SoLSC 3.17.15 Posting Our Spring Break Shelfies!

 

Slice of Life is a weekly event hosted by Two Writing Teachers.

Our 4th graders have been joining in on their own Monday #IMWAYR posts.  I saw a tweet by Kristin Ziemke about using padlet for IMWAYR.  I was intrigued and decided to give it a try.

Since I work with reading students, I needed to use an avenue for our Monday posts that everyone could have access to.  I knew kidblog was an option, but Kristin had mentioned using padlet and I thought this was something new, yet accessible.

Each week I set up a new page with a new date.  That way kids are constantly updating the page with new books and getting new ideas.  My reading students always blog about what they are currently reading or a book they've just recently completed.  We looked at my blog and my #IMWAYR posts and a few other blogs.  I pointed out different ways to review a book.  You can summarize, talk about lines that stick to you, point out what was special about the book, use adjectives to describe or make you feel.  But the most important thing is don't give away the ending!  We talked about giving the reader just enough information and dangling something that makes them want to read the book.

After the students review their book and sign it (boy, they love seeing their name "in print"), they take a picture of their book or find a picture from the internet.  They attach it to their review and then it's posted.  I've encouraged the kids to look at the books their classmates have posted - see something you like?  Add it to your TBR list!

We have four 4th grade classrooms and two of the classrooms are currently joining us.  The students have all week to add their reviews to the page.  Friday afternoon I review everything and lock the page.  The page is then added to the school's website.  We are currently trying to get the "word" out to parents that this is a great resource to use to get book titles - getting a peer recommendation goes so far!

I'm really excited for this week's posts.  Since it's the week before Spring Break, I thought instead of writing a review, we would post some Spring Break shelfies!  I regularly do book talks for the kids, but this time I talked to them about making Spring Break reading plans. We talked about knowing how many books would we need to have over break.  Are they going to challenge themselves?  Try something new?  Just make a goal to always have a book!  All the kids left with new books to read and a Spring Break plan.  Next up, taking some shelfies!  The kids were really excited to show what they would be reading.  I invited other 4th graders to show us their Spring Break shelfies as well as their teachers.  I can't link the page up yet, since they have all week to add their pictures. 

You could feel the excitement as the students made their plans and getting to share it through technology made it even more fun!

This is just one way I have found to have kids share their reading.  What has worked for you?