget how to try out a certain craft move. I've also been sharing videos with students that teach the craft moves and I can see this type of chart being used as a teaching tool- perhaps each craft move is linked to a video lesson, a teacher mentor text and a student mentor text. Now that this structure is something I have tried out, I am excited for all the possible ways I can use it as a means of giving my students options and choices, to "choose their own learning adventure" as Pernille Ripp advocates.

While I would never try to paint the current situation as one that has a silver lining, I will say that remote teaching and learning has pushed me to learn new tools, technology and ways to create experiences for students. Knowing how to create menus like these will help when I am back in real time with students. I can see this being very helpful for small group instruction and for allowing student opportunities to find the lesson they need when they need it, as Melanie Meehan described in her post on creating videos for students.

If your students try the field trips and the writing menus, please let me know how it goes! If you improve upon this, please also share. I know I am creating and revising all the time now- ideas that seemed right a week ago, I now tweak, add, enhance, and make better as I see ways to do so. I've been learning so much and I am grateful for all the educators who are sharing and finding better ways everyday to teach students from afar.

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View all posts by Kathleen Neagle Sokolowski

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All Aboard! Virtual Field Trips and Writing Experiences

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In these days where we are home so much, take your class on a virtual field trip or two and allow them choices of what they will write about! This post includes 6 trips all ready to go with writing...

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For many years, Netflix has allowed teachers to screen documentaries in their classrooms: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/57695 However, this isn't possible...

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Choose Your Own Learning – 5 Opportunities for Learning as We Continue Emergency Remote Teaching – Pernille Ripp

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Note: Yes, you may adapt this to fit your own needs, please just make a copy because these are my original documents. Please give credit and also do not adapt it to sell it online or in any way benefit financially beyond your salary as an educator.
We got the the news yesterday; school will be physically shut until the end of the year. The emergency remote teaching will continue. I cried when I heard. I know it seems so silly in the grand scheme of things but I miss our community so much, we didn't say goodbye, I worry about them, the work I am assigning and everything in between. While the year is not over, it still feels so final. Who would have thought that this was it when I told them to take care of themselves and have a great weekend on March 13th?

And yet, we have also prepared for this type of teaching and learning without even knowing it would be needed. As detailed in my book, Passionate Learners, we pursue independent choice-based learning in almost everything we do all year, not by happenstance but by design. We focus on creating opportunities for students to be independent while figuring out how they learn best as individuals. We focus on choice, personalization, and giving tools for students to speak up for their needs. We do self-paced learning throughout the year and have introduced tools to them as we need. We didn't plan to finish the year apart, but we are as ready as we could be.

The first round of choose your own learning was fairly successful. Many students appreciated the choices, many students enjoyed the opportunity to pick something that would fit their own learning needs right now and then pursue it with different levels of support from their teachers. Many students clearly showed off their learning and found it worthwhile, fairly stress free, and interesting.

As I would in our classroom, I asked for their feedback before kicking off this second round and tweaked a few things. I also added a new option for them; the daily writing exercises as a way for students to flex their writing muscles without worrying about a long piece. I added better instructions a few places, added in a check-in virtually for others. I am sure there is still much that can be done.

This second round will last a little more than two weeks hopefully. If we need to adjust we will, if we need to change it mid-flight we will. And yes, I share so that perhaps others can use it, please adapt it to your own students as this is made for the ones I know. I will try to give links here to everything that I can.

I welcome the students every time with a slide show posted in Classroom. This is where they will see me welcome them back in a video, see the choices and also make their selection on the survey toward the end. To see the slide show, go here it is short and to the point on purpose.

Three out of the five projects require a weekly meeting with me, students are simply asked to sign up on a form that looks like this.

So what are the choices?
Choice 1: The independent reading adventure. On this adventure, you will use a self-chosen fiction chapter book to further your reading analysis skills. Read and either record or write answers to questions that show your deeper understanding of your chosen text.
Students are given a choice board where they select 4 "boxes" to do with their book. Every box has a video to help them in case they are stuck. These are mostly lessons from me so if you use this, i would encourage you to make your own lessons for your students using language that is familiar to them.

This used to be a much more art-based project, I modified it to fit a written response, only because I am not sure if kids will have access to art materials. However, kids can still choose to illustrate and use art to answer their selected questions. All of the questions are review, so we have done this work before but they get to practice by applying it to a new book. This was inspired by the one-pager project, my colleague does and I am grateful for her work.

This required more independence from students then I think some realized and so a tweak I have made for the second round is that students need to check in once a week with me to discuss their progress.

To see the overall directions for teachers and for students to make their choice, go here

To see what students are given to do the project, go here
Choice 2: The picture book read aloud. On this adventure, you will listen to a picture book being read aloud every day by lots of fantastic people. Then you will write or record a response to a specific question every day.
This was a popular choice the first round because a lot of students felt it was easy to manage; listen to one picture book read aloud, write a response a day. I love it because it honors the picture book read alouds we have done throughout the year, and it allowed me to gather fantastic picture book read alouds that have been shared. I tried to make sure that all choices here are following fair use and copyright guidelines as I do not want to harm any of the creators whose work is being shared. Sample questions can be seen below and the rest is found in the links.

To see the overall directions for teachers and for students to make their choice, go here

To see what students are given to do the project, go here
Choice 3: The Inquiry Project.
Ever wanted a chance to just pursue a major topic of interest for yourself? Now is the chance, craft a learning plan for yourself with Mrs. Ripp, learn more about your topic and then showcase your learning to our community. The students who chose this in the first round, really liked it and said this was easier than they thought, so don't be afraid to try this project.

Project requirement:

1. Identify an inquiry question you want to pursue - remember, inquiry questions are not straight "Googleable," they will need learning from many sources or experiences to answer.

2. Fill in the learning plan to show what you will be learning and how you will challenge yourself.

3. Do the learning on your own, checking in with Mrs. Ripp every week virtually.

4. Create a product of your choice to showcase your learning - you have many choices of what to create.

Independence expectations:

1. This is a project that will require discipline and focus. Because you will not be creating a day-to-day product, you are expected to produce a larger final learning product to share your learning.

2. The inquiry question you choose to pursue can be one that you already know something about or one that you know very little about, it is up to you.

3. There should be NEW learning though that happens throughout, not just a summary of what you already knew.

Students will be asked to do a learning plan, so I can support them if they choose this project. It looks like this:

We have done two other inquiry projects so I have seen students navigate this before, I am hoping this will give kids a chance to explore what they would like to explore rather than all of their learning choices being dictated by adults. The few students that chose this the first round loved it and I hope their enthusiam gives other students a chance to try it as well. It was wonderful to see students immersed in learning that they chose again and also thinking about how to showcase it in a way that they may not have used before.

To see the overall directions for teachers and for students to make their choice, go here

To see what students are given to do the project, go here
Choice 4: The Creative Writing Project. Have a story to tell? Here is your chance to use dedicated time in English to pursue your own writing craft and put some of those sweet writing moves you have been working on into action. Decide how you want to grow as a writer, discuss with Mrs. Ripp, and then start writing. Teaching points will be based on what you are hoping to work on.
The few kids that chose this loved it. They loved the choice in lessons and the feedback that allowed them to write something meaningful to them. To help with lessons, students are given a video bank of lessons that they can choose from every day, as well as the option to find their own lessons and post those. They are asked to create a daily writing lesson plan so that I can see they are working. The once a week check-ins worked well as well because they were just like the writing conferences we would have in class.

Project requirement:

1. Identify your areas of strength as a writer - what do you already do well in writing?

2. Identify areas of growth in writing for yourself - how will this project challenge you?

3. Actively work on those areas of growth through independent study of craft techniques and conferring with Mrs. Ripp.

4. Choices:

If a mini-story: Produce 2 or more pages of a full story.

If a longer story (part of a larger piece): Produce a scene or chapter from beginning to end.

If poetry: 5 or more poems or a short story in prose form.

If a graphic novel or comic strips: Discuss with Mrs. Ripp

Schedule a conferring time with Mrs. Ripp each week - that is twice over the two weeks. These will be via Google Meet.
Independence expectations:

1. This is a project that will require a lot of discipline and focus. Because you will not be creating a day-to-day product, you are expected to produce a larger final learning product to share your learning.

2. The creative writing project you pursue should be meaningful to you and show growth in your writing tools.

3. There should be NEW learning that happens throughout, not just a summary of the skills you already have.

4. You will need to fill in a learning plan and submit it to Mrs. Ripp for approval. It will be posted in Classroom.

Those who chose it loved it but some chose to do poetry rather than story writing so I added some guidelines for that. I also added videos that were shared by students to our daily lesson video bank.

To see the overall directions for teachers and for students to make their choice, go here

To see what students are given to do the project, go here
Choice 5: Daily Writing Exercises. Have you wanted to expand your writing techniques and craft? Here is your chance to be introduced to a new writing exercise a day and then trying it in your own writing.
Project requirement:

1. Watch the video posted for each day (preview in the table below)

2. Respond either in typing in the box or by submitting an image of your writer's notebook if you are handwriting.

3. You will be given a separate document to record your answer in, this is what you will turn in.

I spent time pulling together ideas for stand alone writing exercises and am incredibly grateful to Amy Ludwig VanDerWater for sharing her daily writing exercises, as well as other resources out there.

April 24th
No video

Begin writing a story by starting each sentence with a different letter of the alphabet. You must use all 26 letters from A to Z to begin the first word in each of the first 26 sentences. This writing exercise is great because it will challenge you to think of rare words you don't use very often, look up words in a thesaurus or dictionary, and find a way to start a sentence with uncommon letters like X and Z.

April 27th Write with inspiring images Idea from here
No video

Find pictures online that inspire you or cut images from any magazine or newspaper. After collecting a set of five or six photos, you can write a story about each of them and try to link them together. How can you connect the images in a meaningful way?

April 30th Write from someone else's perspective
Idea from here
No video

Choose someone you know well and practice writing from their perspective. Visualize yourself waking up like this other person. What is their life like? What's on their mind? What are their goals? What are they afraid of or avoiding?Really think about what it's like to walk in this person's shoes, feel what they feel, and react the way they would react to the world.

May 5th
No video

Go to Wikipedia and hit Random Article. Then use that article to spark an idea for your writing. Write a story or narrative that relates to or includes the topic of that article in some way.

This table is included in the student assignment

I wanted this opportunity to be a way for kids to just have some fun with writing and also have a project that mirrored the manageability of the picture book choice, allowing them do one thing a day and not having to attend to a longer project. I am excited to see how this one will play out.

To see the overall directions for teachers and for students to make their choice, go here

To see what students are given to do the project, go here

A note on choices: Students will indicate their choice on the survey form - this will offer me a pathway forward so that I can send the proper resources to them. Because Google Classroom allows me to only give certain things to certain kids, I can easily provide them the next steps in their choices such as learning plans or other tools. I am encouraging them to choose something else than what they did the first round but have already discussed with one student who would like to continue working on their story. There will be exceptions made as needed in order to make sure this is meaningful to all kids.

A note on grades: You may have noticed that these projects encompass different standards, this is okay because both of these. rounds will be counted toward the same standards. I have also decided that if a child shows any kind of effort then it is an automatic "3" or higher. This is not the time for me to do deep assessment because all I am assessing then is their access to the learning, it is not fair to students, there are way too many inequities playing out for me to pretend that grades would be fair or objective. As far as if a child does not "show effort" then I will be reaching out and discussing with them.

A note on support: I will be individualizing support for my students. For some this will mean just check-ins, for others it will be sharing further resources for their learning. Most kids were successful the first round, some were not, so I will adjust support accordingly. I also have support from an incredible special ed teacher, as well as para educators that I can ask for help from.

If you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page. I offer up workshops and presentations both live and virtually that are based on the work I do with my own students as we pursue engaging, personalized, and independent learning opportunities. I also write more about the design of my classroom and how to give control of their learning back to students in my first book, Passionate Learners.

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Choose Your Own Learning - 5 Opportunities for Learning as We Continue Emergency Remote Teaching

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Note: Yes, you may adapt this to fit your own needs, please just make a copy because these are my original documents. Please give credit and also do not adapt it to sell it online or in any way ben...

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Angela Stockman’s Fun Park Adventure #makewriting

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Angela Stockman’s Fun Park Adventure #makewriting

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Rube Goldberg Bar of Soap Video Challenge

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A Year of Reading: The Power of Choice During this Online/Pandemic Learning

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**Mary Lee, Franki and Julie have been talking and thinking about choice during this time of Online/Pandemic Learning. We decided to share our current thinking about choice and writing today and would love to hear from others on what is working when it comes to choice, writing and online learning. You can find Julie's post here.
From Franki
Writing Workshop is the heart of our classrooms and we believe student choice is so important for authenticity. Typically during the school year, we do 3-4 genre-based units of study and then between those, I do other units of study that cross genres. I want my readers to know there are so many ways to study and grow as a writer and although there are specifics for particular genres, there are also skills writers have that cross genres. Learning from Other Writers, Revising, Expanding Important Ideas in a Text, and Word Choice to Improve Writing are all units we've done across the year.

With this new online/pandemic teaching, it's been a challenge to stay grounded in what we believe about writing and writers.

I thought long and hard about what this time means for writers and I realized that this stay-at-home time is a perfect time for writers to do authentic work, to commit to a project with lots of time to work, to play around and to grow, to build a stronger identity as a writer. So I decided that choice would be the most important thing over the next few weeks.

After talking with Julie Johnson on how she was providing her 3rd graders choice, I created this board for students. Last week, students spent time thinking about the possibilities for their writing over the next several weeks and they committed to one of the ideas on this Choice Board.

Having a writing workshop with very little live time together has been tricky so I built this board with this in mind. I knew I wanted students to have choice in genre, but I also knew that my focus for teaching as they were working on their writing would span genre. I knew I wanted them to find mentor texts and I knew revision would be important. So I built some mentor texts into the slides so that as students explored options, they could see writers who they might learn from in each project.

This week, we will have small groups meeting to share and discuss their writing. And I am thinking about how to incorporate this brilliant idea from Clare Landrigan from Tuesday's blog. My main goal is to support writers in lots of ways, to invite those writers who have lots of time to give to this, some options to dig (working hours each day if they'd like) in in a way that isn't possible when school is in session. I want them to know what that feels like they have a project they love and are committed to. I also want to give writers who don't have as much time or space for this the option to create and learn something--something they want to learn. It seems like an easy time during the year to do this as routines are set, students have goals as writers, they have learned from mentors all year and they have lots of writing ideas.

I am already amazed at the ideas kids have shared and the work they are doing. I am hoping this choice board meets the needs of all of my writers during this challenging time.

From Mary Lee

In our first full week of online learning, we had a very successful Flipgrid Science Symposium on Friday, where students shared their learning about food chains, food webs, energy pyramids, and the biome of their choice in a short video on Flipgrid. They loved having a project to work towards, and seeing how all of their work in reading, writing, and science could come together. In our "more of this/less of that" conversation on that first Friday, they definitely wanted more projects, and one student requested work with biographies, so I made a mental note to somehow work that in for our next project.

Last week and this week we have done some activities that are building towards an in-depth opinion piece. I wanted to weave together life science, biographies, and opinion writing. This is what I will present to the students next week. I hope I built in enough choice so that every student can find an entry point.

Students will be able to choose by person, by the person's area of science, or by the person's action -- what they're famous for. All of the links (except Julia Hill) go to our school's subscription (via Infohio) to WorldBook Student.

Some of my students will be able to chose a topic and run with the research and the writing, but many will need scaffolding. We will brainstorm ways to make this an opinion piece. It will be very different than a "fuzzy socks are the best" opinion piece. They will need to make a claim about the importance of the person, the area of science, or the work. While they will start in WorldBook Student, they will need to do online searches and find information in unlikely places like BrainPOP.

I am struggling to get my students to keep their commitment to the small group session they signed up for, but in my dreams, those small groups will become writing support groups where we can discuss their progress and they can share their writing for peer feedback.

I envision this project lasting several weeks, and I have my fingers crossed that my students will be up for the stamina of this. Perhaps I'll have to drastically modify my expectations, or even toss the whole thing out as a spectacular failure. Time will tell, but I think it's worth a try!

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The Power of Choice During this Online/Pandemic Learning

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Mary Lee, Franki and Julie have been talking and thinking about choice during this time of Online/Pandemic Learning. We decided to share our current thinking about choice and writing today and would love to hear from others on what is working when it comes to choice, writing and online learning.

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Choose Your Own Learning – 4 Learning Options As We Go Virtual/Online – Pernille Ripp

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Note: Yes, you may adapt this to fit your own needs, but please give credit and also do not adapt it to sell it online or in any way benefit financially beyond your salary as an educator.
In yesterday's post, I mentioned how I wanted to honor the work we have already been doing in our community as we switch to virtual learning starting next week. Because this shut down of our school does not come with an end date at the moment, I am pacing out instruction by weeks rather than days. If we go back sooner than I expect, which would be incredible, then I can switch this particular project to in-class as well.

We were also given guidelines yesterday from our district; plan for about 35 minutes of learning time for each class, I have a double block but am trying to keep it to around that time still, instead with the extra time, I am hoping kids will find the time to read. Kids are not expected to sit in front of a computer all day. We have guidelines in place for making sure kids are connected to us with virtual office hours. We also need to check in if we are not hearing from kids or seeing them do any learning. We are trying to think of things we cannot even think of yet.

We are trying to keep it relevant, accessible, and not overwhelming.

We are trying to help kids continue their learning even when we are not right there with them.

So, for our students, I have created a "Choose Your Own Learning" two-week exploration. This, hopefully, continues the honoring of their individual needs and desires, while still helping them with their growth. There are different levels of independence for them to choose from, as well as choices for recording or writing their responses. There are different levels of teaching involved that will unfold once they select their choice.

From a longer letter welcoming kids into our project

Choice 1: The independent reading adventure. On this adventure, you will use a self-chosen fiction chapter book to further your reading analysis skills. Read and either record or write answers to questions that show your deeper understanding of your chosen text.

The connect-four template we use for this.

This used to be a much more art-based project, I modified it to fit a written response, only because I am not sure if kids will have access to art materials. However, kids can still choose to illustrate and use art to answer their selected questions. All of the questions are review, so we have done this work before but they get to practice by applying it to a new book. This was inspired by the one-pager project, my colleague does and I am grateful for her work. To see the project guidelines, go here.
Choice 2: The picture book read aloud. On this adventure, you will listen to a picture book being read aloud every day by lots of fantastic people. Then you will write or record a response to a specific question every day.
I wanted to honor the picture book read alouds we have done throughout the year, so I gathered picture book recordings for the students to listen to - one a day - and then created questions to go with it such as the one below.

While I love all of the picture books I am finding, I am still changing some of them out to have a wider representation of creators shown. I am also still working through questions, so this document is very much a work in progress. To see the project guidelines, go here.
Choice 3: The Inquiry Project. Ever wanted a chance to just pursue a major topic of interest for yourself? Now is the chance, craft a learning plan for yourself with Mrs. Ripp, learn more about your topic and then showcase your learning to our community.
Project requirement:

Identity an inquiry question you want to pursue - remember, inquiry questions are not straight "Googleable," they will need learning from many sources or experiences to answer.

Fill in the learning plan to show what you will be learning and how you will challenge yourself.

Do the learning on your own, checking in with Mrs. Ripp every two days.

Create a product of your choice to showcase your learning - you have many choices of what to create.

Independence expectations:

This is a project that will require a lot of discipline and focus. Because you will not be creating a day-to-day product, you are expected to produce a larger final learning product to share your learning.

The inquiry question you choose to pursue can be one that you already know something about or one that you know very little about, it is up to you.

There should be NEW learning though that happens throughout, not just a summary of what you already knew.

Students will be asked to do a learning plan, so I can support them if they choose this project. It looks like this:

We have done two other inquiry projects so I have seen students navigate this before, I am hoping this will give kids a chance to explore what they would like to explore rather than all of their learning choices being dictated by adults . To see the project guidelines, go here.
Choice 4: The Creative Writing Project.
I know some of us have longed to do some creative writing, so here is your chance. Decide how you want to grow as a writer, discuss with Mrs. Ripp, and then start writing. Teaching points will be based on what you are hoping to work on.

Project requirement:

Identify your areas of strength as a writer - what do you already do well in writing?

Identify areas of growth in writing for yourself - how will this project challenge you?

Actively work on those areas of growth through independent study of craft techniques and conferring with Mrs. Ripp.

Produce 2 or more pages in a coherent writing form, you choose the writing form.

Schedule 2 conferring times with Mrs. Ripp each week - that is 4 times over the two weeks. These can be via Google meet, email discussion, chat, or some other mode of communication.

Independence expectations:

This is a project that will require a lot of discipline and focus. Because you will not be creating a day-to-day product, you are expected to produce a larger final learning product to share your learning.

The creative writing project you pursue should be meaningful to you and show growth in your writing tools.

There should be NEW learning though that happens throughout, not just a summary of the skills you already have.

We have done creative writing in small spurts throughout the year but not enough in my opinion, so this is our chance to do it more. I am hoping this will offer up those who choose it a way to sink into their writing and create something meaningful. To see the project guidelines, go here.

A note on choices: Students will indicate their choice on a survey form - this will offer me a pathway forward so that I can send the proper resources to them. Because Google Classroom allows me to only give certain things to certain kids, I can easily provide them the next steps in their choices such as learning plans or other tools.

A note on grades: You may have noticed that these projects encompass different standards, this is okay because all of the work we are doing right now is formative as per our district guidelines. As the closing continues, we will be given updated guidelines. What this means is that when the two weeks are over for this project, I will either recycle the options and ask students to choose a different option or brainstorm further learning with my students. If we switch to live school in the middle, then once this project is done we will go back to our regular scheduled learning, which is debates and Shark Tank presentations.

A note on support: I will be individualizing support for my students. For some this will mean just check-ins, for others it will be sharing further resources for their learning. I teach 76 students, I am not sure how this will look, but we will make it work.

Want to connect with me? I am going to do a Facebook live in the upcoming week in our Passionate Readers Facebook group to take questions and share book recommendations. Join me!
If you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

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Choose Your Own Learning - 4 Learning Options As We Go Virtual/Online

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Note: Yes, you may adapt this to fit your own needs, but please give credit and also do not adapt it to sell it online or in any way benefit financially beyond your salary as an educator. In yesterday's post, I mentioned how I wanted to honor the work we have already been doing in...

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Welcome!

Family Fun Learning is a collection of links to websites of resources for families; it has learning games and activities for a variety of topics and ages, as well as information for parents.

Each page of this website is listed on the left. On the grade level pages, links are organized by subject area. Many websites are appropriate for many grade levels, so be sure to check other pages for more resources, especially if your child is on the "edge" of a grade span. For example, when looking for websites for a second grade student, check the upper elementary page too.

Please see Content and Advertising for information about advertising on websites listed in Family Fun Learning, and check the Blog page for other updates.

Feedback is also welcome! Use the Comments form to tell us what you think.

This site last updated: April 15, 2020.

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Family Fun Learning is a collection of links to websites of resources for families; it has learning games and activities for a variety of topics and ages, as well as information for parents. Each page of this website is listed on the left. On the grade level pages, links are organized by subject area.

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Hello Supa Buddies! Welcome to Dav Pilkey At Home. Together we can get creative and have fun with some of your favorite characters from Dog Man and Captain U...

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TumbleBooks Resources:

TumbleBook Library
Animated stories and non-fiction, eBooks for early and advanced readers and full-colour graphic novels for kids. Titles are available primarily in English, with some French and Spanish content.

TumbleMath
A comprehensive collection of math picture books, all in the TumbleBook format complete with animation and narration. The books are accompanied by supplementary materials such as lesson plans and quizzes.

TeenBookCloud
An online database of eBooks and educator resources, with a selection of graphic novels, enhanced novels, classic literature, National Geographic videos, and audiobooks.

AudioBookCloud
Classic literature, science fiction,contemporary blockbusters and more in audiobook format.

RomanceBookCloud
Romance novels in eBook format.

Educational Games:

Dreamscape
An award-winning free videogame for players in grades 3 to 8+ delivering curriculum-aligned reading practice and assessment as they build their Dreamscape dwell through a fun multiplayer gaming experience.

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New Brunswick Public Library Service: Free Online Resources

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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https://youtu.be/ATVrs8b_hmU

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Lauren Tarshis reads I Survived The Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, chapters 1 & 2

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ECK (East Coast Kids) News - Volume 1: March 27, 2020

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Example of an Emergency Remote Teaching Enrichment Activity: Nature Study (Biology, Art, ELA, Gr 4-12) - Dave Stuart Jr.

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Recently, I wrote that perhaps our wisest approach to distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year is enrichment only. My earnest and amicable argument here is that if we try a continuation approach to distance learning, we'll end up with fewer engaged students now and larger gaps when we return than if were to pause on the curriculum and figure out how to fill in the gaps once we're back to in-person schools. After all, we're bound to have gaps when we return to in-person schooling, so we may as well create consistency in those gaps. Plus, there are real experimental insights that we can gain in the meantime focusing on an engagement-first, enrichment-style curriculum.

To help make sense of and implement this approach, I'm providing a sampling of ideas here on the blog. The others are:

Introduction to Nature Study
Hello students! Today we're going to conduct a nature study - right from the place where we live. This might seem like a weird idea if you live in a town or city - "Nature's far away from me!" you might think - but that's actually going to just make the assignment even better. Remember: challenges are fun! 🙂 Here's what you'll need:

Something to write on - a few pieces of scrap paper are fine, but a spiral notebook or journal is even better; also, make sure you have something hard to write on because you'll be doing this while you're outside;

Permission from your parent or guardian to go outside - make sure you know the exact boundaries of where you're allowed to go and where you aren't - or, better yet, a parent or guardian to go along with you (psst... have them do this assignment too!);

An awareness of the social distancing guidelines in your community (e.g., remain six feet from others; do not use playground equipment; etc - these guidelines vary by locality);

An hour or more of uninterrupted time;

Proper clothing for remaining comfortable outdoors for this length of time.

Step 0: Embark!
Armed with the materials listed above and with the appropriate parental permission or participation, head into your natural space! Whether you're heading to the patch of sidewalk in front of your building, or a nearby park, or a piece of someone's yard, head out with anticipation for doing something truly original: heading into everyday nature of the sake of observation.
Step 1: Observe
At first, we're just going to look at the natural objects in the space we've selected for our nature study. Here's a list of things to look at; I recommend doing so for 5-10 minutes apiece:

the clouds (laying on your back is a good idea for this);

a patch of grass, or a shrub, or a bush;

the characteristics of any trees near where you live - and examine each tree individually;

a pet - yours, someone else's - and its behavior;

a squirrel or chipmunk or bird - its behavior, its physical characteristics;

insects - ants, flies, mosquitoes (they're already out in Michigan!),

What you're trying to do with these observations is just that: to observe! Take in the details of natural objects within your sphere of life. What do you notice, what do you wonder, what do they remind you of?

Step 2: Take notes
Now, think of yourself as a sort of detective taking in the scene of a crime - except in this case, the scene isn't a crime, it's the bit of nature you've been taking in these last minutes. Now, on your paper or in your notebook, do the following:

Write today's date

Describe each of the things you've observed; for help with these descriptions, you may wish to use the following prompts:

(Thank you to John Muir Laws for his book The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, within which he suggests these prompts.)
Step 3: Sketch

Finally, enrich your notes with drawings and sketches. Don't be a perfectionist here - just try your best to represent the things you've observed.

When you head back inside, consider adding color.

Bonus 1: Do more nature studies!

Nature study is a habit that has been taken up by human beings all across the ages. More than a hundred years ago, an amateur naturalist named Edith Holden kept an exquisitely illustrated notebook (click on that link and then click "Look Inside" / the book cover to see some example of Holden's nature study notebook); more recently, Clare Walker Leslie kept a journal with sketches of what she observed in nature (again, click on that link and then on the "Look Inside" / book cover to see some example pages). I've included some snapshots of their pages below.

Bonus 2: Reflect
There was a time once when nature study was a regular part of the school week for students. For example, English educator Charlotte Mason used to insist that nature study is an important foundation from which to engage in any scientific learning. In most schools today, such work is infrequent or missing.

1. In your opinion, should the school day be adjusted to provide weekly time for students to engage in nature study? Explain.

2. What's the point of doing something like a nature study? What skills do you develop as you engage in things like this? What knowledge do you gain? What mental health benefits do you develop? Explain.

How this assignment targets student motivation

As I've written elsewhere, student motivation comes down to five key beliefs: credibility, value, belonging, effort, and efficacy.

The above assignment, which based on my current constraints cannot be required or graded, is likely to be completed by many of my students because it intentionally targets the beliefs:

Credibility: For this one, it will be useful to share a video of yourself conducting a nature study - be enthusiastic, remember the P in CCPR - and/or to include an example of a page from your nature study book. (More on that example page in a Effort and Efficacy.)

Value:

The Bonus 2 reflection exercise gets students thinking about and articulating the value of an assignment like this. Responses to this could be written and/or spoken (and where possible, use your chosen discussion / video platform for making that writing and/or speaking collaborative). The second prompt especially is aimed at helping students to internalize the habit of finding value flexibly - the same mechanism that makes Hulleman's Build Connections intervention so effective.

More immediately, this exercise targets the value belief by playing to natural value boosters like curiosity and intrigue - what observations of nature can we find hiding in plain sight?

You'll also notice the bit where I say, "It's even better if you live in a city or a town where nature isn't as obvious." In that case, I'm playing to the innate desire for challenge.

Belonging: As you carry out this assignment and start receiving examples of the assignment from students, see if you're able to share out example pages from students' notebooks. The more diverse the student examples that you can share, the more likely it is that you'll key in to students' sense that this assignment "fits" with their sense of who they are. (A sense of "fit" is a large part of what belonging is about.)

Effort: By providing an example video or page from your own nature study, you're making clear to students what good effort looks like here. A key idea of nature study, however, is that it's not meant to be competitive or structured. The core task is enjoyment of the details in the natural world - knowledge-building and product creation are secondary pleasures. And don't underestimate the incredible, life-shaping power of helping students associate effort with pleasure!

Efficacy: Again, your example work will make it clearer to students what success looks like, as will the share of diverse student examples as this project unfolds. What you want is for students not to associate this with a certain artistic aptitude or natural environment. Be generous and specific with praise of diverse nature study work products.

This can be treated as a single day or week-long assignment, or as an extended project - say, "Observing the Movement of Spring into Summer." An emphasis on artistic school could make it fit an art class, or on creative writing could make it fit an ELA class, or on the biology of our home environments could make it fit a science class.

I encourage teachers and students alike to enjoy the process. And I thank Charlotte Mason for her work 120 or so years ago in laying out the core principles of nature study, and to those authors whose works are mentioned above for their further examples and instructions. I also thank my wife, Crystal Stuart, for leading our children in learning like this around our home.

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Example of an Emergency Remote Teaching Enrichment Activity: Nature Study (Biology, Art, ELA, Gr 4-12) - Dave Stuart Jr.

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Recently, I wrote that perhaps our wisest approach to distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year is enrichment only. My earnest and amicable argument here is that if we try a continuation approach to distance learning, we'll end up with fewer engaged students now and larger gaps when we return than if ...

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My long time friend Kerrie Larosa is a parent coach who helps families in many aspects of parenting. We teamed up a few years ago to create several resources f

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Update, April 7, 7:29 a.m.:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the video:

This is really great, Tyler. I think my kids - and a whole lot of others - will get a kick out of this, all while hearing how they can help out too. Thanks for helping spread that message.

- Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) April 6, 2020

Original story:
A Winnipeg dad's Lego interpretation of a speech by the prime minister has gone viral.

Tyler Walsh told 680 CJOB he saw Justin Trudeau's message to Canadian kids about the coronavirus pandemic and wanted to put it in a format that would be even more appealing to young people.

"I saw that video that the prime minister had done and I showed it to my kids at the time," he said.

"That was about a couple of weeks ago, but at the same time, my boys Jack and Noah and I were actually working on another Lego project.
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"It popped into my head that I've got all of this set up here - what if I combine these two videos and it might be kind of fun and cool and make kids want to watch it more."

The stop-motion video - which took hours of painstaking work - is a re-creation of Trudeau's March 22 speech, complete with a bearded Lego PM and a cameo by Manitoba's own public health officers - in brick form, of course.

Last Month during one of his press conferences, @JustinTrudeau had a message for Canadian children about how they can do their part in the fight against #COVID19. It's a powerful statement, one that deserves a version all kids will want to watch. #StayHomeSaveLives #LEGO pic.twitter.com/7r4rMX6tax

- Tyler Walsh (@walsht) April 5, 2020

As a father, Walsh said Trudeau's message resonated with him and he wanted his kids to take it to heart as well.

"I had showed them the original video because I thought it was valuable for them to learn and understand what the message was.

"When we combine these together, it becomes much more profound for kids, and they get it and they'll be entertained by it."

The video - which had been viewed more than 214,000 times as of Monday morning - has resulted in a barrage of positive feedback, including requests from other Canadian parents and educators to use the video, which Walsh said he's happy to oblige.

"I've got a lot of messages from educators asking permission to put it on those various online platforms they're using for their education now to pass along to their kids," he said.

"Yes, absolutely! That's the whole point, you know? Let's get that out there."

Coronavirus outbreak: Trudeau thanks kids for doing their part during the COVID-19 crisis

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Winnipeg dad's Lego version of Trudeau's coronavirus speech to kids goes viral

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Update, April 7, 7:29 a.m.: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the video: This is really great, Tyler. I think my kids - and a whole lot of others - will get a kick out of this, all while hearing how they can help out too. Thanks for helping spread that message.