This was in my local newspaper yesterday , so cool….
A Change to Flat Stanley
After looking further at the two Flat Stanley books, we realized that it would be difficult to finish both of them within the four weeks. Here is what we plan on doing now then:
We’re going to just work with Flat Stanley. The reading requirements for each week are,
Week 1 – Predictions, Chapters 1 and 2
Week 2 – Chapters 3 and 4
Week 3 – Creating A New Chapter and Chapter 5
Week 4 – Wrap-Up; Final Reflections
Just before reading Chapter 5, we’d like each of the classes to create their own additional chapter for the book where they discuss a different Flat Stanley adventure. The class can write this together as a shared writing activity, students can work individually or in partners to write their own, and/or the students can use a variety of recording options (e.g., AudioBook, VoiceThread, Vocaroo, or Audacity) to record a chapter in the “oral tradition.” These chapters can be shared via blogs, Edmodo, or even the Wikispace. Other classes can then comment on the different chapters too. This is a way for students to read their own writing and the writing of others as well!
Through Weeks 3 and 4, students can also work on creating Flat Stanleys to mail to other classes involved in this project. They can write letters or stories to accompany their Flat Stanleys. Classes can either send one or two Stanleys per class or each student can send out individual Stanleys as almost a pen pal activity. It’s up to you! There’s a link on the Wikispace where you can sign-up to be involved in these exchanges too.
Please remember that throughout this read aloud project, students can discuss the themes and events in the book through Edmodo, blog posts, VoiceThread, Skpye, the Wikispace, and any other tools that you wish to use. The possibilities are endless!
Since there are many classes interested in continuing this connection for Stanley in Space, we thought that we would do this book after Flat Stanley is complete. For those people that want to participate, they can continue to use Edmodo, blog posts, VoiceThread, and Skype to reflect after reading the different chapters in this book. Here is our chapter breakdown for this book too:
Week 1- Ch. 1, 2, and 3 – this includes the call from the president, meeting the president to discuss going into space, and then actually boarding the spaceship and heading off (Ch. 1 and 3 are quite short).
Week 2 – Ch. 4, 5, and 6 – this includes the Stanley’s adventures in the spaceship, landing and meeting the Tyrrans, and touring the village (including the run in with Captain Ik).
Week 3 – Ch. 7, 8, and 9 – this includes President Ot discussing the problem with Super-Gro, Stanley coming up with an idea of how to save the Tyrtans, and the Tyrrans getting weighed to see if they can all fit in the spaceship on their way back to earth.
Week 4 – Ch. 10 and 11 – this includes having the Tyrrans board the spaceship to head back home with Stanley and his family, and the President welcoming the Tyrrans to TyrraVille 2 (on the tennis court) until the Tyrrans can head back to TyrraVille.
Reading Globally, the Global Read Aloud Project!
In May, I wrote a post on my blog about the joy and excitement that was created when I read aloud to my students. My students were held captive for 5-10 minutes a day by a Lemony Snickett book, and they loved it! I realized then, how important reading aloud was to creating readers.
So when I came across the Global Read Aloud project, it was a no-brainer! A global project where everyone reads one book, and discusses it with other students, all over the world. Amazing concept! And if there had been any hesitation on my part, the methods of discussion would have hooked me, Skype, Edmodo, Twiducate , and any other web 2.0 tech tools, I was salivating!
I have to admit, I had never read “Tuck Everlasting”, (gasp!), so being the responsible teacher that I am, I bought the book and I read it in two days. Kudos to those teachers who chose a book that will offer my students so many chances to THINK! And, thanks to DonorsChoose, each of my darlings will have their very own copy, and believe me, that is exciting!
The best part of GRA is that my students are going to realize that a lot of people, all over the world, enjoy reading. I believe reading this book will destroy the misconception that reading is boring. Reading will become cool again.:) Visions of my students actively involved in discussions with students all over the world makes me delirious with joy. Giving them a chance to have their opinions heard, as they respond to the opinions of others, makes me, happy. 🙂
I have already connected with a teacher. She and I skped a few days ago and excitedly, (I know I am overusing that word) shared ideas. Another plus to GRA. I am growing my PLN, and who knows who else I will meet on this journey? Pernille has set up an Edmodo group for the teachers and one for the students. I can’t wait to check out what our kids talk about among themselves!
Anyway, this newbie is excited thrilled! My class will read aloud, globally, and realize there is a world outside of New Castle, DE that they can explore!
Lisa Mims
5th grade teacher
New Castle, Delaware
Lisa Mims
5th grade teacher
New Castle, Delaware
A Veteran Shares Why They Joined GRA Again
My 4th grade class participated in the first Global Read Aloud during the fall of 2010 to help my 4th graders expand their world.
We read The Little Prince along with the other classes. We first posted comments to our Kidblog. We connected on Twitter and TodaysMeet with a classroom in Canada. My students were thrilled to learn about this other country, even though the city these other students were in was not that far away.
The students were excited for our read aloud each day. They drew pictures of the Prince’s journey and their favorite part. We created an Animoto of these images. We also created a Voice Thread to share our favorite part of the book. We posted this information on my school website for parents and the Global Read Wiki. My students put many higher level thinking skills to use while doing these projects. They had to express themselves to others without face-to-face connections, yet they knew others seeing their work had read the same book.
After The Little Prince, we continued to connect with other classrooms while reading two other books. We used Edmodo, Wikis, and Skype. This really solidified the concept of expanding their world outside our small town in northeast Wisconsin.
With this valuable experience my students were exposed to quality literature and held a 21st century book talk with other students. When asked at the end of the year, their participation in the Global Read Aloud was one of their favorite experiences of the year.
Participating again in 2011, I hope to have my new class connect outside the United States again. I want them to expand their ability to use Web 2.0 skills with Edmodo, Twitter, and Voice Thread. I also want the chance to have face-to-face connections using Skype. I would highly recommend getting involved in the Global Read Aloud.
Debbie Burmeister
Grade 4 Teacher
Neenah, Wisconsin
Twitter@Burmieland
We read The Little Prince along with the other classes. We first posted comments to our Kidblog. We connected on Twitter and TodaysMeet with a classroom in Canada. My students were thrilled to learn about this other country, even though the city these other students were in was not that far away.
The students were excited for our read aloud each day. They drew pictures of the Prince’s journey and their favorite part. We created an Animoto of these images. We also created a Voice Thread to share our favorite part of the book. We posted this information on my school website for parents and the Global Read Wiki. My students put many higher level thinking skills to use while doing these projects. They had to express themselves to others without face-to-face connections, yet they knew others seeing their work had read the same book.
After The Little Prince, we continued to connect with other classrooms while reading two other books. We used Edmodo, Wikis, and Skype. This really solidified the concept of expanding their world outside our small town in northeast Wisconsin.
With this valuable experience my students were exposed to quality literature and held a 21st century book talk with other students. When asked at the end of the year, their participation in the Global Read Aloud was one of their favorite experiences of the year.
Participating again in 2011, I hope to have my new class connect outside the United States again. I want them to expand their ability to use Web 2.0 skills with Edmodo, Twitter, and Voice Thread. I also want the chance to have face-to-face connections using Skype. I would highly recommend getting involved in the Global Read Aloud.
Debbie Burmeister
Grade 4 Teacher
Neenah, Wisconsin
Twitter@Burmieland
So You’ve Joined GRA – Now What?
First we wait, because this project does not really start until September 19th when you should crack open the book you are reading and start to read. We have set a schedule which can be seen on our wiki so follow that because you don’t want to be behind or ahead. That seems to diminish the experience. You choose when you read but get it done within the week.
I read aloud every day to my students but during the read aloud we take some extra time to work with the text. We predict, we dig deeper and then we start to ponder and analyze. My students blog about their predictions and their thoughts on quotes from the books. One student’s thoughts from last year here can be viewed here.
Edmodo is used by the kids more informally to connect with other students. Often teachers ask a question and all of the students in the group can respond. Kids will then branch out and ask their own questions and get connected that way to. Give the kids time to play on Edmodo and you will see them reaching out beyond you.
Twitter seems to be a great place to connect with a couple of people and to start to plan. We have a hashtag #GLREAD11 – use it to connect with others participating and set up times to work with them.
Skype needs to be planned by you. I hope to have people Skype in and read aloud for us, but I would also love to discuss predictions with another group of kids somewhere. If you would like to Skype with me, please let me know, I don’t have anyone lined up yet. On our wiki we also have a Skype page where you can establish a connection.
Speaking of our wiki, this is where you can showcase your students’ work. Last year we scanned pictures, we created Animoto’s and VoiceThread and put them all on the wiki for others to view and comment on. This was just another way for students to connect. I would often start our morning showing them something on our wiki to get them excited. We now have a Teacher’s Help page on our wiki where people can share their activities and resources to inspire others, please add your ideas.
You decide what you want to do with this. The expectation is simple; your students should share the read aloud with other students. However you want to accomplish this is up to you. Some people have unlimited time, others very little, so make it your own. It should not be stressful, it should be a unique opportunity for you and your classroom. Reach out, connect, ask questions – I am here to guide anyone through that needs it. I am almost always available, particularly before the year starts on Sept 1st for me.
An Idea that Spreads – Say Hello to our French Version…
2024 Update: The French Version can now be found here
ENGLISH FOLLOWS
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An idea that is spreading.
The idea of transmitting the love of reading to our students is present in all of us. This desire is an essential value in education; whatever the age, origin or mother tongue of our students, the means to achieve this, to motivate each and every one of them are multiple. You may already be using some that allow students to share and enrich their reflections in collaboration with their classmates. With the power of the 2.0 mode web and its ability to interact globally, this sharing opportunity becomes borderless; we can now exchange our ideas, opinions and appreciations with the entire planet in just a few clicks.
The idea of creating a global reading circle transcends these concepts. Ms. Pernille Ripp, the instigator of the Global Read Aloud Project, has managed to merge the latter in a simple and meaningful way, creating a space for sharing that goes beyond the borders and brings students around the world together. same project: a world-wide reading (literary translation by Global Read Aloud).
The idea attracted more than forty classes from around the world last year for its first edition. This year, it already joins more than 200 classes all over the planet; from the United States to Australia, via Italy and Korea. The participation in the project explodes for its second edition.
The idea has made its way into the English-speaking world community and has just broken through the barriers of language; I have the privilege to announce to you the creation of the francophone penchant of the project: To play Lire le Monde!
Ripp’s idea spread across borders and across cultures and now spreads language-wise, bringing together children around the world around a common literary project.
Join us to discover and read two great literary works!
François Bourdon
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An idea that spreads.
The idea of transmitting the love of reading to our students is present in all of us. This desire is a core value in education, regardless of age, origin or mother tongue of our students, the means to achieve it, to motivate each and every one are numerous. You are already doing this, and you are doing so with their classmates. With the power of web 2.0 and its global interactivity capacity, sharing this opportunity is without borders, we can share our ideas, our views and assessments with the entire planet in a few clicks.
The idea of creating a global book club goes beyond these concepts. Pernille Ripp, the instigator of the Global Project Read Aloud, managed to merge them into a simple and meaningful way, creating a shared space that goes beyond the borders of a project.
The idea has attracted over forty classes around the world last year for its first edition. This year, there are already over 200 classes signed up around the world, from the United States to Australia, passing by Italy and Korea. Participation in the project exploded in its second edition.
The idea has gained ground in the English-speaking world and has just crossed the barriers of language. I am privileged to announce the creation of the French version of the Project: Listen Read the World!
Ms. Ripp’s idea has spread across borders and across cultures, and now goes beyond languages, bringing together children from around the globe to a common literacy project.
Join us to learn and read two excellent literary works!
To see Francois Bourdon’s website go here
To join this project for more information go to the wiki
It Started With an Idea
This project started with an idea, as most things do in life, and yet this idea in particular resonated deep within me. It brought together two passions; the love of books and a love of global citizenry, the notion of creating global citizens in my classroom. And yet for this cautious teacher from idea to reality was quite a leap of faith. When you publish an idea to the world chances are no one will listen. And what may be so important to me may be nothing to others. And yet this idea found people who became just as passionate about it as I am .
So the Global Read Aloud was created and it survived it first year with more than 40 classrooms actively connecting. And they loved it and more importantly, the students loved it. So this year, it is a little bit bigger, a little bit changed; two books rather than one, and yet the heart of the idea remains: One shared read aloud – one global connection.
So join me and more than 200 other classrooms this fall as we embark on another global read aloud. You choose how much time you dedicate, you choose how you would like to connect. Share the world of books with your students as they realize that all around the world children are discovering the same book. Share the love of listening to incredible books being read aloud and for the love of questions. We have made it easy for you to participate, all you have to do is take a small leap of faith with us. Welcome.
Why Did I Join?
This past week, I attended the summer reading institute led by the Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University. One of the main parts of the reading workshop model they talked about is having students engage in book clubs. As we had a chance to participate in our own book club during the conference, I was reminded of how meaningful it was when I could talk to others about the book I was reading. I was excited to hear other peoples’ thoughts, interpretations and questions about the book.
The Global Read Aloud project is so exciting because it creates an international book club for our classes. My fifth grade students from Seoul, Korea will be able to talk, discuss, and share with students from all over the world about Tuck Everlasting. Thanks to the Internet, we can connect to classrooms thousands of miles away, something that I could never imagine doing when I was in fifth grade. This project makes the reading that we do in class more meaningful and relevant for the students. They will have an authentic audience of other students to share their reading with.
Another huge reason that I joined is for myself as an educator. I am thrilled about this opportunity to collaborate with educators from all over the world. It’s not often you can say that you helped plan a global read aloud with talented teachers from outside your school, district, state and country! It is always encouraging to work with other teachers who will put in extra time to plan, write posts, upload videos, leave comments, take photos, and more because of our passion for learning and teaching.
I can’t wait for this project to start with our students in September. I just bought a copy so that I can reread the book again over the summer before school starts. I think the last time I read it was when I was in fifth grade. I hope you and your students will join us on this global journey!
The Big Reveal – Which Books Will We Read Aloud
So finally the books have been decided and I am happy to announce the choices for the Global read Aloud 2011.
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| Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt |
and
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| Flat Stanley series by Jeff Brown |
So join us for this 4-week event as we share one read aloud and connect globally through our shared experience. More information will come as to how you can connect and how you can share. But for now, get excited. We have our books and now the planning can begin.
To join, please sign up here and you can also join our Google group if you would like to be behind the scenes more on this project.
Why I Joined This Project
Since I joined Twitter a few months ago, I have quickly seen the value in connecting with educators from around the world. I would like my students to have some of the same opportunities. The Global Read Aloud Project seems to me like a great vehicle for these connections. Beginning with a common framework of the same book, many classes of students will have the opportunity to interact with other students. Whether the interactions are discussion groups through chat or Skype, reading each other’s blogs, or any other option, the chance to learn and interact with other people outside our local community is highly valuable to me. I hope that you’ll consider joining this project and learning with right along with the over one hundred people who have already signed up.
The Global Read Aloud 