This project was created as an assignment in Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections, an online class offered by Berrien RESA and taught by Janine Lim.
Description: This project is for elementary and/or middle school students. In this project two classes will meet in two-45 minute video conferences. One class will be the host school. The host school is responsible for inviting a local author to participate in a videoconference. Prior to the videoconference both schools will have read the same book by the author. The teachers through e-mail and phone calls will coordinate the videoconferences. The classes will prepare and rehearse for their first visit.
The first videoconference will be a class to class meeting to discuss the book.
Some suggested activities for this videoconference are:
- students can share individual responses to the book
- answer teacher/student posed questions to the book
- share their drawings inspired by the book
- pantomime scenes from the book and have the other class guess from what part of the bookThe second videoconference will be a class to class visit with the author present at the host site. Students will prepare prior to the visit questions to ask the author.
As a follow up to this visit students can write thank you letters to the author and any additional comments and questions. They can share with each other any other projects that they are working on as a result of reading the book.
It is also hoped that the receiving school will then become the host school and share-an-author at a future time.
Time: At a minimum one month prior to the first videoconference, invite the author, obtain the book(s), read the book, and prepare and practice for the first videoconference.
Who may participate:
Preferably the same grade level and interest in topic and/or genre of the book. It would be nice to partner with a school that would share-an-author at a later date. The second videoconference would take place the next week. Specific dates and times to follow.Type of connection: ISDN/H.320
Inquiries or interest in this program: Andrea Israeli, aisrael@nycboe.net
This model for a videoconference(s) can also work for a share-a-guest or share-a-teacher.