I like the idea of "inside the book" discussions - how many times have I been reading (quietly, to myself, by myself) and felt so moved by a section of a book, a passage, a chapter, that I've wanted to immediately discuss it with someone! Sometimes, if I know it's a book a friend has also read, I may do just that - copy/paste a section of the text into a text message, as I almost exclusively read ebooks these days, often just on my Android phone through the Kindle app. I can absolutely see the appeal of reading as a more social activity; however I'm a (sometimes antisocial) introvert who highly values time to myself, and quiet time. I like that books are a way to be alone, but are engaging, that they shut out the outside world (if the book is a good one). I've always loved losing myself in books, since I've been able to read. So do I want this, my most beloved of "alone time" activities, to become another occasion in which I have to interact with people (exhausting!)? For this reason, I do like the somewhat static environment of Goodreads. I love Goodreads for tracking what I've read and whether or not I liked it. After reading, I'll often read others' reviews to see how other people felt about a book. If there's a point that is left ambiguous or is just unclear to me, I like the questions and discussions on Goodreads. But I'm a lurker, not a poster. I've never taken part in a discussion on Goodreads. This "Thing" may have been enough of a gentle nudge to make me take more of an active role in my reading - instead of just quietly swooning/raging/dropping-my-jaw to myself, perhaps the next time a book moves me, I'll post about it, see what like(or unlike)-minded people have to say.
Professionally, well, I'm a librarian. I like to talk books, to share what I've loved, and hoped others feel the same. I still remember, when I was in a school, having happy kids come back into the library after reading a book I'd recommended. "Miss Hough," (these were days pre-marriage) "this book was SOOOOOOOO good!" - nothing made me happier. Kids love sharing their opinions with each other, and as we're constantly being told, kids are "digital natives" and as such, I can see the appeal of live Tweeting reading, sharing thoughts and helping one another understand what they're reading.
Rereading what I've written so far, I'm seeing a paradox of "yes, social reading," "no, it's my quiet time!" in my thoughts, but maybe that's ok. Some books need to be talked about, are better shared, need some brainstorming to really get to the root of their meanings; and some don't. Sometimes when I'm reading an ebook, there will be sections highlighted that a previous reader has selected (because nearly all of my books come from libraries) - I love to see what has caught another reader's attention.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Thing 18: Online Learning & DIY PD
With Common Core and the ever-increasing rigors of standardized testing being at the forefront of educators' and parents' minds, it gives me hope to read about "Genius Hour" and "20% Time" - and these seem like perfect opportunities to draw on the talents of the school librarian. If I was a classroom teacher planning to implement "Genius Hour" with my students, I think I'd have the kids brainstorm on paper about topics they're interested in and want to learn more about, then I'd work with the librarian, including some class time spent in the library/lab, guiding kids toward information sources on their topics of interest. I can't think of much that would be more thrilling to a kid than telling him or her, "learn about anything you'd like."
When I was in graduate school, I had a professor for my Emergent Literacy class who gave us the first twenty minutes of each class to free read - with the caveat that it had to be from a (long) prescribed list of books covering topics on early/emergent literacy and early childhood education. I always valued this time and the quiet, thoughtful start to class that it provided. While "Genius Hour" isn't quite the same, I think a focused autonomy in learning is a wonderful idea, one that is likely to increase productivity during and after the "hour."
DIY PD is something I think most devoted professionals are constantly doing informally, provided said professional works in a field of his or her own interest. Personally, I'm always reading book reviews to see what to purchase for our consortium; I read School Library Journal not because I have to, but because I like staying abreast of new developments and educational practices. My husband works with computers and is always, always learning more about his specialty.
When I was in graduate school, I had a professor for my Emergent Literacy class who gave us the first twenty minutes of each class to free read - with the caveat that it had to be from a (long) prescribed list of books covering topics on early/emergent literacy and early childhood education. I always valued this time and the quiet, thoughtful start to class that it provided. While "Genius Hour" isn't quite the same, I think a focused autonomy in learning is a wonderful idea, one that is likely to increase productivity during and after the "hour."
DIY PD is something I think most devoted professionals are constantly doing informally, provided said professional works in a field of his or her own interest. Personally, I'm always reading book reviews to see what to purchase for our consortium; I read School Library Journal not because I have to, but because I like staying abreast of new developments and educational practices. My husband works with computers and is always, always learning more about his specialty.
Thing 16: Mapping & Geolocation
I worked on this "thing" about three separate times, so this time I'm going to finally wrap it up and write down my thoughts. I played with a lot of the listed tools for fun, but haven't gotten to into the curricular aspects of them. I can see how they would be a really interesting way to delve deeper into a topic, learn more about the background information of a book's setting for an English class, or as a good way to tie English and Social Studies together.
In particular, I liked What Was There. It was a lot of fun to see the old photos, see what modern cities looked like years ago (I especially like the more recent past, as so much has changed in the past few decades). I also loved the collaborative Google map. That might be a fun back to school activity to replace the old, "What did you do over summer vacation?" Even if you didn't leave home, you could still place a marker and post a little description of where/what you did.
In particular, I liked What Was There. It was a lot of fun to see the old photos, see what modern cities looked like years ago (I especially like the more recent past, as so much has changed in the past few decades). I also loved the collaborative Google map. That might be a fun back to school activity to replace the old, "What did you do over summer vacation?" Even if you didn't leave home, you could still place a marker and post a little description of where/what you did.
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