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Easy Tips for Using Skype in the Classroom

By on April 6, 2015   /   For Teachers  

If you are a teacher of middle graders, a meaningful and exciting way to conclude a read aloud or book group is to Skype the author who wrote the book. Here are 5 tips to make Skyping an author an easy thing to do.

Step 1. Make sure you have the tools to Skype

These days finding a device has become as easy as turning on your phone. In classrooms that don’t have computers or Smartboards, teachers can simply download Skype onto their phone in order to meet an author. If you do have a large device, like an iPad, computer, or Smartboard, it’s certainly better, but all the students care about is seeing the author, hearing his or her voice, and having their voice be heard, so a phone works if it is all you’ve got.

Step 2. Contact the author

To find out if the author Skypes, I first look on his or her website. Often Skype visits are listed on the contact page. If the author doesn’t list Skype visits, it never hurts to find their email and ask. Even if they say no, your kids will love seeing any communication from the author they love. Many middle grade authors offer free 15 minute visits for talking to their fans. Another great resource is Kate Messner’s Authors Who Skype (For Free) List. When you email the author, make sure to tell him or her why you would like this visit, whether you are just finishing a read aloud or studying that author as a class or small group.

Step 3. Find a good time in your day

The visit is usually about 15 minutes, so it is pretty easy to fit it in. Make sure that you aren’t picking a time of day when kids are going in or out or when an announcement is going to interrupt. Have a few of these times in mind before sending your email. I try to send authors at least three separate times of day so we can best fit into their schedule.

Step 4. Test the technology

There is nothing worse than having 20+ kids sitting in front of a Smartboard waiting to meet their favorite author and something not working. Set up a minute conversation with the author before the visit to test the technology. Even after the test, make sure to have backups on hand. You can never be too prepared.

Step 5. Prepare your class

Before the visit, I share the author’s website and make sure they know a little more about the author than the book they read. Then I have my students write down three questions they would like to ask. We share the questions with each other and each student picks one question as their top priority. By preparing we can weed out questions like, “How old are you?” and focus on the more important stuff, like why did you write this book and how did you decide that a certain character was going to be evil. I am always amazed with the quality of questions when kids are given a chance to think about them. And my students love it when during the visit the author says, “Wow, that’s a really good question.”

And that’s really all there is to it. Have the tools, contact the author, pick a mutual time, test the technology, and prepare your class. If you have any additional tips or questions, make sure to leave them in the comments.

 

Stacy Barnett Mozer is a middle grade writer and a third grade teacher. You can find out more about her on her website. She tweets at @SMozer.

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Starting a Parent/Child Book Club

By on April 3, 2015   /   For Parents  

 

Statue of mother and child reading

This fall, my third grader and I and some friends from the neighborhood started a mother/daughter book club. There are so many benefits for the kids, who are reading, analyzing books, socializing, interacting with adults outside the family, and learning to voice their opinions. It’s also been a fun social opportunity for the moms, and a chance to get to know the other girls in the group better. And we’ve read some great books! Here are a few tips for those interested in starting a kid book club.

  1. Forming the group

First, think about the number of group members. Too many can get quickly out of hand and can silence the quieter kids, while too few can make it difficult to get a conversation going, particularly when it’s likely there will always be someone who can’t make the meeting because of a conflict. Our group has nine parent/kid sets, and I don’t think I’d go much larger than that. Somewhere between five and ten is probably a good number.

To find group members, think about your child’s friends from school, your own friends and their kids, your neighbors, your place of worship, your kid’s summer camp or sports team, and even your family, if it’s big enough.

  1. Logistics

Next, decide where and how often to meet. You may want to have a first, organizing meeting with your group to talk this through. The families in our group take turns hosting. The host parent and child provide snacks and lead the discussion. We meet every four to six weeks during the school year, on a weekend late afternoon. Each meeting lasts an hour, with the first thirty minutes for eating, chatting, allowing for late arrivals, and maybe a craft or activity. Then we begin the discussion.

  1. Choosing the books

This part is hard, but also really fun. First, consider whether to focus on a particular type of book, such as nonfiction or Newbery winners or science fiction. Then, think about the age and interests of the kids in your group. Teachers and librarians can be great sources of book ideas, as can websites and blogs like this one.

The trick with choosing is to encourage the kids to select books that interest them, but not to let them get over their heads in terms of what they’ll enjoy and be able to finish. My advice would be for the parents to narrow the selections to a group that are all acceptable, then let the kids vote. It’s probably best to err on the side of easier rather than harder, particularly at the beginning when everyone is getting the hang of group discussion.

It can be good to pick a few books at once to avoid spending too much club time on the picking, so more kids can get their favorites chosen, and so people can read ahead. Don’t pick too many at a time, though. You need to allow for the kids’ changing interests and maturity, which happens so fast at this age!

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  1. Encouraging participation

As a formerly shy girl, I know that it’s important to make it easy for the quieter kids to speak. One idea is to give the kids a notebook to use to write down their thoughts as they read. You can send questions ahead of time and let them write answers in the notebook, so that they feel prepared when the discussion starts. It’s also nice to have a question at the beginning of the meeting that each child answers. For instance, they can give the book a thumbs up or down, or rate it on a scale of 1-5. Once you start talking, it’s easier to continue. It’s also good to encourage raising hands to speak.

Recognize that it may take a while for the kids to feel comfortable talking. If most of the meeting seems to be the parents talking, remember that you’re modeling for the kids, and they’ll be able to do it themselves soon.

book club snacks

  1. Have fun!

Keep discussion on the book, but don’t forget that it should be fun, too. Try to keep the mood light. We usually have snacks that match the food or theme of the book (above are the mermaid snacks we had to go along with The Tail of Emily Windsnap). We’ve decorated bookmarks and eaten cookies shaped like books. Consider costumes. Kids can write letters to authors, and many authors have book extras on their websites, which can make for fun activities. Be creative and enjoy your new club!

If you have other ideas for kid book clubs or can recommend books that your club has particularly liked, please share them in the comments!

Katharine Manning is a writer and mom of three. She reviews middle grade books at www.kidbooklist.com. You can follow her on twitter @SuperKate.

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