Podcasts about booksnaps

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful.Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Publishing for DBC, Inc.Tara's ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change, keep social-emotional learning at the heart of our work, and encourage others to Cannonball In and fulfill their true potential!Key Takeaways:R = RelatableE = Exposing VulnerabilityA = ApproachableL = Continuously LearningBeing real is the most important thing we can do, but one of the rarest things we find in people today. We are constantly surrounded by the world wanting us to be something other than we are or striving to show the world we fit in.We need to make sure we take all our experiences in life and continue to learn from them.Being relatable is about making other people feel as if they belong and that their situation is not unique to them in the broader sense.Leaders who are real actually value knowing about other people's experiences and having a deeper understanding of who others are as individuals.When we expose our vulnerability it sends a clear message to others and makes them comfortable in sharing theirs with us.It helps everyone belong.Our words matter more than we understand. Or we do understand and in an effort to deal with that pressure we brush it aside.Everyone should be treated as if they are a puzzle piece that belongs to part of the bigger picture.Cannon balling.Stay in Touch:Website and Links to Connect!SEEing to Lead Extras!Like the content, want to be a guest, or know someone who would? Reach out to me on Twitter at @DrCSJonesHave you taken the time to order and read my latest book!Seeing to Lead is filled with practical resources and personal stories to help you support, engage, and empower those you lead no matter your position!Jimmy Casas said, "If you are a leader who is looking to support, engage and empower your staff, then SEEing to Lead, by Dr. Chris Jones, is a book you will want to pick up and read. Dr. Jones reminds us that building capacity and helping others achieve personal success is the key to elevating your organization and leaving a lasting impact."Get your copy here! Don't forget to leave a rating and review for others. I would appreciate it!Subscribe to My Newsletter!We are all busy, often unsupported, and struggle to stay engaged! Here is a weekly resource that has something to support, engage, and empower you. Not to mention it saves you time by getting to the point! Increase your focus and become a better leader; no matter your position. Check it out here!Get in touch to schedule me for a workshop or presentation!Don't forget to hit the subscribe button on this podcast and leave a rating so others can benefit!

I'm joined by the amazing author of Be Real:Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, Tara Martin.  Tara is not only a DBC Inc. author, but she also works with me at DBC Inc full time, is an incredible keynote and workshop speaker, a fitness advocate and coach, and just so much more. We discuss the origin story of our friendship, #BookSnaps, how to foster powerful relationships through exposing vulnerability, her fitness journey, body-shaming in social media, setting goals, taking risks...all the things!! Read my foreword to Tara's book as referenced in the show RIGHT HERE!Connect with Tara and all of her cool resources on Tara's website.Find Tara on TwitterAnd here is Tara on InstagramShare the show on social media using the #DaveBurgessShow hashtag!! 

Tara Martin joins us to share what profound gratitude means to her and she reveals the best advice that her dad gave her. T inspires us to overcome fear, inner-critic, outer-critics, all the barriers we face when we're trying to take a risk and do something new. Shoutouts to her dad, Mrs. S, Dave Burgess, Dr. Devin, Dr. D., her husband, her son and, of course, her puppy. Transcript available here. About Our Guest: Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc. Website: tarammartin.com Twitter: @TaraMartinEDU Instagram: @tarammartin.real About Lainie: Lainie Rowell is an educator, international consultant, podcaster and TEDx speaker. She is the lead author of Evolving Learner and a contributing author of Because of a Teacher. Her latest book, Evolving with Gratitude, was just released. An experienced teacher and district leader, her expertise includes learner-driven design, community building, online/blended learning, and professional learning. Learn more at linktr.ee/lainierowell. Twitter - @LainieRowell Instagram - @LainieRowell Evolving with Gratitude the book is now available! Purchase here! You can also get bulk orders for your staff (10 copies or more) at a discounted price! Just fill out the form linked below and someone will get back to you ASAP! bit.ly/ewgbulkdiscount

I am joined by Tara Martin an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc. You can connect with Tara at http://www.tarammartin.com/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pixelclassroom/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pixelclassroom/support

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, speaker, and author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In. Tara thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo! She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach, a district administrator, and the director of media and communications for Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc. As the founder of #BookSnaps, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Twitter: @TaraMartinEDU Website --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bigedidea/message

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful.Tara is the author of the inspirational book,Be REAL: Educate from the Heartand Cannonball In,a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc.Tara's ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change, keep social-emotional learning at the heart of our work, and encourage others to Cannonball In and fulfill their true potential!Expertise:K-12 EducationLeadership & RelationshipsInstructional CoachingCreativity & Innovation21st Century Learning & TechnologyTeacher & Youth MotivationSocial-Emotional LearningOvercoming Adversity

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc. Tara's ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change, keep social-emotional learning at the heart of our work, and encourage others to Cannonball In and fulfill their true potential! Show Notes / Resources: Twitter - @TaraMartinEDU Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tarammartin.real/ Website - http://www.tarammartin.com/ Be REAL: Educate from the Heart : https://www.amazon.com/Be-REAL-Educate-Tara-Martin/dp/1946444901 Cannonball In : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1949595641/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1 The Real Journey Show Podcast - https://www.tarammartin.com/podcast/ YouTube - Keep it Real with Tara https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8Fvq6vhxHplySiiRztTQQ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/untitledpc/message

This week Brett talks to Tara Martin, an educator, admin, coach, speaker, author, and founder of BookSnaps. Tara explains what being “R.E.A.L.” means and how to be REAL while using technology during remote learning. She wrote a book called “Cannonball In,” about her philosophy in life.

In this week's episode, Tara M Martin reminds us to be "R.E.A.L." as educators, even in a remote setting, by putting our relationships first. We discuss the need for and applicability of this message across all levels of our educational system, particularly in the present moment, so join us as we discuss strategies such as humble inquiry, #Booksnaps, being the mirror holder, and more.   You can access many of the coaching resources Tara mentions in the pod, including her #Booksnaps idea, by accessing her blog at http://www.tarammartin.com/  

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual’s REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc. Tara recently launched her own podcast, The Real Journey Show. Tara’s ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change, keep social-emotional learning at the heart of our work, and encourage others to Cannonball In and fulfill their true potential! In this episode, we engage in a deep conversation about how Tara champions for so many that she serves including those who read and hear her message about being real and cannonballing in as well as the authors she serves in her role at DBC Inc. I loved hearing about how Dave Burgess was her champion to get that first book published, and she shares vulnerably and lovingly about two educator champions who had a significant impact in her own life. I loved every part of this conversation and you can hear me get emotional at the end from her insights. What an honor to share with you Tara Martin’s Champion story. Connect with Tara: Tara on Twitter Tara’s Website Be REAL by Tara Martin Cannonball In by Tara Martin The Real Journey by Tara Martin Podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/inawepodcast/message

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national keynote speaker and author of "BE Real: Educate from the Heart" and "Cannonball In."  Tara Martin thrives on change and is an educational disrupter.  She has been a classroom teacher, instructional coach, district administrator, and is the founder of #BookSnaps, and loves making learning fun and meaningful.  Currently, she's the PR and Communication Director at Dave Burgess Consulting.  Tara's ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change and keep social-emotional learning at the heart of education.  In this episode, Tara talks about being REAL and her experiences as a middle schooler. Later, Desi joins Macey and Macie to discuss how you can be your authentic self in every situation. CONNECT WITH ​Tara Martin: ​FACEBOOK TWITTER INSTAGRAM **Award Winning Culture is Sponsored by: PBIS Rewards Follow Award Winning Culture : Twitter Instagram Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on iTunes Apple Podcasts...

Students always on Snapchat? Harness their love of the app with #booksnaps, a powerful reading comprehension strategy that brings annotation into the 21st century, whether students use Snapchat, Google Slides, Flipgrid, Seesaw, or some other program to create their snaps. In this podcast episode, learn how booksnaps came to be and how to use them with Tara Martin, their creator.

#EduDuctTape Mini 002 #EduDuctTape -- EduDuctTape.com -- @JakeMillerTech -- JakeMiller.net -- JakeMillerTech@gmail.com Tara Martin TaraMMartin.com - @TaraMartinEDU (Twitter) - tarammartin.real (Instagram) Recorded on location at #TeachBetter19 - teachbetterconference.com 11.8.19   Ways to Support the Show or Connect with Jake & other Duct Tapers!  Apple Podcast Reviews FlipGrid.com/EduDuctTape #EduDuctTape on social media Telling your friends & colleagues The Duct Tapers Facebook Group - facebook.com/groups/ducttapers Thanks to The Mighty Ducts! Alex Oris, Amy Huckaby, Angela Green, Benjamin Voss, Brandy New, Dan Stitzel, David Allan, Jennifer Conti, Joshua Hough, Kimberly Wren, Lisa Marie Bennett, Matt Meyer, Melinda Vandevort, Melissa Van Heck, Molly Klodor, Nanci Greene, Pam Inabinett & Sarah Kiefer! The JakeMillerTech Newsletter - Sign up! jakemiller.net/newsletter Tara’s BookSnaps resources & examples: TaraMMartin.com/booksnaps

How often do you go to a professional development session or conference and, although you may be inspired, you don’t act on the message? This week’s guest, Tara Martin, and I provide ways to increase the professional development experience, find avenues of Inspiration and she shares her crazy story of how social media changed her career completely. We are diving into the topic of professional learning and I’m so excited to have Tara Martin back on the Aspire Podcast!  In this Episode, we discuss:The Power of Conferences Social Media Learning Twitter Chats, Book Snaps and Presenting  Student, Classroom, and District PD Impact  #dbcPIRATEcon 2020 Conference About Tara Martin:Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently as a district administrator who lead district staff and school communities to meet the curriculum and instructional needs of the student body. Tara also mentored and supervised instructional coaches and provided job-embedded professional development for certified and classified staff. She is a well-rounded educator. Tara is a passionate educator who speaks at various conferences to invigorate teachers, administrators, and staff members to apply instructional practices that foster creativity, personalize learning and increase student engagement. She is passionate about discovering the neuroscience behind instructional strategies and believes individualizing adult learning will enhance their ability to flourish and empower students to be the key drivers of their education. Martin is a connected leader who continually strives to grow professionally. She is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant and meaningful. In fact, she is the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy that utilizes Snapchat for EDU-awesomeness, and has taken the world by force in less than two years! Currently, schools in seventeen different countries have embraced #BookSnaps to increase student engagement and reading comprehension. Tara is an inspirational speaker and author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart. She firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual’s REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents and life experiences of every human. Tara’s ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change and to motivate others to become the best they can be, all while staying REAL and yet never reaching a plateau. Follow Tara Martin:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraMartinEDU (https://twitter.com/TaraMartinEDU) Website: http://www.tarammartin.com/ (http://www.tarammartin.com/) Connect with Joshua StamperContact: https://joshstamper.com/contact/ (https://joshstamper.com/contact/) Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Joshua__Stamper (www.twitter.com/Joshua__Stamper) Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/joshua__stamper (www.instagram.com/joshua__stamper) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-stamper/ (www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-stamper) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AspirePodcast (https://www.facebook.com/AspirePodcast) Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aspire-the-leadership-development-podcast/id1384210762?mt=2 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aspire-the-leadership-development-podcast/id1384210762?mt=2) Join the ConversationMy favorite part of recording a podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on social media and in our comments section. Please use the #AspireLead hashtag as you continue the conversation on social media.  If you’ve gotten any value from this show at all, please subscribe and leave a rating and review wherever you’re listening. The ranking of this show is 100% tied to subscriptions and reviews. You can help us reach more school leaders by subscribing to the show and leaving an honest

In Season 3 Episode 3, Tara Martin, author, keynote speaker, BookSnaps creator, and incredible educator, joins Tori Cameron. Tara and Tori talk about coaching educators, the process of writing a book, the educator-journey, advice to first-year teachers, building relationships with students, social emotional learning, mental health for students and staff, and creating lessons where students will learn and practice life skills. This is an incredibly powerful episode and we encourage listeners to "Cannonball In" and have a listen!

In Episode 18 Scott interviews Tara Martin - the BookSnaps creator! Tara shares her philosophy of taking risks and what it means to cannonball in. Follow Tara Martin at @TaraMartinEDU and her website www.tarammartin.com Tara is the author of Be Real and Cannonball In books. You can also find Tara this coming Summer at the DBC Pirate Con Event: An Adventurous, Uncommon PD Experience happening in San Diego on June 12-14, 2020 - more info at http://bit.ly/dbcpiratecon We are the TNT Edtech Podcast, and now we are powered by CUE (@cueinc), www.cue.org! Introduction provided by @erinkster with TurnItIn check out tntedtech.com for show notes

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator. As the founder of #BookSnaps, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful. In this episode, Tara shares how she inspires educators to discover their unique strengths and talents. She also shares some of her favorite technology tools in the classroom. You can find Tara Martin on Twitter @TaraMartinEDU.

TARA MARTIN is an educator, administrator, coach, and speaker. She’s also the founder of #BookSnaps, the @DBC_Inc Media & Communications Director, and author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart. In our conversation, Tara shares about a tragedy that struck her family during her very first year of teaching, and describes the difficult journey and surprising breakthroughs that followed as a result. She explains the mission behind her book, Be REAL, and gives me some practical advice about how to utilize BookSnaps in my laptop classroom. Tara also talks about her work with Dave Burgess Consulting, offers some hints about the 2020 conference, describes how she stays productive, and points to some of the key voices and influences that shape her thinking and inspire her practice today. Connect with Tara: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaraMartinEDU On her blog: tarammartin.com On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarammartin.real/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taram.martin.1 On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu8Fvq6vhxHplySiiRztTQQ Visit https://teachersonfire.net/ for all the show notes and links from this episode! Connect with Teachers on Fire podcast on social media: On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachersonfire/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeachersOnFire/ On LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/TimWCavey On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDPjkAn7lZb-rahyVDttKA Song Track Credits Intro: Stand Up (by Mike Cosmo -- license purchased at https://taketones.com/) Outtro: Bluntedsesh4 (by Tha Silent Partner, courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.org) --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/teachersonfire/support

This week on I Wish I Knew EDU, I’m talking to Tara Martin (@TaraMartinEDU) about Be Real: Educate from the Heart, #BookSnaps, the need to amplify, moving from dreamer to doer and “Cannonballing in.”

Curious how to get your readers thinking deeper about the text? Try having them create a BookSnap! Tune in to learn how.

KIMBERLY SNODGRASS is a 7th grade ELA teacher. She advocates for creative thinking, BookSnaps, Sketchnotes, Edu GIFS, and other creative ways for students to represent their learning. In our conversation, Kim recalls the challenge of beginning a high school teaching assignment with a lot of preparation required and next to no experience in education. She credits this period with allowing her to learn the art of teaching without preconceived ideas or the pressure of textbook mentality. Kim talks about the importance of staying hungry as an educator, cultivating creativity and critical thinking in the classroom, and engaging regularly with other education thinkers. She also passes on some solid recommendations for books to read, educators to follow on Twitter, edtech tools to try in the classroom, and much more. Follow Kim online here: TW: https://twitter.com/KimSnodgrass Class blog: https://kimsnodgrass.weebly.com/ https://teachersonfire.net/ https://twitter.com/TeachersOnFire --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/teachersonfire/support

Tara M. Martin joins the pod this week to explore a fun and creative, alternative way to annotate, #Booksnaps. In this episode, Tara shares her story that led to the creation of #Booksnaps, she delves into the brain research that supports #Booksnaps as a viable educational strategy, and she and... Read More

This week, I am so happy to be joined by Tara Martin, a district administrator in Kansas, the founder of the #BookSnaps movement and author of the new book, “Be Real: Educate from the Heart”.

Google News and Updates Bringing online safety education programs to UK schools Providing more comprehensive results to your questions in Search Capture more of your favorite moments with Google Clips Google.org and StoryWeaver feed a hunger for reading Featured Content The Guide to Keeping Up with Google Part 1 – The #Google Hashtag Dictionary Part 2 – Twitter Part 3 – Who & What to Follow on Google+ Part 4 – Google+ Communities Google Educator Groups Part 5: Blogs Keeping Up with Google: The One Blog to Rule Them All! The Keyword Blog G Suite Updates Blog @GSuiteEDUHelp Twitter account Google for Education EDU in 90 YouTube channel Google for Education Facebook page Google Teacher Tribe Mailbag Kathleen Mathis (Annandale, Virginia) shared, I wanted to offer two ideas that tie in to your bell ringer tips in Episode 43. Now that my school is 1:1, I have my students do warm-ups in an interactive journal using Google Slides. It used to take me forever to grade their paper journals and I always dreaded it...until this year. I now collect the online "journals" once a quarter and I use the Doctopus add-on with a Goobric to grade them. This has saved me a lot of time AND increased how much feedback I'm able to give them. Win win! Also, I've used their bell-ringer/warm-up journals to review vocabulary words. I randomly assigned students a vocabulary word and asked them to find an image that show the words meaning. Next, students put their slides in presentation mode, then do a gallery walk. As they view each other's work, they write down the vocabulary word they think is being depicted on a sticky note next to each laptop. When students return to their seat, they'll know whether their picture sufficiently showed their assigned word's meaning based on their peer's anonymous feedback. Plus, it gets them up and moving. :) Tyler Osborne from Canada - Quick tips and keyboard shortcuts via Speakpipe Allison Gerken and her students are sharing Booksnaps on Twitter and Seesaw! Library Chrome Extension recommendation from Noah Geisel lets you know if a book is available at the library: This chrome extension lets you know if the book you're about to buy is avail at the local library!!! https://t.co/uRPjSOhF0D h/t @bhwilkoff cc #gttribe #gsuiteedu @StackupScore — Noah Geisel (@SenorG) February 13, 2018 On The Blogs Matt - The 30-Day PIRATE Challenge and Kim Snodgrass’s PIRATE hook lessons on Twitter Kasey - 350+ Google Classroom Tips and Resources [shortcode-variables slug="signature"]

Google News and Updates Doodle for Google submissions close on March 2 Applied Digital Skills Pilot Applications Open (due by March 15) New ways to comment on Microsoft files (and more) in Google Drive Email members of a Team Drive Improving the menus in Google Docs editors Featured Content 10 digital bell-ringer activities to kickstart class (Part 1) 10 MORE digital bell-ringer activities to kickstart class (Part 2) Student-created Booksnaps by Amanda Funk Reuse Google Slide Deck in the About Tab for Bell Ringers Collaborative Meme Template from Alice Keeler Reuse Google Form for Bell Ringer from Alice Keeler 3-2-1 3 Things You Learned Yesterday 2 Things You Can Teach 1 Question that is Still Lingering Using Pear Deck for Warm-ups with Google Slides Add-On (see episode 40) Resources Google Teacher Tribe Mailbag Editing topics after posting an assignment in Google Classroom: alright here’s one for the #GTTribe...if I have a past assignment/announcement posted on my #GoogleClassroom stream...I can’t figure out how to move it to a topic to organize it unless I indicated that when I created it..am I out of luck here @jmattmiller ? — Miss Goetz (@miss_goetz) February 14, 2018 Click the three dots menu button and “Edit”, then change the topic here … Possible Answers to Google Classroom Extra Credit Question: @jmattmiller @ShakeUpLearning Could the question of extra credit be solved by having an announcement laying out the EC and then students can request access. Then she can use the individual assign to add the grade only to the relevant students? #GTtribe — Arcadia (@TechWithParson) February 12, 2018 Lyndi Valicek recommends Black Menu extension (SpeakPipe) SpeakPipe answer to login question: Clever QR Code login On The Blogs Matt - Learning in motion: EASY stop-motion animation with Google Slides Kasey - 50 Awesome Apps That Integrate with Google Classroom [shortcode-variables slug="signature"]

Classroom 2.0 LIVE webinar "Snapping for Learning: #Booksnaps and #Gratitudesnaps" with special guest presenter, Tara M Martin. November 4, 2017. Many educators are aware of Snapchat as an app that their teenage children or students are using enthusiastically, but most have expressed concerns about its use. If you are someone who has expressed those concerns you won't want to miss this inspiring, informative presentation by our special guest, Tara M Martin, who has transformed the use of Snapchat into an incredible tool for learning and reflection with her creation of #Booksnaps and #GratitudeSnaps. #BookSnaps help students to connect and draw meaning from the text they are reading, and #GratitudeSnaps help connect with the positive that is in their lives in a meaningful way. Even educators are using these concepts to collaborate in meaningful ways in their own professional learning. Join us as Tara shares her stories and experiences with #Booksnaps and #Gratitudesnaps and learn how you can implement these ideas in your own classrooms whether you use Snapchat or other options such as Google Drawings. Tara M Martin is an enthusiastic educator who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She graduated from Kansas State University with a Master of Science in Educational Leadership, has taught in the classroom several years, served as an instructional coach for four years in two different districts and now works as an innovative Curriculum Coordinator for Auburn-Washburn Public Schools. As a district administrator, she supervises instructional coaches, facilitates district-level professional development concerning curriculum implementation and provides job-embedded training opportunities. Tara’s mission is to invigorate teachers, administrators, and staff members to apply instructional practices that foster creativity, personalize learning and increase student engagement with the use of technology. While working alongside staff members of seven elementary schools, Tara believes individualizing adult learning and meeting her colleagues where they are, will increase their ability to flourish and empower students to be the key drivers of their education. Tara is a passionate educator and connected leader who continually strives to grow professionally. She inspires her international professional learning network, as well as local colleagues, with her blog R.E.A.L. She is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant and meaningful. Tara’s ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change and to motivate others to become the best they can be, all while staying R.E.A.L. and yet never reaching a plateau. https://twitter.com/TaraMartinEDU http://www.tarammartin.com/ http://www.tarammartin.com/booksnaps-snapping-for-learning/ http://www.tarammartin.com/gratitudesnaps/

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom an 8 and 10 year old, and just finishing my first week back to school with my new 5th graders. And….YAWN!  Is there any tured that’s like that first few days of school tired?  I am gonna get some coffee and I’ll be right back…. This is Episode #34 and today I’m talking about studying genre and then I welcome author Danielle Davis to the show to chat about her debut middle grade novel Zinnia and the Bees, and finish up with a question about book recommendations for an advanced 6th grade reader. But before we jump into the show, I want tell you that this month’s episodes are sponsored by WriteAbout.com - a writing community and publishing platform that is just perfect for classrooms. It is incredibly easy to use and set up - and boy am I appreciating that at the beginning of the year!  I am also loving how engaged students are when they see their word count grow. And how that pushes them to write even more. And from my end, I love how I can analyze those word count statistics either as a whole class or filter for individual students.  So, if you’ve been searching for an engaging and authentic way to help your students write every day, definitely go visit WriteAbout.com to check it out. And at the end of the show, I’ll share with you my current favorite feature. Main Topic - Studying Genre As I start our new school year rolling and we are setting up our reading journals and discussing goals, one of the first things we do is have a quick crash course in identifying genres. So today I want to chat with you about why it’s a good idea for students to study genre, which genres to study, the difference between genre and format, and finally I’ll share some ideas and resources to get your students learning more about different genres. Why study genre? So, why study genre? We’ve already got a lot on our plate and a curriculum that is jam packed. Why is it important for students to know the difference between science fiction and fantasy? Or to know a mystery when they see one? Studying genre helps students expand their reading habits and get introduced to genres they might not have tried yet. Studying genre also expands students’ views of each genre and helps them realize that NOT all books in a genre are the same. Not all fantasy is about dragons or set in a medieval world. Some have cats like The Warriors series and some are even set in modern times!  And often, books are a blend of more than one genre - Historical Fiction AND Action-Adventure like the I Survived Series. Or Science Fiction with a twist of Mystery like Space Case. Studying genre helps with comprehension. Knowing how a certain type of book tends to go helps you figure out the plot, make predictions, and pick out themes and delve into character more deeply. For example, if you are reading a Fantasy you’re going to be on the lookout for a quest narrative, special magical objects, maybe a good character who turns out to be bad, and a theme that might be really about Good vs. Evil. If they are picking up a mystery, they’ll want to be searching for clues and twist endings. If reading historical fiction they might be looking for lessons that would resonate today. Studying past turning points helps us figure out who we are. Knowing those common tropes and knowing why those genres are important helps students dig so much deeper and can even change them as a person. And finally, learning about genre helps kids develop their own reading identity and figure out what they really like. Learning the language and vocabulary of genre is important so they have a name for the kinds of stories they want to read and can then go ask for it at a bookstore or the library or when they search online. So if they know that they like Magical Realism, they can ask the clerk to help them find more of those kinds of books.   Last week I was thinking about how the power of knowing the vocabulary can help you find what you like. My ten year old and I have recently been binge-watching A LOT of Project Runway. And I do not have any kind of background in sewing or fashion terms. For me, when I go shopping, I just kind of wing it and know what I like when I put it on. But after watching several seasons of Project Runway in a row you start to pick up the names of various fabrics and cuts and styles. And I realize - a-ha!  I do NOT like high-low hems or mermaid dresses. BUT - that kind of skirt that always seems to look okay on me? That’s an A-line skirt! SO now, when I go shopping and a clerk asks if they can help me, I will say, “Yes! Show me your A-line skirts and dresses, please!”  Basically what I’m saying is knowing the words for what you like is hugely helpful in efficiently getting you more of that. Which genres to study? I tend to focus on how the characters, setting, and plot are all clues to help you figure out the genre. And the fiction genres I focus on are realistic fiction, historical fiction, mystery, action/adventure, traditional literature (like folk tales, tall tales and fairy tales), science fiction, and fantasy. With a strong emphasis on how sometimes they can blend. And I don’t go into depth at 5th grade, but I do mention westerns, horror, and romance. And I’ll tell you - that Science Fiction/Fantasy genre always seems so imperfect.  I mean - a book with talking animals in it. IS that… fantasy? I wouldn’t put Charlotte’s Web with Eragon. So…. we do talk about how there is nuance and fuzziness in those categories and I introduce terms like speculative fiction, paranormal, magical realism and urban fantasy. I don’t expect mastery here. But - if they can read a book like, say, The Seventh Wish. And say things like “Well, it could be realistic fiction because it’s about a typical family in modern times going through real-life challenges but it might be fantasy because the fish gives out magic wishes.” That is what I’m looking for. Not certainty but the ability to have a discussion around genre and recognize the major elements of each one. What’s the difference between genre and format? One of the points of growth for me is really recognizing the difference between genre and format. Poetry and graphic novels are NOT really genres. You can have a novel in verse that is a memoir like Brown Girl Dreaming or realistic fiction, like Moo. And graphic novels span every imaginable genre from traditional literature in Fairy Tale Comics to fantasy in Amulet and science fiction in Hilo to realistic fiction in Roller Girl. And as much as I know that…. I still separate them out because their format does make them so unique. And so many of my students just gravitate toward those graphic novels. So I want to make it easy for them to find. And just last week, after much consideration, I finally caved and shelved Nine, Ten, Towers Falling, Eleven, and the other 9/11 books in historical fiction. (And now I feel really old!) Some ideas & resources We’ll wrap up this segment by sharing a few ideas about how to reinforce the study of genre in your classroom or library or with your kids at home! Here are 6 ideas to get you started: Keep track of those genres on a chart or graph. I have a circle tracker that I love to use that I’ll link to in the shownotes. It’s colorful and flexible and fun! Give students a stack of books and have them sort them by genre or identify the genre if they are all the same. And encourage them to use the vocabulary they’ve learned to back up what they’re saying. And look at the cover and back description of the setting, characters, and plot for those clues. Another way to go is to give them a stack and tell them the genre. And then THEY have to create a definition based on the books in that category. And then they can present to their peers. If you don’t have physical books to use, I’ve cut out pictures and blurbs from Scholastic flyers and you could also have them search a genre category on Amazon or Goodreads. Have students work together to create a genre display. Last year, right around Halloween I had a group of kids work on a mystery/paranormal display for our classroom door.  Kids could also work on a video project or a Google Slideshow to teach others about genre. I used Kahoot last year to reinforce genre and my students loved it! Kahoot is an online quiz site where teachers can create any type of quiz and students log-in with a Chromebook or ipad and take the quiz and get live results together. It’s fun, it’s interactive, and they have really awesome music on that site! Have kids make #BookSnaps highlighting the genre of the books they are reading!  I talked more about #BookSnaps in episode #19 which was all about alternatives to reading logs. But basically, kids take a picture of their book, maybe annotate it with a photo editing tool and post it to social media. So, you could direct them to simply post the cover and name the genre. Or you could ask them to find some evidence inside the book to back up why they think that book fits the criteria for that genre. And take a picture of page that offers a clue and then annotate it to explain. I use SeeSaw for #BookSnaps but older kids might like SnapChat or Twitter. Those are a few things that I have tried and plan to explore this year as I help students grow into self-aware and self-directed readers. But - I know how incredible my listeners are and I am sure you all have some fabulous ideas about how to teach and reinforce genre. Please share them with the rest of us! You can tag me on Twitter or Instagram - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com . And I’ll share out some of your ideas. Interview - Danielle Davis Today I am thrilled to welcome Danielle Davis to the podcast. She is the author of the recently released middle grade novel Zinnia and the Bees. We chat about knitting, composting, and the surprising origins of her novel! Zinnias and the Bees Your debut novel Zinnia and the Bees was just released this month and I am so excited for my students and kids all around the world to meet these characters. For those listening who haven’t yet had a chance to read the book, can you tell us a bit about it?   This is an alternating point of view novel like none other that I have read... How did figure out that you wanted to include the bees’ perspective?   What sort of research did you do to make sure you got those details right?   So, I have to ask about…. KNITTING!   Your Writing Life Your blog is called “This Picture Book Life”. So how did you end up writing middle grade?   How does the final version of Zinnia and the Bees differ from earlier drafts?   What is your ideal writing space like?   What’s next for you - another middle grade or will you venture into Picture Books? Your Reading Life   You read a TON of picture books AND middle grade books!   What drew you to focus mainly on picture books?   Is there a type of story or a genre that others like a lot but you’re just not that into?   What were some of your favorite books as a child?   What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?   Thank You!   Q & A Our third and final segment this week is Question & Answer time. Question: Today’s question was texted to me from a friend at school. She asked, “I have a friend who’s looking for some book recommendations for her going into 6th grade boy. He is an advanced reader and loves sports and music.” Answer: I had five suggestions - Ghost by Jason Reynolds which would appeal to the sports side - plus, it’s just amazing and if they like it, there is the newly released second book called Patina which is just as fabulous! Posted by John David Anderson is also incredible. And Solo by Kwame Alexander which would be great for a kid who likes music. But - that one veers a little more toward YA. So - while I love that book, maybe take a peek at the content and consider waiting maybe a year or two. I also recommended the March graphic novel series by John Lewis. I think that trilogy is so timely and should be read by everyone so I just have to give a push whenever I have the chance. And finally, I Am Drums by Mike Grosso is phenomenal for music lovers. I just loved that book and can’t wait to see what else he writes.   Closing   Alright - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, let me know. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher.   And thanks again to WriteAbout.com for supporting the podcast this month - when you visit their website you’ll find fantastic ideas to get your students writing this year. Some of my favorite features are the feedback tools - including voice recordings for students to get immediate and personal suggestions from you right as they are writing.   Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links:   Danielle Davis’ website: http://www.danielledavisreadsandwrites.com Danielle’s This Picture Book Life: http://thispicturebooklife.com   Zinnia and the Bees Pom Pom Craft: http://thispicturebooklife.com/pom-pom-craft-zinnia-bees-courtesy-sealed-kait/   Zinnia and the Bees: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781623708672   Books & Things Mentioned in the Interview:   Bees: Nature’s Little Wonders by Candace Savage: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781553655312   The Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763679224   The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780142001745   The Girl in the Flammable Skirt by Aimee Bender: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=the+girl+flammable   The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385720960   Alethea’s blog - Read Now Sleep Later: http://www.readnowsleeplater.org Roald Dahl books: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Roald+Dahl   Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780547076805   Du Iz Tak by Carson Ellis: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=Du+Iz+Tak   A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780312367541   The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780679734772   The Red Tree by Shaun Tan: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780968876831   Benjamin Dilley’s Thirsty Camel by Jolly Roger Bradfield: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781930900608   Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly   The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez:  https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780425290408

Intro Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love. I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two girls, a 5th grade teacher, and yeah...starting to have those back to school bad dreams where I’ve arrived at school and I have no lesson prepared or all the furniture has been removed from my room or I’m suddenly teaching Kindergarten! This is Episode #33 and today I’m talking about launching a reading community in those first few weeks of school and then I welcome author Celia C. Pérez to the show to chat about her debut middle grade novel The First Rule of Punk. But first I am excited to tell you that today’s episode is sponsored by WriteAbout.com - a writing community and publishing platform that is perfect for classrooms. If you are like me and are looking for an engaging and authentic way to make sure your students are writing every day, you are absolutely going to want to visit WriteAbout.com to check it out.   My favorite thing right now is the thousands of ideas across various genres and formats to inspire your students to write more and write more thoughtfully. So - at the end of the show, I’ll share with you a few of my favorite writing ideas I found on WriteAbout that will get my students excited about writing about their reading this year. Main Topic - Launching a Reading Community As the summer winds down and I head back to school, I have been thinking a lot about how I want to make this year different. Make it count. Make it matter. And be more focused and intentional about cultivating that reading community from the start. So today I’ll share some thoughts about how to really develop a strong community of readers before school starts, on that first day, and in those first few weeks. Before School Starts Cultivating that new community of readers started this week before I even met my students. I finally got into my classroom this week after our custodians have been busy waxing and cleaning. (Everything revolves around that waxing schedule, right? There was one year I came this close to shimmying through the window to get into my room!) This morning, I was able to walk through the door - so things are good! And before my new 5th graders even step foot into the classroom, there were three things I knew I needed to take care of: Make sure I have scheduled time every day for them to read and for me to read to them. From the very first day. And treat those times as sacrosanct. Make sure they can see themselves in our classroom library. On recent episode (#28 if you want to scroll back in your feed and listen) I talk about the diversity audit that my students did to analyze the books in our library. And over the summer, I have been working on adding a better variety of titles. When I dust off those shelves and put those books in those genre bins and select some enticing titles to feature face out, making sure those books are as diverse as my class and as diverse as their world is crucial. Create those displays that will get them excited about the reading they’ll do this year. In the hallway right before they enter our room, they’ll pass this giant #ClassroomBookADay display that I have been diligently working on. A big shout out to Lori Lewis in the #ClassroomBookADay Facegroup group who shared (for free!) this cool display of polaroid picture templates for each of the 180 books we’ll be reading this year. So I have been cutting and trimming and measuring and tapping and it’s an impressive display and a promise of what’s to come. And as in year’s past, I also create a “My Reading Life” display for the door where I showcase covers of some recent reads and some all-time favorites. And eventually that will be turned over to my students for their own displays. And of course I always have my own “Mrs. Allen is Currently Reading….” chalkboard display. On the First Day That first day is so crucial in setting the right tone and really conveying your priorities by your actions and what you pay attention to.  On the first day of school, I have two goals: Get to know my students as much as possible. Pronounce their names correctly, start to learn their interests and passions and strengths. And start to build that trusting relationship. Because if I am going to ask them to open themselves up and take risks as readers (and writers!) this year, they have to know that I care about them and want to know their authentic self. I want them excited to come back.  Gone are the days when I used to start with an extensive review of the syllabus and grading procedures and setting up the rules. Nope. We are having fun. There will be music and movement and an engineering challenge. And at least one read aloud - probably two! And a chance for them to do some book tastings and exploring what’s available in our classroom library. And - some down time when they can dive into those books and start to build back up that stamina for focused independent reading. During the First Weeks During those first few weeks is when that classroom culture of reading really starts to emerge as routines and relationships are established. Within that first week, I like to give a reading survey to get a sense of their likes and attitudes about reading. This is also really important because a carefully crafted survey can give you great data when you compare the answers to those questions at the end of the year. I used to give a paper one but now I use a Google Form. If you want to take a look at a really good sample, Pernille Ripp has a great one on her site that I will link to for you. But don’t dismiss the power of casual conversation about books during those snippets of time throughout the day like arrival and dismissal and in the hallway. Absolutely share what you are reading but that authentic reading community happens when kids can share with each other their thoughts and feelings and reactions (both good and bad) to that book they brought home last night. A huge part of fostering that reading culture is providing engaging and authentic ways for kids to talk about the books they are choosing to read. The days of me assigning a diorama of Hatchet or a cereal box craftivity about Wonder are done.  So instead, we’ll have book clubs, we’ll write blog posts and share them with a real audience, we’ll use WeVideo to do booktalks and post them on a YouTube channel, we’ll Skype with authors and other classes for the Global Read Aloud, we’ll create #BookSnaps of our favorite parts, and we’ll tweet our favorite lines and tag the author and cross our fingers for a response! And - most importantly - we’ll do even cooler things that are ideas my students bring with them! So - I am so so excited for fantastic year of reflecting and growth and learning with my students and with you. I would love to know how you launch your school year to cultivate a community of readers. You can tag me on Twitter or Instagram - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com . I would love to hear from you. Interview Outline - Celia C. Pérez Today I am really really excited to welcome Celia C. Pérez to the podcast. She is the author of the recently released middle grade novel The First Rule of Punk. We chat about her inspirations for the novel, zines, and The Wizard of Oz! The First Rule of Punk Your debut middle grade novel, The First Rule of Punk, has been getting all kinds of buzz - everyone is talking about this book!  I just cannot wait for the world to meet Malú. Can you tell us a bit about this girl - and a bit about her story? One of the aspects that makes this novel so unique are the zines that are included between some of the chapters. And - I will be honest and tell you that the word “zine” was something I had heard of but the mental image I had was nothing close to the truth. So - for those, like me, who might not be aware... What are zines? And what was your process like for creating the zines that are in The First Rule of Punk? When Malú and her mom move to Chicago, one of the first things they do is scope out and find the neighborhood coffee shop and the neighborhood library. What was your childhood library like? There is this tension between Malú and her mother about how to dress and behave. She thinks her mom wants her to be this ideal Mexican-American “senorita” and Malú want to dress in a more edgy style. Did you feel that cultural tug-of-war in your own family? I noticed this recurring thread of The Wizard of Oz in the book! Are you a fan? I was so intrigued by Malu’s worry dolls - can you tell us a little more about them?   So, I have to ask…. cilantro or no cilantro?   Your Writing Life What were some of the challenges with writing this book? What’s next for you - do you think you’ll stick with middle grade? Your Reading Life What were some of your favorite books as a child? What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked? Thank You!   Closing Okay - that wraps up our show this week. If you have a question or an idea about a topic we should cover, let me know. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show along with all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. And thanks again to WriteAbout.com for supporting the podcast this month - if you head over to their website you’ll find awesome ideas to get your students writing about their reading this year. One of my favorites is: “You have to choose a character from a book you’ve read to lead a group or team you are part of. Who do you choose and why?” (I know who I’d pick!) But I think the prompt I’m going to start with this year is the one called “My Life As A Reader – Memories of Reading” Definitely check that one out when you head over to the WriteAbout site. Thanks again and see you soon!  Bye!   Episode Links: Celia’s website: http://celiacperez.com Witch's Sister by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald J. Sobol The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton Tex by S. E. Hinton Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton That Was Then, This is Now by S. E. Hinton The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora by Pablo Cartaya The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser The Red Velvet Underground: A Rock Memoir, with Recipes by Freda Love Smith The Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling

  In this episode, Kelly interviews, Tara Martin, the originator of #BookSnaps, a super-cool and relevant way to share what you are reading through social media. Tara used SnapChat to get intice young readers to engage meaningfully with books, and now BookSnaps! has become an incredibly popular movement and hashtag on SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and more. Learn how Tara took what she thought was an annoying fad and turned it into an educational opportunity! You going to love this episode. Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. Martin's mission is to invigorate teachers, administrators, and staff members to apply instructional practices that foster creativity, personalize learning and prepare 21st-century learners for success. Check out her latest hashtag #BookSnaps on Twitter.   Mentioned in this episode:    Sponsor an episode of the Wired Educator Podcast!

Intro   Hi and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who loves middle grade books.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two daughters and a 5th grade teacher in Central New York. My goal is to help you find fabulous books for your kids and help create a community where we all can support each other as we build those readers.   This is Episode #19 and today we are discussing ways to get away from reading logs and featuring three incredible science fiction/fantasy graphic novels.   Main Topic - Rethinking Reading Logs   Our main topic today is rethinking reading logs. This topic has been on my mind for a couple of years but I recently got fired up about it again when I came across a great article by Shaelynn Farnsworth called “6 Alternatives to Reading Logs”. (As always, I’ll link to that in the show notes.)   First, we’ll define what a reading log is, chat about why they are popular and sometimes valuable, we’ll discuss some potential problems with traditional reading logs, and then I’ll share eleven great alternatives that you can start using tomorrow.   What is a Reading Log? Traditionally, reading logs are a worksheet where students record the titles of books they’ve read, including a daily tally of minutes or pages. Usually, teachers ask parents to sign them. For example, my 2nd grade daughter has a weekly sheet where she colors in a box for every ten minutes she’s read at home. She writes a reflection on the bottom and we’re supposed to sign it every week. Lately this kind of reading log has gotten some pushback - from both teachers and parents. You probably have an opinion about them.   Why are Reading Logs popular? What’s the purpose and the benefit? Some of it may have to do with teachers just going on autopilot and using practices they are familiar with from colleagues or their own schooling. That’s why I used them for so long. I think also we teachers are looking for tangible evidence that kids are reading and reading outside of school. Also, reading logs are a way to communicate the importance of reading to students and parents and an attempt to get families involved in nightly reading routines. Because many strong readers do record at least some aspects of their reading, and we have this instinct to track habits we want to encourage in ourselves - your eating habits or steps on a Fitbit. Also - sometimes Reading Logs are used to try to motivate kids to read more and to award prizes. I think that can work for short periods of time - we recently had a two week reading challenge at my school where everyone - kids and staff - were challenged to read 100,000  minutes in two weeks. It was quick and fun but not for the whole year. Tracking reading can be a powerful tool when kids know the purpose and it’s for their own reflections and not a “gotcha”. If you want to learn more about some authentic ways to track reading, we covered that in Episode 8. I’ll drop a link to that in the show notes or you can just scroll back down in your app after you’re done with this episode.   What are some downsides to Reading Logs? Reading Logs - especially the year long parent signed minute tracking type can be problematic. You and I know that lots of them are faked. Heck - I’ve even “fudged” my own children’s! Now - to be clear - I didn’t lie about how many minutes she read or faked a signature or added on more time. But sometimes it got to be Sunday night and we’d forgotten to jot down the minutes and so we’d estimate how much she read each night and use different colored pens so it’s not obvious we filled it all in the night before. If I am doing that, you know for darn sure that most families are doing something similar at least some of the time. And if there’s a penalty for not turning them in, it creates a situation where kids are punished for home environments that make it difficult for them to get daily signatures. And it can create contention at home. And I never want reading time to be a battle. Also - when the numbers of minutes or books read are publically displayed with a child’s name attached  - that can be embarrassing for kids. I have a FitBit and I am trying to get in more steps daily. I recognize that my health is important, but I’m not doing great with that yet. Do I want my stats posted all over the walls of the school for everyone to see? No - I do not. So please don’t do that to kids.   What can we do instead? Because responding to reading, signaling the value of reading, and getting students, families, and communities involved in building reading habits are worthy goals. I’m coming at this from a place of wanting to do better myself and specifically to use more technology.  So here are 11 ideas you can start using tomorrow instead of reading logs: Reading Journals Have children keep a journal of their reading instead. Keep it simple and have them record a quick thought about their reading a few times a week and then share. That’s even more powerful if you keep a reading journal, too! Status Updates Do a daily “Status of the Class” where each kid (and yourself) does a quick share of the title, page number and what’s happening in the book they are currently reading. For my class, that’s our daily routine after lunch as kids are getting resettled. Quotes Have students share thought-provoking quotes from their novels or powerful facts from their nonfiction reading on a “Graffiti wall”. Basically you dedicate a white board or put up some black bulletin board paper and get some fun markers and have your class (and you!) mark down your thoughts.  Status of the Class and the Graffiti wall, I think were both originally mentioned in Donalyn Miller’s The Book Whisperer.  If you have not read that book yet, please please go do that before anything else. Books Talks Invite students to give brief book talks sharing and promoting books they’ve recently read. Often, kids are going to listen to their peers more than you. I like this idea because it helps them practice showing excitement about books, and I hope they’ll carry that enthusiasm out into the world and feel more comfortable talking up books with their family and friends because they’ve practiced doing that in the classroom. Blogging Get students blogging about their books and reading lives. There are so many possibilities here: book reviews, top ten lists - or top 3 lists (keep it simple!), drawings, you know those BuzzFeed quizzes that ask you which Harry Potter character are you most like? Students could make their own! There are so many cool things kids could do that if you just put it out into the world with a real audience, their engagement and incentive to actually do deep reading and quality work will go up. For me, this is my main goal the rest of this school year. And I am inspired by fellow teachers who have spoken about the powerful things that happen when outside people and authors comment on those blog posts and engage with their students. Seesaw - I have fallen in love with this app. It’s awesome. Essentially it’s a digital portfolio that students all ages can use. It’s free and kids can get to it on tablets, phones, computers, or Chromebooks. The feed can stay private to your class or be published on a blog. There are SO many ways kids can respond to reading with Seesaw - I’ll just name a few.  They could take a picture of themselves holding their current read and then add an audio clip of them reading aloud a favorite scene. They could snap a picture of a page and annotate it with drawing tools - maybe circling some powerful language or a favorite quote. They could record a video of themselves doing a booktalk. It’s an incredible tool. Social Media Have students share their thoughts about their personal reading on Social Media - whether that’s a class Twitter account, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat - and whatever else is the next new thing! You could have kids snap a pic of the cover of their book and write a 140 character review. Or share a powerful quote. If they have photo editing software or are using Seesaw, they could mark it up and annotate it. In Shaelynn Farnsworth’s article “6 Alternatives to Reading Logs”, she mentions the hashtag #BookSnaps to connect with other readers and for you adults listening - check it out to get some really game-changing ideas. I want to make sure to mention #BookSnap founder Tara Martin - she’s my exciting new Twitter Professional Development find this week so absolutely go follow her and get inspired. Interviews - Students can interview a classmate (or sibling or parent) about a favorite book or a current read. Come up with a couple questions, record the interview in a journal, or record a video, and share. This one takes more time and you probably won’t be to do it everyday but it’s a fun way - maybe every month or every quarter -  to change it up and have kids practice having conversations with each other about books and reading. Online Trackers - Instead of a traditional reading log, have students track their reading on a site like Biblionasium or if their older, Goodreads. These are sites where kids can make recommendations, write reviews, participate in challenges, and really take something boring and dry and turn it into a practice that can last beyond the school year. Book Trailers - This is a huge favorite. Have kids create a video promoting a book they love. If they can share it with a wider audience than just your classroom, even better. Pictures from Parents & Family - A couple weeks ago we had a week long Winter Break at my school. And the day before, I sent an email home asking families to send me a funny or interesting or cozy picture of their kid reading over winter break. I just did it on whim, and honestly - I wasn’t expecting too much. BUT - over break, my email box was flooded with pictures of kids reading in snow forts, reading to their little sister or their puppy - one boy was reading on the ferry with the Statue of Liberty in the background. I was crying over these pictures - I was so moved by how many families embraced this and were joyful about sharing those images with me. Now we are going to take those photos and make a video to promote reading in our school.   I hope that you were also inspired by these ideas and now have a seed of something exciting you want to try in your school or with your kids. Some of these ideas I’ve been doing, but I’m starting to see that any one of them will eventually lose its appeal and it’s good to have a variety so kids can see all different ways that reading can be important in their lives and maybe they’ll carry on one of these ideas on their own. And as always, we are learning together and helping each other out, so please share with us your ideas for alternatives to traditional reading logs.  You can tag me on Twitter, Instagram, and now Facebook - our handle is @books_between or email me at booksbetween@gmail.com and I’d love to share your fabulous ideas. Book Talk - Three Amazing Science Fiction / Fantasy Graphic Novels   In this section of the show, I share with you three books centered around a theme and discuss three things to love about each book. This week is all about the graphic novel - specifically science fiction / fantasy graphic novels. And I can attest - these books are going to be winners in your classroom, library, or home. They are Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi, Hilo by Judd Winick, and the newly released One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale.   Amulet   I am starting with Amulet. I am going to admit that I was slow to the Amulet series and didn’t even have a set in my classroom until this year. I know, I know - how I could have overlooked this series is, in hindsight, beyond me. But at some point last summer a friend chided me saying, “Really, you teach 5th grade and don’t have Amulet in your room?” She was right!  Alright - some background about the plot. The story revolves around a young girl named Emily.  After a horrific family tragedy in which her father dies, she and her younger brother Navin and their mom move to a mysterious house once owned by Emily’s eccentric - and missing - great-grandfather. While cleaning up and investigating the house, Emily and her brother find a powerful amulet, end up trapped in another dimension, and have to save their mother from a gruesome tentacled monster - all while fighting their own monsters along the way. With some help from some unexpected, umm….  creatures. Here are three things to love about Amulet:   The color palette. This is just a gorgeous book to immerse yourself in! There are cool shades of blues and grays, touches of teals mixed with warm ambers and browns and pinks. Like the colors of a hazy sunset over a blue-gray ocean. Just vibrant, rich warm and cool colors playing off each other. The creatures and plants in the Amulet world are COOL. Giant pink parachuting mushrooms, a skulking silver eyed elvish villain, adorable rose colored slugs, a menagerie of weird robots, and an unexpected pink bunny(?) named Miskit. I think he’s a bunny - my students thought he was a robot maybe I’m wrong there.     How completely Amulet sucks kids in. When I was basically TOLD to get this series for my students, I had planned to read book one first. Uh - no. They immediately snagged it from me and from there every book in the series was passed from kid to kid to kid - this web of children all connecting around this one incredible story. At one point in my class, over half my students were reading an Amulet book. It’s one of those moments in your class when you see them forming a community of readers and it just makes your heart sing. So - finally, last week, most of my class was far enough into the series that book one, which is called The Stonekeeper by the way, was finally available. I took it home before anyone could snag it again. And my 9 year old swiped it from the coffee table. And my 7 year old snatched it after that. Honestly, it’s a miracle I’ve gotten to finish the thing!   Amulet is clearly a must-have graphic novel for any classroom library grades 3-8. It’s kind of like a mix between Journey to the Center of the Earth and Zita the Space Girl. And - a bit of advice. Don’t even bother just getting book one - get the whole series because you and your kids won’t be able to stop.   Hilo   Our next science fiction graphic novel is Judd Winick’s Hilo. This is a fun, fast-paced, sometimes wonderfully silly series of three books (so far!) about a young kid named DJ who discovers a robot boy, called Hilo, who fell to earth. And DJ and his friend, Gina, have to help this kid figure out who he is and what he’s doing on Earth. And of course - have awesome adventures fighting off menacing robots. My kids and my students really enjoy these graphic novels. Here are three reasons why we all love Hilo:   The diverse cast of human characters. Our main guy is DJ Lim - an Asian-American kid surrounded by high-achieving siblings and just discovering his own confidence. The story is told from his point of view. The scenes at DJ’s home with his family are some of my favorite parts. His best friend is an African American girl named Gina. It’s nice for middle grade kids to see a strong friendship between a boy and girl. And Gina has some similar struggles going on with her family. She also feels a bit in the shadow of her driven cheerleading twin sisters. DJ and Gina make a great duo. The “fish out of water” details in the story. Hilo is a robot from another dimension who looks and sorta acts like a boy, but he doesn’t really know his powers and certainly doesn’t know how to behave in the human world. Or at school. He is very, uh enthusiastic about eating weird combinations of food like rice and milk - and he’s enthusiastic and loud about everything really! He takes apart DJ’s dad’s car and paints his house polka dots. The humor and hilarious catch-phrases. Hilo shows up wearing silver underwear  - at one point his head flies off his body. There are fart and burp jokes galore and Hilo loves the words Outstanding and Hazzah! Really  you’ll be smiling through this whole book.   Judd Winick’s Hilo series is cheerful, positive, laugh-out-loud funny and great for kids who love books like Big Nate and Bone. It’s kind of like a cross between Calvin & Hobbes and Mork and Mindy. One Trick Pony   Our final featured sci fi / fantasy graphic novel is one that I have been waiting and waiting to read. It is called One Trick Pony - by Nathan Hale. You might know Mr. Hale from his awesome Hazardous Tales historical graphic novel series. If you don’t - you’re gonna love those too! This novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future where alien invaders are devouring every last trace of human-made metals and electronic devices. All that’s left of humanity are small bands of survivors trying to outwit and outrun the aliens.  The main character is a girl named Strata who finds  a beautiful and rare robot pony when she’s out scavenging with her brother and her friend. Strata insists on keeping the horse even though the presence of something technical makes them a target of the aliens who are soon chasing after them. Here are three things to love about One Trick Pony: Kleidi, the robot pony. She is gorgeously golden and pops out in Nathan Hale’s distinctive two tone yellow/gray coloring for this novel. She adds comic relief when she only listens to Strata and no one else. And plays a surprising role at the end of the book. I gotta say, the ending shocked me - in a good way. It took a twist I was not expecting at all. The aliens. These are seriously scary multi-limbed, disjointed, frightening giant blobbing aliens called Pipers that release bubbles to capture electronics they scavenge from the earth. And if you’re holding to that technology - you could lose your limb. They are like a cross between the creature from the Alien movie and an Hieronymous Bosch painting. It’s creepy good! The concept of the caravan. The main character, Strata, lives with this traveling band of “digital rescuers” who save data and technological devices before the aliens can get to it in the hopes that one day civilization can be rekindled. That idea is so, so powerful and timely when you think of efforts to suppress scientific data now. Our own digital rescuers are heroes. I know all you teachers and librarians and book lovers listening can relate when I say that the burning of the library at Alexandria stills shatters a part of my soul to think of all that knowledge lost. And I love how Nathan Hale captured that concept in this graphic novel.   In One Trick Pony, Nathan Hale has masterfully combined two seemingly disparate elements - a girl and her pony story and a fierce science fiction battle book. And it is wonderful! It releases tomorrow - Tuesday, March 14th so go treat your kid, your class, yourself with this fabulous book. Closing   Alright - that’s it for our show this week. If you have a question about how to connect middle grade readers to books they will love or an idea about a guest we should have or a topic we should cover, I really love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.   Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get find a transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. While you are there, check out the recent post featuring 20 Books About Refugee & Immigrant Experiences. And, if you are liking the show, please help others find us too by telling a friend, sharing on social media, or leaving a rating on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks again and see you in two weeks!  Bye!     http://alicekeeler.com/2017/01/30/6-alternatives-reading-logs-shfarnsworth/   http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780470372272   http://www.tarammartin.com/resources/booksnaps-how-to-videos/   http://www.allthewonders.com/books/books-for-better-stories-of-immigrants-and-refugees/  

In this episode Mike and Eric talk #booksnaps. Then Eric interview the creator of booksnaps, Tara Martin. This is an idea you will want to use tomorrow! Enjoy! Contact Facebook Group: Teachers Talking Tech Twitter: @teachsometech email: teacherstalkingtech@gmail.com Contact Tara Martin @taramartinedu tarammartin.com