The invention of "BookSpace"

Well, as many of you have already noticed, Beth, Alison, and I are no longer sitting and sharing with you in EDTP 620. Dr. Kajder sat down with the three of us last week to discuss alternative study options for her coursework, as we had basically already taken this class, though it was a little more language arts-centered. She recognized as much, and the three of us discussed ways to come up with a project that utilizes all the elements you all are talking about, but to focus a little more on our language arts content.

The task: to read as much young adult literature as possible and create a literacy-based project with real-world, classroom potential--basically, something we could all use for the 2007-08 school year. We each squealed with delight at the idea of reading more young adult books; I know, for my own part, that I want to have a firmer grasp on a wide variety of literature, so when my students say, "Mrs. LeBlanc, is this a good book?" I can answer them with enthusiasm and true knowledge of the plotline. I really couldn't do that to my satisfaction this past year.

Each of us wanted to find a way to utilize our relatively newfound knowledge of emerging technologies, and we also wanted it to be student-friendly and useable. What we centered on was a kind-of pre-reading, during reading, post-reading web site where students could turn to not only find out what books to check out from the library, but also what other students think of those books. For example, if they think The Wish List by Eoin Colfer sounds kinda cool, but they know nothing about it, they can come to the web site to watch a digital story from a part of the book or read what other students think about the story. Then, when they're through with it, they can post comments or questions for other Wish List readers, get recommendations for similar books, or find supplemental articles that help them learn more about the book's topic or author.

Phew. Make sense?

In a nutshell, our project is a setup of teacher exemplars, which we will then take back to the classroom so that students can use it, read it, and then ADD to it and MANIPULATE it as they see fit. This is really a project for THEM, not to show off how many books we can read in one summer.

Then there was the matter of the name. Because we each teach middle school, and many middle schoolers are obsessed with MySpace and all things virtual networking, "BookSpace" seemed like a natural fit: it fits what we need, it's accurate to our core idea, and it's kinda catchy.

So that's what we're up to. I know Beth's already finished three books, I'm working on a third, and Alison's plugging through several as well.

If you don't see us around, rest assured: Our noses are plugged up in a book somewhere. We ARE language arts teachers, after all.

The world is flat, and Galileo is rolling over in his grave.

You know, I thought I was doing pretty well keeping my students abreast of the new advances in technology, what with my implementation of the Virtual Think Aloud project I learned about in 540 and my setting up a class web site, (which can be accessed here, after you type mrsleblanc for username and patriots for password. I haven't updated since the end of school, though. FYI). But after reading chpater 10 in Adolescent Literacy, my mind is swirling with new tech-saavy ideas I can take back to my new class of 7th graders and implement from the first day of school next year. How can I afford not to, what with this world of ours flattening out like it is?

My dad read Friedman's book last year, and he would call me from Texas, mostly to scare me, I think. He'd spout out frightening statistics, like the fact that the U.S. has 7,000 higher-ed institutions, but India and China are getting 70% of the jobs, or something. (I've mostly made up those figures, but I'm pretty sure it was something close to that.)

One of the things I remember he said that most struck me, particularly because I have grown up in the age that is obsessed with all things pop culture (I love "The Soup"!), was this...

"In China, Bill Gates is their Britney Spears," he said. "The problem in this country, is that Britney Spears is our Britney Spears." (shudder)

How do we teach our students the importance of becoming globally minded, of acquiring skills their parents not only never dreamed of having, but simply never dreamed of? Setting up a class blog or interactive web site is fantastic, but is it enough? Do you know you're standing on the cutting edge because no one around you is practicing those skills?

Some of the more...ummm...experienced teachers at my school--the ones whose frown lines deepen as the school day approaches, even after having their morning coffee--have expressed their frustrations with the students of today and their fleeting attention spans. But these teachers grew up in a different age, one that did not include pop-up ads and Myspace updates and instant text messaging. We are teaching a new crop of students whose methods of absorbing information have shifted, and our methods of getting our curriculum into their brains needs to reflect this societal change.

Phew. Enough deep thinking for one night.

Adolescent Literacy and the real world

Hooray! This particular selection--maybe the fifth chapter I've read today? Wow.--was neither boring nor difficult to get through. I am so pleased reading Beers and Probst, two esteemed educators I saw in Nashville this past November, because they make the reading relevant to the real world educator. (Rief, as well, though I'm not familiar with her work before now.)

I was horrified by the principal from Florida and saddened by the students from Texas, because I think they are the true victims of the NCLB legislation. I found the authors' footnote about NCLB bein a necessary evil and brilliant breakdown of why it shouldn't be struck from our national consciousness; this type of nationwide accountability has to come with some checks and balances, though. We cannot realistically expect all students from all backgrounds to achieve all the time without leveling the playing field in the community and in the workforce. Brilliant. How can we make this kind of thinking conscious to the entire country?

In my school, we work hard to stay on the cutting edge of theory and practice and technology, but I teach in a very high socioeconomic area and know that this reality is not the reality for most of my teacher friends. It's hard for me to accept praise and pats on the back teaching in a school such as mine; inside I'm saying, "Yeah, but praise me when I'm teaching somewhere hard." Hmph. My own issue, I suppose.