Podcasts about google slideshow

September is Hirschsprung's Disease Awareness and NICU Awareness Month. I know I'm late, but I still have to represent my warrior. It's been a while but my warrior has been in the hospital, had surgery, started playing his 1st team sport, and started school. Life has been super busy and you guys will be hearing how I managed to get through August and September. I promise to keep you guys updated more often because I'm sure we can all use some encouragement during these tough times. Make sure you Subscribe and Rate the Podcast, Let's get the message out to other Resilient Moms! Download our Free Important Facts Slide Template- It's a Google Slideshow that explains your child's condition in depth so you don't have to keep having the same conversation over and over. We use ours at school, for sports, and with caregivers. https://bit.ly/3fAKSJN Come Hang out with me and the other Moms in the Facebook Group https://bit.ly/3z77IAG Grab those Medical Supplies and Check-In for your weekly dose of Encouragement!

Join us for another NWP CoLab where we'll further explore online instruction, specifically how to make it manageable for both students and teachers. Our featured guest is Deanna Mascle, an Instructor of English at Morehead State University in Kentucky, and the director of the Morehead Writing Project. Also joining the discussion are middle/high-school educators David Lopez (CA), Katherine Williams (MS), and Ben Woodcock (MI). Related Resources Blogs that discuss particular practices referenced in the video: "Building A HyFlex Community" "Conference Grading 3.0" "Classroom Badges" Deanna's Google Slideshow

We've heeded the wise writing of "Ditch your Textbook's" Matt Miller, and hope to help you make your next PD not stink. We've all been there. You're partially through a session or keynote and are trying to decide if it's worth your time to sit through the rest. This episode will share some tips to make you a better presenter and help keep your colleagues engaged so they won't decide they have better things to do than listen to you. Useful Links:http://ditchthattextbook.com/2019/09/25/27-tips-to-deliver-powerful-professional-development/Jennifer Gonzalez covered this topic in the Cult of Pedagogy podcast as well…Gamestorming: https://gamestorming.com/METS at miGoogle  The Un-redacted Transcript Danelle Brostrom  0:00  That's not what is says on your business card Larry Burden  0:11  It is not an inspiring car. Danelle Brostrom  0:13  It gets great gas mileage, Larry Burden  0:15  striving for mediocrity. Larry Burden  0:18  Drives like a peach, hon. Larry Burden  0:23  It's episode 90 of the EdTechLoop podcast, My name is Larry Burden, and she's decided to ditch my suggested pod topic, it's Danelle Brostrom. You can't find true wisdom from a textbook, but you can find it in this week's moment of Zen.  Moment of Zen  0:39  When you see a good person, Think of becoming like her or him. When you see someone not so good. Reflect on your own weak points.  Larry Burden  0:49  In an effort to develop a more professional palette, we've consulted the experts on how to better prepare, This, this week's meat of the show, making PD better professional development better. We've all been there. We have been into that session, and that keynote. Depends on your level of politeness. Do you sit through the whole session? Or do you get up and...  Danelle Brostrom  1:12  I sit through the session.  Larry Burden  1:14  I respect, see now I can go in and I'll have like a camera or something trying to get some shots are record it. And I have to go to the next session because I you know, I have to try to get a swath of information out of this, so. Danelle Brostrom  1:28  Yeah, but sometimes you can't choose. Sometimes you're stuck in that bad PD because that's the PD you have to take. And then you're stuck. Larry Burden  1:35  There is that yeah,  Danelle Brostrom  1:36  yeah, Larry Burden  1:36  The initial pod topic that I was going to talk about, Danelle Brostrom  1:39  that I ditched, Larry Burden  1:41  Which I thought was going to be a winner, because we're going to talk about your favorite subject, Liz Kolb. She had a keynote this year at WiredTC. And I was actually going to talk about her keynote and the fact that she did not...she wasted no time. She basically came up there. And it was it was a different, a different vibe than most keynotes that I've been to because she was basically like, I'm a professional, you're a professional, you're here to get some information from me, I am giving you that information. Let's do this. Let's act like professionals. And I was looking through some of the resources that you had brought up. And I'm like, Yeah, like that. Danelle Brostrom  2:22  Yeah, yeah, she was amazing. And, you know, the reason I ditched your topic, Larry, Matt Miller had a great post the other day on Twitter. And he's the writer of, "Ditch that Textbook." And he talked a lot about PD, and how sometimes it can be awful. And we've all sat through it. So he gave a ton of ideas on ways to make PD better, and then throw it out to the group. And it just kind of got me thinking that we do need to talk about this since the beginning of the year, and we're all a little rusty. So it's a good time to bring this back. And I'm guilty of this too, you know, you I've gone in and I've had so much information to present and very little time to do it. So I went wide instead of deep with a few topics. And I just, I bored them to death as I read from the slideshow, because I, I got nervous. And I knew I had a lot to cover. And, oh, ick, I hate that I falter to that if I'm not careful. So I think it's something to be aware of and really, really think about. And when you know better you do better. So Let's, let's go through some of these things.  Larry Burden  3:26  Make it useful.  Danelle Brostrom  3:26  Let's make it useful.  Larry Burden  3:27  So there's 21 I don't know if we're gonna make it through all 21.  Danelle Brostrom  3:29  No, I didn't want, I want to talk about the big ones. Larry Burden  3:33  Okay, the first you have one specific one, because I want your explanation on this. So Danelle Brostrom  3:38  The first one, I think he talked about this in a couple different ways. But I really think you need to think about your audience. And like you mentioned, Liz really did that she talked to her audience like they were professionals. But I think you need to find out where your audience is at, try to figure out what they're thinking, read your audience. Don't just read from your slideshow, look at them and kind of see how they're taking in the information. And I think just really trying to connect with them. So, you can ask them questions while you're there. You can try to ask them questions beforehand and a survey. But I think just finding out where your audience is coming from, and then trying to connect with them is like the number one thing you need to remember with doing PD, always.  Larry Burden  4:21  I have a feeling a lot of these are going to also apply to being a classroom teacher. It's kind of the same thing. It is kind of funny that oftentimes, especially in our field, the people that we're getting professional development, who are running these sessions are teachers, and then they get into this environment, and all those pedagogical... Danelle Brostrom  4:41  Good word  Larry Burden  4:42  Skills kind of seem to go, sometimes, tend to go out the window. So anyway, I just wanted to... Danelle Brostrom  4:47  No, I'm so glad you brought that up. Because yes, 100%. We are amazing educators and we deliver content to students in a way that is creative and interesting. And we make it fun. And we do all, we do it hands on, and then we get into PD mode and we go back to that lecture base. And I don't know why we forget all those things. You know, adults do learn differently. And there are some things that we can talk about at a later date. But for the most part, the adults deserve that same respect, and they should also...  Larry Burden  5:25  Taller children, with a shorter attention span. Danelle Brostrom  5:28  True, especially teachers. But they deserve that same respect. They deserve PD that is creative, and inspiring, and interesting, and hands on, and I think Jennifer Gonzales covered this in a Cult of Pedagogy podcast, a while ago. But, she said the same thing. Like, treated just like teaching. Make a hands-on, differentiate, use guided practice. Like all those things that you know how to do with children, do them with adults in PD to. And yes, we should 100% be doing that. Larry Burden  6:00  Got you off track, sorry. Danelle Brostrom  6:01  No, that was that was on track, always.  Larry Burden  6:04  One time, one time I kept us on track. Danelle Brostrom  6:08  And I think, I think and Matt Miller mentions this too, when he talks about giving them hands on practice, and giving them time to talk about what they're learning, and including a variety of examples. Like, again, all those are teacher tips that we shouldn't be doing. If, if you just deliver your content, and they never get a chance to talk about it. I think if you look at the research from Joyce and Showers, this resource on, research on coaching, but it's still says if you're just giving them theory all the time, it, only like five or 10% of the people are going to retain it and actually use it. So, you obviously want more than that, if you're taking the time to do a PD wasting everyone's, not wasting everyone's time, I did not mean that. But... Larry Burden  6:49  Maximizing their time. Danelle Brostrom  6:49  Maximizing their time, you have to make sure that you're doing more. You need to give them a chance to talk. You to give them a chance to try the tool with you there, walking around. Or just giving them a bunch of examples about how this, this can apply to these different situations. How can this apply to you as a third grade teacher? How Can this apply to you as an 11th grade teacher? Like how does this, how does this work? Like let's actually dive in and look at it instead of just, here's what I need to teach you. Larry Burden  7:18  Earlier, I had mentioned that, you know, Liz Kolb had kind of gone directly into the topic and into the research very quickly. It doesn't mean you have to ditch the narrative. It's okay to tell a story and include the learning in, in a story. That's going to be more compelling, it's going to be, oftentimes that the person that session, or listening to that keynote, is going to have five more that day. There's a lot of information coming in, you're going to have to have some kind of a hook for it to be retained. Danelle Brostrom  7:53  For sure. And I want to see us make PD more fun. Like, I sometimes I dread seeing those PD blocks on my calendar, those things that I have to go to because I think that it's going to be two hours or so that I'm going to be missing away from my family. How can, how can we make PD more fun? How could we, as presenters, could we, you know, change it up with a game or give them a short funny video. Like, when they're having fun, and research will tell us this one learning is enjoyable, better learning takes place. So, that goes for adults and for kids. So, never design a training you and want to set through yourself. You know, let's let's make it, Let's make it fun. Larry Burden  8:42  While then going back to what you had said, I think, your first point, have some empathy as well. Recognize that it has to be fun for you or something that you see as fun, but take yourself out of it for a second and recognize that other people might have different interests or different points of view, and at least have that level of empathy.  Danelle Brostrom  9:01  For sure.  Larry Burden  9:01  What else Danelle Brostrom  9:03  I really liked one of the topics or one of the tips that Matt Miller mentioned was to be your own unique self. And I think that this is something I really don't do. And I think it was something that I'd like to start. It just, he just talks about if you have a skill or talent, how can you use that to enhance your professional development? If You can sing or play an instrument? Could you create a song? If you can draw, or at least are willing to try, could you sketchnote your session as it's being presented? If you have a knack for making videos, make some of your own videos to include. I think that those are great ideas, because it just helps people connect with you. Especially if you're willing to be a little silly, or a little, a little different. I think that will help them remember what you're doing as well. Larry Burden  9:47  As long as you’re topical. Danelle Brostrom  9:48  Oh, of course. Larry Burden  9:49  As long as your on topic that, I think  Danelle Brostrom  9:51  100% Yes,  Larry Burden  9:52  I'm going to guess you're gonna get to this. No to Edutainment. If you're up there just trying to grandstand and look at my video that I made.  Danelle Brostrom  10:04  Right, right. Right. Right. Right,  Larry Burden  10:05  It might be compelling. But if it's, if it has nothing to do with your topic, or maybe kind of does. They're spending time with you, make sure that time is well used. Danelle Brostrom  10:16  Yes. 100%. Yes. And then the other one that I really thought was important. Just to keep the conversation going. They're, typically when you deliver a PD is something that you want them to do in their classrooms. So, how are you going to keep that conversation going, They're going to struggle, they're going to have, need, they're going to need you. They're going to need that group of learners that they learned with. So how do you keep that conversation going after? Do have them connect with you on Twitter? Do you have a Google Classroom setup so that way they can come on and ask questions later. It's just a nice way for people to have that recurring conversation and actually move the needle. Larry Burden  10:52  I don't know what this one was. I'm gonna throw it out there.  Danelle Brostrom  10:54  Yeah.  Larry Burden  10:55  Speed dating activity. I have not witnessed this. I don't know what it actually it was. It was in his list. Yes. Did you read it? And have you done it? In a professional development setting. Want to clarify. Danelle Brostrom  11:09  Going back, Larry, I did. I have done that before? I don't love that one. Honestly, unless I'm comfortable with the people around me. I don't always like... Larry Burden  11:21  Because you're such an introvert. I recognized Danelle Brostrom  11:23  sometimes I am. Sometimes, I don't know. Larry Burden  11:26  Every, everybody that knows you right now is like...right. Danelle Brostrom  11:29  You asked me. Sometimes I don't like it. Because sometimes I'm talking to people that I don't know about topics that I don't feel comfortable talking to people about. But I guess it gets people talking, which is what you want. You want people to be talking, you want them to have conversations, which it does. So Yes, Larry Burden  11:46  It would push me out of my comfort zone as well. But sometimes you do have to do, if you're going, if you're going to go to a professional development seminar or professional development situation, you should be willing to be pushed out of your comfort zone.  Danelle Brostrom  11:57  Yes, yes, yes. But there's also some ideas that I think that connect to this PD topic. Things that I personally want to try. Gamestorming is a new thing that's kind of been making the rounds within the ed tech leaders. And it's a way of looking at, it says it's a set of co-creation tools used by innovators around the world, is what it says on their website. But it's really just, it's games, games, for opening, games for fresh thinking and ideas, games for team building, game for vision and strategy building. And I think that a lot of these ideas that they use on the gamestorming site, could be very easily adapted to PD. So I'm, I know I'm ordering the playbook. So that way, I can have some more ideas on how to use these resources. But that's definitely something that I'm going to be doing some personal research on, because I think that could help enhance PD. And again, include that conversation, we got people talking. And then another thing I want to mention on the METS Group, the Michigan Educational Technology Specialist, they are doing a session at MyGoogle this year. And it's a workshop session. It's on November 4 in the morning. And it's, now it's made for ed tech coaches. It's a session on ed tech coaching. But man, if anybody, If anybody locally, I say locally, statewide, knows how to deliver a good PD. It's that METS Group, that's kind of their specialty. Every PD I've ever gone to, and anything I've done with that group, they've been amazing at making PD not stink. So I think if you want to go, even if you're not an ed-tech specialist, if you are in this coaching role, or you are in an administrative role, and you deliver a PD, go to this with with, with that lens. They're going to talk about gamestorming. And they're going to go through some different ideas on how to deliver PD better. But, also kind of watch them and how they deliver PD because I think that you can learn a lot sitting in something that is really, really good. Larry Burden  13:48  Not only take notes on the content, take notes on the presenter. Danelle Brostrom  13:50  Because they're going to be amazing. Yeah, I'm sure of it. They deliver amazing PD. And that's kind of their thing. So go and learn what they do.  Larry Burden  13:57  Anything else? Danelle Brostrom  13:58  I have nothing else on that.  Larry Burden  14:00  All right, Tech Tool of the Week.  Techtool of the Week  14:04  Kind of related, Remote for Slides. This is a game changer. It is a Chrome extension. So you add it on to your device. And then there's a website that you go to, and you go to that website on your phone, and then you can control your Google Slideshow through your phone. So all of a sudden bye bye clicker. I cannot tell you how many times I have lost, when I've been presenting out and... Larry Burden  14:35  What's it called?  Danelle Brostrom  14:35  without the dongle. I have lost that I've left it plugged into machines. And then I've had to go say to Mr. Hicks, I need a new clicker. And It's really embarrassing. But, all I do is I just pull it up on my phone, and then I can run through my Google slideshow from anywhere. And It's amazing. And it's kind of a game changer for those who deliver a lot of PD.  Larry Burden  14:56  If you're presenter that's...  Danelle Brostrom  14:58  Yeah, Larry Burden  14:59  Invariably your batteries are out. You forgot the dongles. Somebody else brings a clicker in, it doesn't quite work. It doesn't sync, it has to down, it has to download the app, it has ya know, firmware issues. It's always something that goes wrong with the clicker. So to actually have it on your phone and just bink, bink, bink. That's awesome. Danelle Brostrom  15:17  Crazy easy. Crazy fast to setup. I think, from when I found it to when I was rolling through walking around the office telling everyone I know hey, check this out, guys. Maybe like four minutes. It's amazing. Larry Burden  15:30  Tutorials and updates. We did a BiblioTech pod just a few days ago with Melissa Baumann on middle school libraries. That was really really interesting. Danelle Brostrom  15:39  The better Baumann, I like that. I listen. Larry Burden  15:42  Sorry, Andy. TechNollergist is actually up next week, first TechNollergist of the year. Very excited about that. I had a really interesting experience before I came down here and this is as far away from edu-tech as you could possibly get, I think. And it was a Stone Soup gathering. And I don't know if you're familiar with the Stone Soup parable, I'm sure everybody is, you've read the books. It's been around obviously for ever. But, an entire school, classroom, by classroom was going in and adding things to the big soup pot and you know, they put a stone in. Every, every class got to put one stone in. And it's a great way to A, incorporate the idea of sharing and caring into your school community. But also a great way to include the entire community, not just the school, but your local farmers. The school that we were at at had their own community gardens, so they actually used a lot of their own herbs and spices and things that they had grown. But we also had, they also had some local vendors come in and help with ingredients. It was fabulous. And they've done it for two years now. And it was neat to see the older students commenting on what it means. Any comments on Stone Soup? Your'e all, I wanted to be there. Danelle Brostrom  16:58  I did want to be there. Larry Burden  16:59  It smelled great by-the-way. Danelle Brostrom  17:00  It's a good reminder that it takes a team to make something awesome. Larry Burden  17:02  Yeah, yeah. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @TCAPSLoop Danelle Brostrom  17:05  @brostromda Larry Burden  17:06  Subscribe to the podcast on Podbean, iTunes, Stitcher, Tune-in, Downcast, Overcast, the Google Play Store and Spotify. Leave a review, we love the feedback. I can do that all with one breath.  Danelle Brostrom  17:16  You forgot to thank them.  Larry Burden  17:18  Oh, thank you for listening and inspiring. Danelle Brostrom  17:20  I wasn't ready Larry,  Larry Burden  17:21  Thank you for listening and inspiring. How many times can I say it? Thank you for listening and, inspiring. Danelle Brostrom  17:31  You always say something else, Larry. Larry Burden  17:34  I don't know what to do with the rest of my day.

GotTechED Episode 37:  In this episode, we’ll explore some of the benefits that audio recordings can bring to a student-centered classroom.  We describe 10 specific project ideas that you can bring to your classroom that involve audio recordings AND give you the edtech you’ll need to make those projects a reality. General benefits of audio recording in student-centered classrooms Helps students with difficulty brainstorming “Safe” way to practice new learning/vocablulary for self-assessment – students can practice and repeat if they make a mistake.  Not possible when handwriting or performing Revising work – keep students accountable by asking them to record reading their work out loud Tone of Voice – reading a written work out loud and the listening back can help refine dramatic pauses, transitions, mood, etc. Differentiation –  Record your classroom lessons so that they are available to students after class as a powerful means to help students with learning disabilities Flipped Classroom – students learn at home by listening to podcasts, readings, dictations etc made by their teacher.  Students like to learn from their own teacher! 10 Student-Centered Activities using audio recording Exit Slips – What have you learned today? (http://vocaroo.com) (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/simple-audio-recorder/hopfkembkmkllehkacjjbncmpdnnlogg?hl=en-US) (https://www.storyboardthat.com) Picture Annotation- explaining a graph showing a reaction from a Chemistry lab Thinglink Upload to YouTube as an MP4 (audio+picture) WeVideo (http://wevideo.com) (http://google.com/slides) (http://google.com/drawings) Create a Google Slideshow and Insert a video onto a slide Set the start and stop time if you want only certain portions played by right-clicking on the video and choosing “Video options”. Now Copy the video from the Google Slideshow and paste it into any Google Drawing of your choosing. The video will play in your Google Drawing when your double-click on it. Vocal Language Test – World Languages Verbal / Conversational Test (http://vocaroo.com/) (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/beautiful-audio-editor/okiblndpcefmebnkjnjfplijnelbcjmm?hl=en) Student Podcasting / Passion Project / Alternate to an English Essay Audacity (http://audacity.com) for PC and Mac (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/beautiful-audio-editor/okiblndpcefmebnkjnjfplijnelbcjmm?hl=en) Synth (https://gosynth.com/m/education/) 256 second sound bites Music Recording – Write, record, and produce a song in various styles (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/beautiful-audio-editor/okiblndpcefmebnkjnjfplijnelbcjmm?hl=en) Audacity (http://audacity.com) (http://flocabulary.com) (http://incredibox.com) (http://vocaroo.com/) Music Recording – Peter and the Wolf (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/beautiful-audio-editor/okiblndpcefmebnkjnjfplijnelbcjmm?hl=en) Audacity (http://audacity.com) Vocaroo (http://vocaroo.com/) Voice over Narration of a Comic Strip – bring a Google Slides Comic book to life MP4 trick with youtube StoryboardThat (https://www.storyboardthat.com) – automatically exports comics to presentation format in powerpoint or google slides – then audio record over top  Audio FlashCards – Self Assessment / Formative Assessment BookWidgets – digital content creation that supports lessons and activities with audio and other interactive elements – (https://www.bookwidgets.com/) .  Has flashcard templates where your recorded voice becomes part of the flashcard experience Peer-Peer Feedback- Voice comments in a Google Doc Talk and Comment Share with teacher and peers so everyone can hear the critique of the paper Asynchronous Debates- debating

Google News and Updates The British Museum and Google Arts & Culture: Decoding the secrets of the ancient Maya More real-time data on Google Trends (adds news, shopping, images, and YouTube) Featured Content Ryan O'Donnell is a Technology Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) and former high school social studies teacher in Rocklin, California. Ryan's passions are EdTech, Innovation, Social Studies, Podcasting and Teacher Professional Development. O'Donnell has been teaching since 1997 and has always been an advocate for all things "tech." In addition to teaching, he has been presenting at technology and social studies strategies workshops both in his district and throughout the country as a trainer for Teacher Created Materials. Ryan is also the co-host of the Talking Social Studies and Check This Out podcasts. Along with presenting, Ryan is on the board of CapCUE; the Sacramento affiliate of CUE.org. Google Certifications: Google Certified Educator Level 1, Google Certified Educator Level 2 Resources Ryan O'Donnell's Google Slides Templates Google Teacher Tribe Mailbag LOOPING SLIDE PRESENTATIONS Holly Elgin (Aledo, TX) -- I make changes to a Google Slideshow daily and play our announcements in the cafeteria for our students. Every day, I have to publish it to the web to be able to have it play continuously. Is there a way to present it so that it plays continuously? TAKE A SNAPSHOT LIVES ON! Marjorie Rispin (Carson, NV) -- I too was disappointed that GSuite removed Insert Image Snapshot. I found that you can still take a snapshot through Insert Drawing. When in the Drawing you can click the image icon and snapshot is still an option. Then save and close the drawing into your doc. A couple extra steps but it works. On The Blogs Matt - A Small Strategy with a Big Impact: Brain Science, Retrieval Practice and the “Brain Dump” Kasey - The Ultimate Teacher Gift Guide 2017 [shortcode-variables slug="signature"]

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