Goodbye Stranger

Title: Goodbye Stranger 
Author: Rebecca Stead 
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books 
Publication Date: August 4th, 2015 
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games--or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: No fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? 
This year everything is different for Sherm Russo as he gets to know Bridge Barsamian. What does it mean to fall for a girl--as a friend? On Valentine's Day, an unnamed high school girl struggles with a betrayal. How long can she hide in plain sight? 
What I Think: I'm sure the characters in this book are going to be with me for a long time. I especially love how the girls go through some tough situations and how their relationship evolves throughout the story. I'm trying to put my finger on exactly what stands out to me about this story but the most I can come up with is that they seem so real and they also seem like friends I would have wanted to have in middle school. Actually, as a mentor text, that's what I would look at with Goodbye Stranger. I would ask students to think about all the everyday moments in this book but how Stead slows them down, captures them succinctly but accurately, and makes the reader feel like he or she is there with them. There's something so honest and down-to-earth about her description that it feels so real.
     Another part of Stead's craft that I admire is her ability to thread together so many different storylines without losing the reader or spending time on irrelevant information. It reminds me of Jenny Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before because every word is well-placed and critical to the story. I can definitely see this as a book for a mother-daughter book club or as a text to anchor a discussion around digital citizenship and making safe choices when using technology.
     One of the storylines in Goodbye Stranger is told in second person. It was hard for me to get used to but I loved it at the same time. As a reader, it was so different to read about a character in this way. I could definitely identify with him/her but it was hard not actually truly knowing his or her name. Most of the time in school we tell students not to use the 2nd person but this is an example of when it works really well because the author did it intentionally and with a very specific purpose.
Read Together: Grades 6 - 8 
Read Alone: Grades 6 - 10 
Read With: In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares, To All The Boys I've Loved Before (series) by Jenny Han, Drama by Raina Telgemeier, See You At Harry's by Jo Knowles 
Snatch of Text: 
     "On the first day of October, Emily got a text from a boy asking for a picture.
     'Same boy,' Em said. 'That eighth grader. His name is Patrick. Very cute, actually. And he plays soccer.' They were sitting against the fence after Emily's second win.
     'A picture of what?' Tab asked, pulling at the dry grass. She was stirring up dust that made Bridge want to sneeze.
     Emily laughed. 'It doesn't matter. I'm not doing it.'
     'Send him a picture of your feet,' Bridge suggested.
     And so Emily took a picture of her dirt-covered soccer cleats and texted it to Patrick.
     Ten seconds later, he texted Emily a picture of his sneakers.
     'Ha,' Emily said, shoving her phone into her bag. 'He thinks he's funny.'" (p. 19)
Writing Prompts: Write about a time in your life when you felt like a friend was making a bad decision and you wanted to help him or her. What did you do? Would you have done anything differently? 
Topics Covered: Family, Friendships, Loyalty, Relationships, Integration - Technology, Decision Making, Courage 

I *heart* It:

Hat Monkey

Title: Hat Monkey 
Author: Chris Haughton 
Illustrator: Chris Haughton 
Developed By: Fox and Sheep GmbH
Version: 1.5
Updated: November 6th, 2014 

• Size: 89.6 MB
• Price: $2.99
• App Rating: 4+
• Made for ages 5 and under
• Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

Genre/Format: Fiction/Book App
iTunes Description: Hat Monkey is a small monkey with a hat who needs our help around the house. Young children will find the objectives satisfying as they help Monkey do everyday things they cannot yet do themselves, like turning off lights, opening the door for him, turning the pages of his bedtime book or sending text messages. They can also speak with him on the phone, and play music or simple games like hide and seek. The beautiful simplified graphics and interactions allow even the youngest children to identify what Monkey wants, to empathize with him, and learn how they can help him. 

Chris Haughton’s award-winning books ‘A Bit Lost’, ‘Oh No, George!’ and ‘SHH!, We Have a Plan’ have been translated into over 20 languages around the world. Instead of adapting his books, Hat Monkey was conceived and designed from the start as a stand alone app with engaging interaction at its core. 

• Languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

What I Think: Both of my kids adore Hat Monkey. It's so fun to see a book app that both my 4- and 7-year-old  giggle over together. They go back to it on their own and together and think it’s hysterical. There is something about the sweet little monkey on the screen and how they can interact with him. He never uses real words, he just makes noises and again - it has my kids both erupting in giggles. They love to interact with the app. After reading parts of Chris Haughton’s other books in the app, they begged me to get the books from the library. Their love of the book app led to wanting to read the physical books. In my mind Hat Monkey has huge kid appeal, the artwork is great, and the interactivity is wonderful. 
     In high school, I remember doing an activity where two people had to act out a scene but they could only use the words "Yes" and "No". It was all about intonation and body language. when you take the actual words out, it's amazing how much information can still be conveyed. I wonder if this might be an activity to connect with Hat Monkey. How we can still infer information from him even though he isn't speaking actual words. I also love that there is an element of hide and seek and talking on the phone in this app.
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 1 
Read Alone: Grades Pre-K - 1 
Read With: Shh! We Have a Plan, Little Owl Lost, and Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton 
Writing Prompts: Write out step by step directions to explain your favorite game to Hat Monkey.

I *heart* It:

Please note that information shared here was current as of time of post. 

Be sure to visit the iTunes store for any updated information!

The One Where I Try To Code #slice2014

On Tuesdays, I participate in the Slice of Life challenge at Two Writing Teachers. If you want to join in, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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In July, I went to the Google offices in Chicago to attend a STEM Social and learn about Raspberry Pis. At the time, the whole idea of coding and understanding what a Raspberry Pi is was completely new to me. Now I have a better understanding of how kids can learn to code and how that means they are typing in simple commands to write code that a computer or program can carry out. (At least...that's how I understand coding...hopefully I'm on the right track compared to back in July!)

On Saturday, I went to an Edcamp-like unconference in Chicago called Playdate. In leading professional development in instructional technology this year, I have brought the Playdate model to my school district. We have done site-based Playdates and one district-wide Playdate. They are so much fun! Like Edcamp, it's self-directed time to play and explore with other educators but with a technology focus. 

One of the sessions I signed up for was Coding with Kids. I downloaded Lightbot Hour of Code (free) and played with it the entire session. This is when I really saw how coding comes to life. I'm still not sure exactly what it looks like from a programmer's point of view, but I definitely saw how I was writing simple commands and stringing them all together so that my little robot could move around the screen and light up little tiles. I love puzzles and this felt like I was solving a puzzle. I could write up a string of commands and try them out, seeing how it went, adjusting, sometimes starting over. 

The best part was trying Lightbot with Peanut when I got home. I told him I found a new app that I wanted him to try and that it was like solving puzzles. I talked him through each of the commands, following along with the on-screen instructions and adding my own explanation as we went. It was fascinating to watch him try to add steps and to watch how things went, to rethink, and try again. It was as if I could see the little gears turning in his head. Later, when he was climbing into bed, he tried to sneak his iPad in with him so he could play Lightbot. He'll be seven in May and it's amazing that he'll have some of this basic knowledge about coding that was completely foreign to me until less than a year ago.

I know some of my Twitter friends have tried Hour of Code. Have you tried it? Do you have an app or website that you really like? Do you have questions? (I'm not sure I can answer them...but I could try!) I would love to hear what you know about coding and if you have any tips or tricks for me!

The One Where Passion Is Key #slice2013

Every Tuesday, Ruth and Stacey, host Slice of Life at their blog, Two Writing Teachers. If you want to participate, you can link up at their Slice of Life Story Post on Tuesdays or you can just head on over there to check out other people's stories. For more information on what a Slice of Life post is about, you can go here. 

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My friend, Erin, reminded me that October is Connected Educator month! Hooray for connected educators! I love telling people how Twitter completely changed my teaching life and is the best professional development ever. I've also been talking to people about blogging and how it's such a great way to share stories and have encouraged a few to try it themselves. 

People are all over the place when it comes to their comfort level with technology, which is totally cool...except that I love technology and really think it can be used to impact students and their learning and wish more people were more connected as educators. I'm uber passionate about technology so when I start talking with someone about technology, I end up encouraging them to stretch their technology use here and there. I realize I have to be careful of how much I nudge people, though. It's easy for me to get carried away and excited just imagining the potential for learning and sharing, experimenting and expanding for someone stretching how they use technology. 

I'm used to people widening their eyes at me or waving me away like an unwanted gnat in their fruit bowl. It doesn't phase me any more, what I've discovered and decided is that it's important for me to share my passion. By sharing my passion for connecting with technology and then integrating it, I'm showing how much is possible if you put a lot of energy, time, love, and excitement into it. Over the summer, Ruth shared a story with me about a friend who biked a lot one summer...I think the woman biked over 100 miles in one day for a race or a cause. This woman came back to school ecstatic to share her passion for biking and encouraging others to want to bike as much as she had. Ruth explained how for her, it was an example of how someone following their passion in a big way can help another person just take baby steps. I love this idea! I can't expect everyone to share the same passions as me. I can't expect everyone to love Twitter or love blogging or Pinterest in the same way as I do but by sharing my experiences and what I find truly works for me, I model for others how they can take a baby step into using technology and connecting through social media.

This notion makes me completely ecstatic. I might not be able to change the world overnight but I strongly believe that by sharing my passion, I might be able to help someone see how to take those first baby steps. And baby steps are just the beginning.

The more I think and talk about how teachers can be integrating technology and share my passion for it, there are a some things I have come to know about technology and helping people own those baby steps.

1. Technology is always changing and there's so much out there so there's just no possible way to know it all. (Which is kind of a relief...it's like a free pass. It's okay to not know everything about technology!)

2. Embracing technology is all about owning the growth mindset. You can't know everything about technology, but you sure can have an open mind and a willing-to-learn attitude when it comes to technology. And why not model this for students?

3. It's important to start where you are when it comes to technology. If you're trying something new, explore, check it out, try things, make mistakes. If you've been using something for a while already, share what you know and how you use it and see what others might add to your knowledge. But wherever you are, be happy to be learning and using technology.

4. Celebrate the baby steps! Hip, hip, hooray for baby steps! I'm a big fan of baby steps because eventually they get you somewhere. Someone reminded me recently that parents are hugely proud when their baby takes their first steps. Everyone should own their baby steps. Trying something new deserves kudos just for trying.

5. It takes cheerleading and support and time and commitment to keep those baby steps going. Really helping people see a why to their baby steps and then helping them create a habit to keep going is just as important as those first steps. Just like a parent nurtures and guides their baby, clapping and cheering them on, I see myself as a cheerleader and coach for others. I may have gotten them into these first few baby steps by modeling my passion, I feel a need to keep them up and going. 

I love that I get to share my passion for instructional technology with others on a daily basis. It's so fulfilling to model how I use technology because it is one of my passions. In thinking about helping others see how to use technology in new or different ways, it's exciting to think how being able to share my passion might truly help someone feel okay to take a baby step. 

What are your passions? How do you model your passions everyday? What are some examples of how you have seen someone stretch themselves after seeing how passionate you are? I can't wait to read your stories! Thanks for sharing!

House Held Up By Trees

Title: House Held Up By Trees 
Author: Ted Kooser 
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick 
Publication Date: March 2012 
Genre/Format: Fantasy/Poetry/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: When the house was new, not a single tree remained on its perfect lawn to give shade from the sun. The children in the house trailed the scent of wild trees to neighboring lots, where thick bushes offered up secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking out sprouting trees. Until one day the father, too, moved away, and as the empty house began its decline, the trees began their approach. At once wistful and exhilarating, this lovely, lyrical story evokes the inexorable passage of time - and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up. 
What I Think: I first read this book at NCTE in November at the Candlewick booth - I was drawn to it because it is illustrated, in case you can't tell, by my illustrator, Jon Klassen. I fell in love with it then and have waited since to own my own copy. Now that I do own my own copy, it's one of those books that I can't help but hug before I read and then, as I read, I inevitably find myself running my fingers over its pages.

Earlier in the week, I reviewed Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and remarked on how well the text coordinates with the photographs and how together they put the reader into a state of almost meditative awe. This book does the exact same thing for me. It's magical. It lulled me with its whispers of beautiful text and its stunning, yet sage, illustrations. This book is a wise gentleman who taps the empty space on the bench next to him and announces that the reader will sit and be still while he tells his story.

I have read and read and read this book over and over and over. It's a nice story about people, young and old, growing up and moving on. It's a story about how things change - in ten years, in twenty years, in fifty years - things change. Change is a constant, and yet, there are some things we can always count on. As much as we try, there are just some things we cannot have power over. Most of all, as things do change and we become more technologically advanced, the amazing power of nature remains  ever wondrous.

I e-mailed one of my favorite English teachers (Hi, Lana!) to tell her how I think this book would be a great partner with Ray Bradbury's short story There Will Come Soft Rains. I vividly remember reading Bradury's short story when I was in middle school and being utterly confused. Confused to the point of being borderline irritated with the story. (I am not a fan of not being able to understand things.) When one of my students was in Lana's class last year, he was asked to read the text and I remember inwardly groaning as I recognized the story. With some extra background knowledge of Ray Bradbury and the mentality at the time the story was written, I was able to appreciate the story more. I do have to say that there is a lot of inferring that goes on in order to read that story, though. After a few rereads of House Held Up By Trees,  I can see how the message is similar to Bradbury's point in There Will Come Soft Rains - at least, in the way that I interpret it! I can see how reading Kooser's picture book first would help put students in the right frame of mind to set them up to read Bradbury's There Will Come Soft Rains. (I almost want to say that you could go ahead just forego the short story and read this book instead...but I do see the value of sharing Bradbury's work...even though I'm not sure my middle-school-self would agree.)
Read Together: Grades 5 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 7 -12 
Read With: Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder, There Will Come Soft Rains (short story) by Ray Bradbury, Grandpa Green by Lane Smith, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Snatch of Text:

"When it was new, the house stood alone on a bare square of earth."

  

"The sweet smell of the little green flowers floated around him 

as he worked, but he was too busy to notice."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Making Connections - Text to World,  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Metaphors, Descriptive, Tone, Mood, Theme
Writing Prompts: Write about something that is different for kids today from when you were younger. Interview a parent, grandparent, or other adult. Ask about how things were different for them when they were growing up compared to kids growing up today - record their answers and write a response to what you learned or realized from listening to their stories.  
Topics Covered: Change, Determination, Nature, Childhood, Growing Up 

Jen *hearts* It:

The Future of Us

Title: The Future of Us 
Author: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Razorbill 
Publication Date: November 2011 
Genre/Format: Mild Science Fiction/Novel 
GoodReads Summary: It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present. 
What I Think: I can't tell you how many flashbacks I had while reading this book. I was the same age in 1996 as Josh and Emma are in the book. I remember installing AOL, getting my first e-mail and a screen name, IMing and chat rooms. I can close my eyes and be in my dad's computer chair listening to the static fill the room before hearing the melodious, "You've Got Mail." It's kind of like this book is written for me...which makes me curious to hear how teens now relate to it. They are growing up in a world with so much more technology even though it has only been fifteen years. My youngest son can navigate our iPad on his own and get to where he wants to go and play the apps that he likes (which are  mostly Thomas) and I've seen my oldest on my computer trying to touch the screen to make things work until I remind him he has to use the trackpad. The meaning of "mouse" that's not an animal is almost obsolete to them - which is crazy! If you know of a teen who reads this book or you are a teen reading this book, I would love to hear how they respond to it. It's either going to make me really sad or make me laugh at how much things have changed in huge way in the last 15 years.
     Now that I have thoroughly explained how the whole premise for this book completely blew my mind, I can talk about the book itself. On Twitter, I asked Jay Asher how he would classify The Future of Us in terms of genre and this was his answer to me:

     I think of it as mild science fiction but I think it technically really should be considered historical fiction, too. It's a look at the world fifteen years ago, and while fifteen years ago doesn't feel like it should be historical already, it's obvious how much has changed. Kids who read this will have to really imagine what life was like all those years ago - when the idea of having a mini-computer to carry around in your pocket was unimaginable.
     I love the idea of time travel. Even though Emma and Josh don't time travel, they can see into their futures and make changes to their lives. One of life's great enigmas is that we have no idea what the future holds in store for us. We can anticipate how our choices will change our lives to an extent but we can't truly see how making even one miniscule decision now might change our lives in the future. It's scary but exciting at the same time. What's truly awesome about The Future of Us is that Josh made a choice in his past that put a wrench into his relationship with Emma. He can't go back and change what he did but it's impacting their futures - and they can't "fix" their futures if they don't deal with their past - but they don't want to deal with their past. It's one big glorious paradox.
     It's apparent that I could go on and on talking about this book and that usually is a good sign that I loved it. Enough said.
Read Together: Grades 9 - 12 
Read Alone: Grades 9 - 12 
Read With: Curveball by Jordan Sonnenblick, How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman,  
Snatch of Text: “Josh Templeton lives next door, and when we were little we constantly ran back and forth between our houses. We camped in our backyards, built forts, and on Saturday mornings he carried over his cereal bowl to watch cartoons on my couch. Even after we got to high school, we hung out all the time. But then, last November, everything changed. We still eat lunch with our small group of friends, but he hasn’t been in my house once in the past six months.” (p. 3) 

“’If you want, I say, mainly to fill the silence, ‘you can come over and try AOL sometime.’

Josh pushes his hair away from his eyes. ‘Tyson says it’s awesome. He says it’ll change your life.’

‘Right, but he also thinks every episode of Friends is life-changing.’” (p. 5) 

Mentor Text For: Making Connections, Making Inferences, Setting, Characterization, Dialogue, Activating Background Knowledge, Personal Narrative, Visualizing
Writing Prompts: If you could guarantee one thing about your future, what would you want to happen or never happen? Write a letter to yourself to save and read fifteen years from now. Write about a childhood friendship. 
Topics Covered: Friendship, Family, Love, Future, Taking Risks, Relationships, Computers, Happiness

Jen *hearts* It:

 

Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking

Title: Poems I Wrote When No One Was Looking     
Author: Alan Katz  
Illustrator: Edward Koren  
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing  
Publication Date: October 2011   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Poetry
GoodReads Summary: Bestselling author Alan Katz, of Silly Dilly fame, knows kid humor, and he knows just what subjects are funniest—from school to siblings to sports, this assortment of spirited poetry has something for everyone. In the tradition of Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky, with black-and-white illustrations throughout, this collection of more than 100 poems will have kids roaring with laughter!   
What I Think: In my effort to read more poetry in 2012, I grabbed this book at the library. I had a feeling it had the potential to be very Shel Silverstein-ish but it's really not even close. I grew up with Shel  Silverstein and can vividly remember reciting "Sara Cynthia Silvia Stout" and "Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me, Too" by heart. Maybe it's my unfamiliarity with these poems but they really struck me as not that great. I found myself thinking that some of these poems wanted to be Shel's poems and were pretending that they weren't anything like Shel's poems when I really felt like they desperately wanted to be. I'm usually not negative in my reviews but this book left a lot to be desired in my opinion. Of the one hundred poems included, there were five I thought would be worth sharing with kids. It made me kind of sad for the poems.
     One poem I think is fun is "Shhhhh...". This poem is full of onomatopoeia and I can never get enough onomatopoeia. I think onomatopoeia is so much fun. I love sharing onomatopoeia with kids because so often we overlook words that can be considered onomatopoeia. It's fun to talk about it and then challenge kids to pay attention and listen for onomatopoeia. Usually we end up noticing it all over the place, subtly hiding, but this poem definitely brings it to the forefront and bashes you in the head with it.
     The other poem that could be a talking point for kids is "It Doesn't Compute". In this age of technology, I think this poem is really relevant. I was just talking to my mom about how busy life is and how hard it is to juggle everything as a working mom with two kids and she remarked how when I was growing up things were much simpler. There wasn't the same kind of technology - no checking e-mails at home, no surfing the Internet or Facebook, no writing blog posts. I love how technology brings the world together but it does keep me busy. I immediately thought of Lane Smith's It's a Book! when I read this poem because it also talks about how kids are so accustomed to technology now that something like a book is foreign to them.
     As a collection these poems didn't speak to me and I'm not sure how much they will appeal to kids. Some of the topics will probably appeal to them but I wonder if some of the last lines will resonate as funny to them. Some of the last lines that were meant to be something akin to punchlines in a poem didn't flow or sound connected with the poems but I would be curious to hear what kids think.
Read Together: Grades 3 - 5 but some can definitely be relevant to older grades  
Read Alone: Grades 3 - 5
Read With: Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, It's a Book! by Lane Smith, Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Snatch of Text:  

Shhhhh...

Please don't bang!

Or slam!

Or buzz!

And please no loud

bansheeing!

Do not click!

And do not clunk!

I'm onomatopoeiaing.

p. 36

It Doesn't Compute

Daddy's downloading music.

Mommy's downloading pix.

Sister's downloading homework.

Brother's downloading flicks.

Grandma's downloading health forms,

and I have a really big hunch:

They're so busy on their computers,

no one's free to download me lunch.

p. 139

Mentor Text For: Making Connections, Puns, Play on Words, Homonyms, Word Choice, Rhyme  
Writing Prompts: When you are describing using the five sense, try adding in words that sound like the sounds in your scene - how does using onomatopoeia change your writing? 
Topics Covered: Family, Siblings, Friends, School, Morals, Responsibility

 

Unwrapping Literacy 2.0

     I'm so excited to be participating in Share a Story - Shape a Future this year.  The focus is Unwrapping the Gift of Literacy.  Today, the topic being discussed is Literacy 2.0 and what literacy looks like in the new century where digital literacy is making its mark.  All around the blogosphere, teachers, librarians, and lovers of reading in general are sharing their ideas for celebrating literacy in any way, shape, or form.  I'm honored to be a part of this celebration.  Thanks to Danielle from There's a Book for inviting me to post for this event!
     As a teacher, my goal is to support my students in reading by fostering their love and desire to read while addressing reading skills they need to develop.  When I think about encouraging my students to read, I first think about myself as a reader and readers in general.  I use my reading life and my friends' reading lives to guide what reading should look like in school.  Based on what I noticed about myself as a reader and about my friends as readers, I work to incorporate e-reading on my Nook Color, reading along with audiobooks, and non-fiction reading on my blog, Mrs. Read-A-Lot.  I believe incorporating these types of reading into my teaching help me provide variety in reading in order to engage students in reading.  Students who read more are better readers.  Ultimately, these technologies give my students more opportunities to read but they do also allow me to then teach reading skills and allow them to develop their good reading strategies.

Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer on my Nook Color

     Lately, I have had a blast bringing in picture books to read with students on my Nook Color.  While this e-reader isn't solely for kids, it definitely appeals more to kids because of the colors.  My students have been intrigued by the Nook Color because many of them had never heard of e-readers.  I work one-on-one with students from kindergarten through 8th grade so I can navigate the e-book with them.  Just yesterday I read Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer on the Nook Color.  My student was able to flip the pages on the touch screen, enlarge the text by double-clicking on it, and navigate the pages using the guide that appears on the bottom of the screen.  When the principal walked in, my student was able to explain what we were doing.  I love the Nook Color because it's a fun technology that gets kids excited about reading while allowing them to develop skills to navigate touch-screen technology!  

         Another digital technology I have incorporated in my teaching recently, is listening to an audiobook while reading.  I believe reading aloud to be one of the most critical elements in a child's reading development.  I work with students who are hard of hearing and some are also learning English as a second language.  Listening to a fluent reader read with expression gives students access to text that might be too difficult to read on their own and also gives them a model of what fluent reading sounds like.  Sometimes we listen to the audiobook and follow along in the book together, but I also upload books onto an iPod that I loan out for students to listen and read while at home.  This technology is also engaging but I love it because it levels the playing field for students who are learning English as a second language who need models of fluent reading in English.  I have one student whose family doesn't read English so she has no one reading to her in English at home.  Sending her home with an iPod and a book to listen and read is cool and it gives her access to reading in English.

          Finally, I do immense amounts of online reading and I realized my husband, who rarely reads books, does basically all of his reading online perusing websites about his favorite sports and musicians.  I created a blog devoted to my students.  During the week I take pictures of what students are reading and post a slideshow with the pictures on Fridays.  On Tuesdays I post the Reader of the Month, an author spotlight, or talk about reading.  Students and their parents are excited to know that they can see themselves , their books, and their teacher online.  
     If I think about myself as a reader and how my reading has evolved since I was a kiddo, it's obvious that technology is an integral part of my reading life.  While I love physical books, I love technology about as much.  Technology like e-readers, audiobooks, and blogs make reading different and sometimes different is fun.  Without technology, I would still be reading but that's not necessarily the case for my students.  Let's face it, those physical books I grew up with have to compete with Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation, the Internet...as a teacher and a parent I strongly believe in using the technology available to encourage students to read.  It might take technology to get them hooked on reading or to keep them reading.  In the end, they're reading and that's what it's all about! 
     What about you?  Do you promote digital literacy through e-readers, audiobooks, or blogs?  Do you have other technologies you believe are really impacting your students' reading?  Please leave a comment!  Thanks to PicPocket Books, 10 readers will be chosen to receive a free book app download for comments on this post or other posts about digital technologies that can be found on the Share a Story - Shape a Future site.