What happens to the learning environment of a school when teachers and a team of award-winning children’s nonfiction authors collaborate in a large-scale, school-wide project where everyone is involved in sharing knowledge and skills?
Is this a way to create inspiration, motivation and the love of learning?
These are two of the questions that the interactive videoconferencing (IVC) division, Authors on Call, of my company, Ink Think Tank, is attempting to answer in a pilot study with Bogert Elementary School in Upper Saddle River, NJ. Our first results are in and they are very encouraging. Bogert is a grades 3, 4, and 5 school and our pilot project will unfold over this school year.
The Bogert teachers have selected books as they fit into their scope and sequence from each of eight nonfiction authors. The plan is to have teachers meet with the author of the book they’ve selected via IVC to brainstorm and plan how to teach that book. At some point, the author meets with the classes of the teachers. Since the devil is in the details, I’m going to quote some excerpts from the first participants in the project as entered on our wiki, that is the record of the pilot as it unfolds. Chis Kostenko and Jason Parkhurst, two fifth-grade teachers, selected Dorothy Hinshaw Patent’s book, "Shaping the Earth."
Jason and Chris first met with Dorothy via Skype (which is the only technology we have available at this school). Dorothy later said, “As we talked, we quickly agreed that a major problem is getting students engaged with learning. Jason and Chris both said that even when they ask their students what in their own lives interests them the most, what inspires their curiosity, many of them can’t come up with an answer. It seems they are detached even from their own lives. I had come into the session with that same question in a general sense -- when we introduce a subject in the curriculum that the children need to learn about, how do we get them to relate to it personally?”
Dorothy then wrote about their plan, “Jason and Chris suggested that by listening to me talk about my own life, how my passion for the natural world drove me then as it does now, might help inspire their students to think about their own lives and spark their own interests. We decided that I would do two half-hour Skype sessions with the students, one soon after Thanksgiving. I would talk about what drove me when I was a child, how I found my own writing voice that allows me to communicate clearly with my readers, how I write so that people want to read what I’ve written, and the more practical matter of how I find reliable information and how I choose which information to pass on to readers. Then, after the students have developed their own projects using my book, we would have a second Skype session together. We left the focus of that one somewhat up in the air for now, as we want to see how the project evolves.”
The first IVC with the students took place last Wednesday. Dave Kaplan, the principal observed:
“From the general learning perspective, it was awesome, truly awesome. Students were excited, taking notes, responding, etc. The two classes sat on the floor facing the smartboard and there was a chair on which one student speaker could sit front and center. The camera faced the class and seemingly captured everyone. There was a real hum coming from the students as they related to Dorothy’s experiences and laughed at some of her stories. It was interesting to hear. There was energy in the room. For this first meeting, it was a get-to-know you. I loved that; relationship building equals credibility for the kids. Next step is to dig into the learning-content area, writing, reading, etc. I am already talking to the teachers about possibilities and directions. The goal is to get the students more involved. In this introductory meeting, the kids generally listened, though they did come prepared with great questions for Dorothy.”
Chris Kostenko polled his class the next day, “The class spoke about Dorothy as someone they knew." Here are some of their comments:
“It wasn’t just about books, science, or being an author. We got to learn a lot about you.”
“I enjoyed that story about when you and your friend set off the firecracker and set the grass on fire. I would feel embarrassed just like you did. Who wouldn’t?”
“I realized that nature is a very important and fun thing to explore. You’ve also inspired me to do my best and to work hard.”
“I can’t wait to talk to you again.”
"Now when we read your book, we can hear your voice say every little word, no matter who is reading.”
“It seemed like you were right in the room with us.”
“It’s exciting to know an author who can give us tips … I can’t wait to get tips from a real pro.”
Chris’s conclusion: “What we’re doing isn’t ordinary. We’re playing with something that has extraordinary potential. Wow.”
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