Introducing www.globalreadaloud.com

1 Comment
As many of you know being heavily pregnant means I am in full nesting mode, so this morning, as I got up way too early, I decided to clean things up a bit.  This website therefore has a new (shorter) address:  www.globalreadaloud.com

So what does this mean for the old address?  I am pretty sure absolutely nothing but it should be easier to get to now.

Plus it just feels more official now, so there you have the news of the day, a new address for all of us to use.

So I Joined, Now What?

Leave a comment
First of all, thank you!  This project started with a simple idea 3 years ago now and has blossomed into something much bigger or better than I could ever imagine.  So while we wait until the project actually starts here are just a couple of details to get you started with the Global Read Aloud 2012.

The dates have been set with the project starting October 1st and going until October 26th, while you can start sooner or later than these dates please do not give away any information about the happenings of the book except for in the designated weeks.

Choose your book, Charlotte’s Web or The One and Only Ivan.  I love reading the book before the project so I can think about what we will discuss, you may want to order your own copy and decide whether you want each student to have a copy as well.

Decide if you want to work behind the scenes on either book.  If you really want to have  say or just connect even more with people join the Google Groups set up for planning.  Both can be found on the right side of the Global Read Aloud blog.

Join the Edmodo groups for teachers to connect.  Last year these were used to set up Skype connections, ask for ideas or support and just general sharing.  This is for teachers only, smaller Edmodo groups will be set up for students closer to the start date.  Log in to Edmodo and enter in the code for the group you wish to join.  If you are not sure how to do this please reach out.

  • Charlotte’s teacher group code is 93pop0
  • Ivan’s teacher group code is njco4k

Check out the wiki, right now it is filled with info from last year but it will soon be updated.  Browse through what happened last year to give you an idea of what you can do with the book.

Follow the hashtag on Twitter #glread12 and follow me on Twitter to stay updated @pernilleripp

And other than that, just relax, this project is what you make it out to be.  The bottomline is connecting with others through a book, you decide how much time you want to dedicate to it and what you feel most comfortable with.

What is the Global Read Aloud?

Leave a comment
The project was created in 2010 with a simple goal in mind; one book to connect the world.  Now with two years under our belt and more than 2,000 connections made, we realize we are on to something larger than us so we look forward to continuing the global connections.


The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 4-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible.  Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be.  Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible.  The scope and depth of the project is up to you.  In the past we have used Twitter, Skype, Edmodo, our wiki, email, regular mail, Kidblog, and any other tools we can think of to make these connections.  Teachers get a community of other educators to do a global project with, hopefully inspiring them to continue these connections through the year.  

So sign up if you would like more information or if you think this project is for you.  This has proven to be a wonderful way for teachers to introduce technology as well as to make global connections.  Welcome!

The Global Read Aloud as Told by a Student

2 Comments
    Hiya again.   We finished the Global Read aloud yesterday.   The Global Read Aloud is where teachers read one book a out loud to their class, then they and their kids do fun stuff, like maybe blogging, or skype, or use edmodo, it’s really fun to connect with other kids around the world.  I think teachers should do it because it would be a good  way to show you can show your kids you can make a difference and share your opinion with the world.  It’s also a good idea  because you can introduce them to a different genre of books.  For example, I pretty much only read fantasy books, but Tuck Everlasting made me think I should try a different genre of books for once.      If you read my post called Tuck Everlasting and the Toad, you’ll find the full dish of stuff about the book.  But for now I think I’ll just say I was totally and utterly shocked at the end.  Sorry, can’t give out the end. 
     Why I thought being part of this was really fun was the fact we got to do fun things like how I said before we get to skype and blog. More things we do without technology are we jounal about what shocked me or why it might or might not be good if nothing ever died.  When Mrs.Ripp asked us to predict what the book was about by only looking at the cover, it  was really fun and I really was surprised when she showed us online a book with different cover and how they’re predictions varied by a lot.  It was so cool.  Something I would’ve changed next time is, well, erm, I really don’t think I want to change anything.  Next year I think the book should be  Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs.  I think it should be Belly Up because it’s a mystery with lots of cliffhangers and problems, its also a pretty good length.  I had a really fun expirience from the Global Read Aloud and I think other teachers should have their kids do it to.
My Question is: If you could live anywhere in the world, where and why?
***Sophia***

Thank You

Leave a comment
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for being part of the
second Global read Aloud project. What started as one harebrained
idea one late night in 2010 culminated this year in more than 2,000
students around the world all reading the same two books. To say that
I am humbled by the eagerness and passion people dedicate to this is
an understatement.

So as we wrap up for this year, I need to hear from you. Your
feedback is what drives me to start thinking about next year’s project
and how it can be better than this year. To make your life easy, I
made a Google survey for all of you to take. Please do take it and
don’t hold back, this is a continual work in progress.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGVWLVpkTmFzdmRoQVZockVaOFJ3UlE6MQ

To all of my wonderful collaborators, thank you so much for dedicating
your time to work behind the scenes with me. It made my life and that
of my family’s much easier.

The Edmodo student groups will be disbanded this weekend so if you
have any work you need to get out of there, please do so. The teacher
groups will remain.

Thank you also to all of those who continue to vote for my classroom
in the Great American teach Off. $10,000 to my school would possibly
mean new gym floor or carpeting in our classrooms so every vote
matters. www.good.is/gato

Please continue to reach out to me with any questions, concerns or
comments. I am very accessible through email or Twitter @pernilleripp

A final note from the Flat Stanley group:
Many people in the Flat Stanley group indicated an interest in
continuing with our Edmodo discussions and other connections by
reading Stanley In Space. For those that are interested, we’ll start
reading the book during the week of October 31st. More details on the
week-by-week breakdown of activities are here. Please email Aviva
(dunsiger@yahoo.com) if you have any questions about this.

A $10,000 Opportunity

1 Comment

This post is from Pernille Ripp, the creator of the Global Read Aloud


As some of you may know, a couple of weeks ago I was told I was one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach Off.  This contest was created to highlight great elementary educators across the nation and I am frankly astounded to be part of the group.  And yet, here I am super excited, super proud of the work I do and very eager to showcase it.  Not only that but the grand prize in the contest is $10,000 for my classroom.  
The last two weeks I have been very busy creating videos highlighting my students and how we are innovative and making a difference and now I need your help.  The final part of the contest is a nationwide vote-off.  Every week they post a video and the lowest two vote-getters will be eliminated until finally one is left standing.  I do feel like I am on American Idol right now, but thankfully it is not my singing chops being evaluated but rather me as a teacher.
Voting starts on Monday at 1 PM at www.good.is/gato and you can vote once a day for the week.  If I survive the first week then I have to get people to vote the following week and so on.  
So if you have a moment, would you please consider voting for my classroom (on Monday)?  
These students work their hearts out, sharing their journeys with the world, and we try to be innovative within the very rigid public school framework.  I am proud of the accomplishments of my students, their eagerness to try and fail, and their willingness to share it all with the world. 
$10,000 for us would mean more books in our library, perhaps a new gym floor, or even carpet in our classroom so we could snuggle up with good books.  There are many deserving educators out there and I am one of many, so here is our chance to get more money into a public school and that is a wonderful thing.

Making Meaningful Music for Mae

Leave a comment

The students in Gill-Ville have been enjoying visualizing and imagining many of the details found in Tuck Everlasting.  We are captivated by music, as are the characters in the story, by Mae Tuck’s music box. We spent some time thinking about the kind of music and types of instruments that sound like tunes from a music box.  The students collaborated and brainstormed a list of words that helped them imagine the sound that the music would make.  Here is a screen shot of our ideas.

Once we had a general idea of what the music box might sound like students used Garageband to create their own version of the tune the music box might play.  We used built in musical loops that used appropriate instruments and tones.  The students also used the built in piano keyboard to add their own melody as well.  We kept the songs short because music boxes usually play a short song that gets repeated. Here is an example for you to listen to.  Enjoy!

//www.youtube.com/get_player