Boy, has it been a long time since I posted anything to this blog! Our school system has been implementing a 1:1 device since this fall and it has eaten into my time quite a bit (on and off since September). I have mostly been delivering instruction and doing activities that are repeats from last year, so nothing new really to write about. Now I’m just trouble shooting 5-10 tablets everyday, but enough whining about that!
We decided that we would participate in World Read Aloud Day this year. WRAD culminates on February 24th, with a “7 Strengths Countdown” to the date (a theme for each of the 7 weeks, beginning January 4th). Well, I missed out on the first week, “Belonging Week” January 4-9 as our students did not return from the holidays until that Thursday. Just as well that I didn’t plan anything as I worked on a record number of tablets as students booted them up for the first time since leaving for the holidays in December.
We used Aaron Becker’s wordless picture book, Journey, to open our minds to being curious and wondering.
WRAD’s Curiosity Week: “What kind of reading makes you curious and fills you with wonder?”
I did finally get it together for “Curiosity Week”, January 11-15! I choose a book from the WorldLit’s suggested titles, Aaron Becker’s Journey, a beautiful wordless picture book.
I read Journey to some 5th grade classes. I began by asking them what the word journey meant to them and the students came up with a wide variety of ideas. Then I “read” it to them and let them comment on what they thought was happening in the illustrations. They enjoyed it more than I had hoped. I then showed the book trailer for the book.
I didn’t show the trailer before reading the book, because I think it gives away too much of the book; I didn’t want the students to have seen all the gorgeous illustrations before we discovered the book together. However, I do like the text from the trailer which asks: What if there was something magic that could take you far away? What would you do? Where would you go?
I asked the students to answer these questions, using index cards and will have them record their responses on Flipgrid. I wanted them to use their new Dell Venue tablets and as soon as I can figure out how to get the camera to turn around in Flipgrid I will send the teachers the link!!
thelibraryteacher 