I created this list of questions a year or two ago as I thought about the idea that a digital reading or writing workshop was not about one unit of study or the idea of letting kids read ereaders. That as we figure out how the whole idea of reading has expanded, are we making rooms for all kinds of reading in our classrooms. I revisited this list last week as I am thinking about the ways in which my students use digital tools and the ways in which they are growing as readers and writers. Definitely questions I'll come back to that help me think about the messages I am giving students about what counts as reading these days. As always, I feel pretty good when I ask myself a few of these questions and with others, I have work to do.
What role do digital texts have in
your reading workshop?
Read
Aloud
Do I choose to read aloud only texts from traditional
books or do I share digital texts, audio books, blog posts, etc. during read
aloud?
Do we use web resources such as author websites and book
trailers to help us dig deeper into the book we are reading?
Do I read aloud from websites and blogs?
Do I utilize keyword tags, comments, links, and search
features while reading aloud?
Independent Reading/Reading Conferences
Do we use online resources for book previewing and book
selection?
Do I limit students' independent reading to traditional
books or do they have a variety of options for their reading time? Do I
place equal value on reading on e-readers, reading websites, reading short
pieces, etc. as I do on reading traditional books?
Do I help my students use online tools to support their
lives as readers? Do I value annotation tools, bookmarking tools, RSS feeds,
etc. as part of my readers lives? Do I model these tools in minilessons?
Do I introduce digital pieces and discuss digital
reading when conferring with students?
Have I updated my reading interview to include questions
about digital reading?
Do students have ways to add a social component to their
lives as readers? Are they connected to others because of their reading?
Reading Minilessons
Do I use digital pieces, as well as traditional texts
when teaching minilessons?
Do I rely completely on traditional text or do I use
film clips, blog entries, podcasts, etc. when planning minilessons?
Do I share process in my minilessons? Do I tend to share
process only as it relates to creating text-based pieces?
Do I teach minilessons that are universal, regardless of
format of piece?
Do I share my own process, consuming and composing
in several types of media?
Do I use minilesson time to demonstrate tools tools that
support deeper reading with a variety of texts?
Shared Reading
Have I reflected on the resources I rely on for Shared
Reading?
Do I include web reading and viewing when thinking about
Shared Reading experiences?
How can I include a variety of texts for students to
process through together?
Content Reading
Have I found sources for content reading that go beyond
textbooks and traditional text?
Do I rely on newspapers for talk around current events
or do I tend to focus more on sites like DOGONews, Time for Kids, and other sites that combine text and visual
features?
How am I supporting the importance of visual information in the
content areas?
by Mark Walden was my #bookgapchallenge book that was assigned by Tony Keefer. I enjoyed the book although I did learn that I am not a fan of "assigned books" so being a little bitter as I read did not help. I don't often read plot based adventures so Tony thought this would be a good one for both Katherine and I. I enjoyed it and shared it with my 4th graders right away. It is a good adventure for kids looking for a new series.
by Kadir Nelson is a gorgeous new picture book biography. I love anything by Kadir Nelson and was thrilled to see this new one.
by Ellen Bryan Obed was a huge surprise to me. I LOVED it and wasn't really planning too. I had heard so much about it that I wanted to read it but couldn't figure out what all of the hype was. The book is gorgeous. It is about ice but also about family and tradition and home. The writing is gorgeous. I am not sure this is one kids will pick up on their own but it is definitely one I hope to share--so many possibilities with this as it is a pretty amazing book.
by Eliot Schrefer is a YA book that has been on my TBR stack for a while. I enjoyed it. It is a great story about a teenage girl and a bonobo that she befriends in the Congo.
by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm. I am happy every time a new Babymouse book is published. I ordered two copies of this for my classroom and I am so glad I did. It is busy making its rounds! (And there is a fun little surprise in the book that kids are discovering as they read:-)
by Neil Gaiman is a new picture book that younger kids will enjoy.
by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet is another picture book biography that I am happy to have in my collection.
by Levi Pinfold is becoming a new favorite. Every time I read it, I love it a little bit more. This is definitely one I'll share with kids in the next few weeks as we talk about theme. Such a sweet story with a big message.
by Kylene Beers and Bob Probst. I am trying to take my time so I can take it in. If I speed through it, I am afraid I will miss some of the brilliant things the authors say. This is definitely a must-read for teachers in grades 4-12. Lots of important thinking here.
. I ordered it immediately because Larry knows books and I started it yesterday. Love it so far but a little worried about having started it. I don't have much reading time this week and this is not one I want to drag out! I'd love to sit all day and read it cover to cover but I know I can't.
Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth
Teammates
