Literacy Now

This post originally appeared on the Engage/Teacher to Teacher blog in December 2011.

If we ask our elementary students how they determine which words are important words in content area text, what would they say? Chances are some of our children would say words in bold print or italics are important. Others might go by the length of words. Long, technical words that they hadn’t seen before might also be words they would choose.

Those strategies for identifying important words might work for science and social studies text, but they don’t work with all content text. Math is one example that doesn’t always play by the rules. With math word problems, we must help students recognize important words that normally they might not even notice in text. Small words such as from and more might be skimmed over, but they can be important words when looking at word problems.

We need to work with children to help them take a closer look at word problems.

Step by Step

Arrange the students’ desks so all of the students are in one of four small groups. On a white board, draw a large rectangle with a circle in the middle. Then draw a horizontal line and a vertical line dividing the rectangle in four equal parts. It should look like this:

Review with the students the mathematical operations they have learned so far. Ask the class which type of math problems they learned to solve first. Then put a small addition sign in the top right box. Then discuss which mathematical problems they learned to solve next. Going counterclockwise, write a small subtraction sign in the square at the top left. Continue on putting a multiplication and division symbol in the two remaining boxes. In the circle in the center of the square, draw an equal sign.

Each group will focus on addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. After the students know which type of math problems their group is assigned, give each group an envelope containing an assortment of word problems which require their assigned mathematical operation. These word problems might be ones created during the year by classmates or published examples. (Ideally the problems will be printed on individual pieces of paper, so students can highlight the important words.) The goal for each group is to work together to read the word problems and identify any important words which might help the reader to identify the operation required. Ask each group to highlight the important words they found in their problems.

Now it is time for students to get feedback from peers. The group looking at addition problems will exchange their envelope of word problems with the subtraction group. The multiplication and division groups can also exchange their envelopes of word problems. Each of the groups should examine the word problems they received to determine if there are any additional important words that might need to be highlighted. If there are additional words, they can be highlighted. Then the envelopes are returned to the original group which was assigned the mathematical operation.

At this time have each student take a sheet of paper and fold it into four equal squares. Then they can draw a circle in the center so that their sheet resembles the rectangle shown on the white board. This will serve as the student’s individual sheet.

It is time for the students in each group to share the important words they found in their word problems which alerted them to their assigned mathematical operation.

As the teacher writes the words shared on a white board, the class can write on their own individual sheets of paper. As ideas are shared, be sure to discuss how the important words in math differ from important words in other content areas. Often the important words in math word problems can be easily overlooked. They don’t draw attention to themselves through bold print or italics, and they aren’t necessarily large words. Often they are words students would see in other text and skim right over. However, in word problems, they must be noticed. Math word problems must be closely read.

After the four groups have shared the important words they found, ask all of the students to glance one last time at their word problems to see if there are any important words that mean equal. Those words can be circled in the word problems and then shared with the class. As the teacher writes the words in the center circle on the white board, students can write them in the center circle on the individual sheets.

Additional Ideas

Allow students to keep their individual sheets of paper or place the sheets in their math notebook. That way they can continue to add words on to the sheets as they encounter more word problems during the year. It might even be desirable to print a large copy of the ideas on the white board to put on the wall as a form of local text. This not only familiarizes children with the terms, but it also serves as a basic copy should their copy be lost.

Teachers working with very young children can modify the activity by dividing the paper into two parts so students can focus on only addition and subtraction. The class can also complete the sheet as a whole class activity. This activity also helps students to realize that important words aren’t always the ones that stand out to the reader. Small words such as more, plus, take away, left, is, and others can be very important in solving word problems.

Let’s Extend the Activity

Students might also use some of the words on the sheets to create math word problems for other students to solve. This not only helps with writing skills, but it gives them additional practice with math word problems.

Jennifer L. Altieri, Ph.D. is the Literacy Division Coordinator at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. She has worked as a reading consultant with elementary and middle schools in St. Louis, Missouri, and an elementary school in Beaufort, South Carolina. Her interests include sharing multiethnic literature, creating poetry with young children, and developing disciplinary literacy skills.

Jennifer recently released her newest book, CONTENT COUNTS! DEVELOPING DISCIPLINARY LITERACY SKILLS K-6.



Reviews of K-12 Books with Mathematical Perspectives

Engage: Teaching Tips

by Tammy Ryan

Before 1980, people found quiet, cozy spots to log the day’s most interesting thoughts in a diary or journal. Entries were logged using a pencil or pen, written on paper, and detailed with sketches or doodles. Content remained private to the author, and diaries were locked with a special key. During the late 1980s, Doogie Howser, M.D, a character played on a television comedy-drama, exposed Americans to “digital” diaries as he weekly logged his thoughts in a computer. Today, people create and use online diaries or blogs, short for “weblogs,” to log interesting thoughts and discoveries. Entries are composed online using a computer, laptop, or mobile device, photographs and videos are uploaded for detail, and content is open to the public to read and post feedback.

Many blogs focus on important educational topics. These topics range from educational news, policy, teaching trends, to research, and technology. Blogs are created by and for administrators, librarians, teachers, parents, and students and are designed to inform teaching and learning. See Top 100 Education Blogs and Scholastic’s Top 20 Teacher Blogs for 2012 blog favorites.

Below, I highlight three educational blogs informing the field of education. The first provides an example on how a community of teachers co-construct a blog to share important teaching tips. The second illustrates ways a classroom teacher uses a blog to chronicle monthly literacy happenings. The third demonstrates how a blog creates a powerful virtual space for educators to discuss educational issues.

Teaching Blog Addict (TBA) is a blog created by and for prekindergarten through 6th grade teachers. It offers teaching tips across subject areas, common core, assessments, classroom management, technology, etc. It includes free templates, freebies, and information on how to create your own classroom blog. Below is an example of a TBA second grade page.

 

Ms. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog creatively captures through pictures, videos, and narratives the monthly learning experiences of six and seven year olds in Saskatchewant, Canada. Ms. Cassidy invites the world into her classroom to learn how she integrates a class Tweeter account, Skype, iPads, Web 2.0 tools, and digital technologies into reading and writing events. The site includes access to individual student blogs that also include videos, pictures, and stories.

Chris Guerrieri’s Education Matters Blog is a forum for educators to stay abreast of current issues affecting education such as policy, electing leaders, and accountability. The site includes links to other blogs such as Diane Ravitch’s Blog, Journal of Educational Controversy, and Schools Matter. Below is a sample from the Education Matters Blog.

Undoubtedly, blogs are creating important spaces to socially construct what we know about teaching and learning. To easily create your own blog, you can download free software from a site such as Edublogs or WordPress. Then, you can enjoy sharing your educational discoveries with a global community.  

Tammy Ryan is from Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Florida.

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).

At this Thanksgiving time who or what are you most thankful for? Maybe it is a special book that you share with your class. Or the opportunity to gather with family and friends around a Thanksgiving feast. Or maybe it is all of the holiday football games on television. This week we share books around the theme of thankfulness and Thanksgiving. The International Reading Association Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group is thankful that you read our book reviews each week. We are also thankful that you are share books with children everyday!

For more Thanksgiving ideas, be sure to check out 5 Questions With... Mike Allegra (Author of Sarah Gives Thanks) and Putting Books to Work: Judy Cox's One is a Feast for a Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale on the Engage blog:

 

GRADES K-3

 

Bullard, Lisa. (2012). Grace’s Thanksgiving. Illus. by Katie Saunders. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press.

With simple text and bold illustrations filled with thankful and contented friends and families of all sorts and sizes, this short book provides an introduction to the Thanksgiving holiday and some of the family traditions associated with it. Divided into four brief sections, the book gives reasons for each of us to be grateful but also carefully points out how Thanksgiving is not a day of celebration for many Native Americans. Although the feast day is often considered a curiously American custom, the text reveals that many cultures have harvest festivals similar to our Thanksgiving.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Gal, Susan. (2012). Day by day. New York: Knopf/Random House.

A family of pigs travels mile after mile out west to establish a new home. When they arrive at the selected spot, their work begins. They build a house and then turn it into a home. They plant their garden, meet their neighbors, celebrate in pig-“sty”le fun, harvest their crops, and share their bounty with neighbors. On each page spread, the author uses the phrases “little by little, the bird builds its nest.” In pastels and textures, the text is simple and roundly floats through this idyllic story. Young children will enjoy spotting literary pigs from other stories tucked into the illustrations. This will be an alternative way of using a story for thankfulness and sharing without the traditional Thanksgiving theme.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Gillen, Lynea. (2012). Good people everywhere. Portland, OR: Three Pebbles Press.

This gentle story about finding the good in people will be a great read aloud or bedtime story for our youngest readers. The author provides a positive and uplifting way to look at the people around you and see the many wonderful and helpful things people do for their friends, neighbors, or folks in need. Examples of good people doing good things include the chef that cooks for the needy, the young teen helping on the playground, or parents providing for their children. This books offers a statement about safe and nurturing environments for children to grow up within. Craft ideas at the end of the book give a hands-on activity for children to develop these same attitudes about gratitude and thankfulness. The publisher’s website offers information about the author and illustrator as well as several downloadable activities.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Landau, Elaine. (2012). What is Thanksgiving? Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary.

Filled with the usual historical images of the Pilgrims and Native Americans associated with this November holiday and photographs of tables heaped with food and smiling families gathered together to feast and have fun together, this simple title provides background information for the holiday and its significance. The author reminds readers to find a way to thank someone that they ordinarily don't thank on this day of plenty, a gentle acknowledgement that the day should have more significance than offering a chance to stuff oneself with food and indulge in hours of football games. This is a colorful, visually appealing addition to the I Like Holidays! Series, an introduction to various holidays and holiday traditions for young readers.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

McGee, Randel. (2011). Paper crafts for Thanksgiving. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Elementary.

Young readers will enjoy this book filled with all sorts of paper crafts to celebrate Thanksgiving. Basic information about the holiday is provided while also giving simple instructions designed to keep youngsters busy creating paper projects such as corn and gourd paper chains, a Thanksgiving table greeting, and a pop-up turkey card, among others. The adults in the family who are busy preparing the holiday meal will be glad to have their little ones distracted by these easy-to-do crafts made from paper.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Parr, Todd. (2012). The thankful book. Boston: Little Brown.

In hot bright colors, Todd Parr has created a book where each page shows how children and other lively characters are thankful for something in their lives. With a loud splash of humor he suggests things like being thankful for underwear so they can wear it on their heads! Or one little girl is thankful for her purple hair because it makes her unique. Other scenarios that kids and characters in the book are grateful for include their gardens, their feet, an elephant is thankful for his ears, bubble baths, and the library that has lots of adventures. This book begs for a read aloud with younger children and the obvious follow-up discussion to share what they are thankful for in their lives. A very fun video introduction by the author is available at the author’s colorful website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Scotton, Rob. (2012). Splat says thank you! New York: Harper.

Splat, the cat, and Seymour, the rat, have been friends for a long time. But today Seymour is feeling down, so Splat decides to cheer him. He wants to find a special way to make him feel better so he creates a book, a Friendship Book. It holds many stories about the things the two friends have done together like the time Seymour repaired an ornament that was a favorite of Splat’s mother and Splat thanked him. Or the time Splat’s toe got stuck in the bathtub, it was Seymour that got him unstuck, and Splat said thank you. Rob Scotton’s illustrations are so playful that young readers will be totally engaged with the fun and frolic of Splat. This promises to be an enjoyable read aloud with the obvious connection to make Friendship Books in class. Many downloadable extras including a book trailer and activity kit are available at both the author’s website and the publisher’s website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

Wilson, Karma. (2012). Bear says thanks. Illus. by Jane Chapman. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster.

This is the newest companion in Karma Wilson’s lovable bear stories (Bear Snores On, 2002; Bear Wants More, 2003). All of Bear’s forest friends are in the mix again and Bear is trying to find a way to say thank you to all of them for their friendship. He decides to have a dinner party but when he looks at his cupboards they are empty. His friends start to appear at his door each bringing a delectable dish to share. Hare brings muffins and Badger brings fish, and Gopher and Mole and Mouse, Owl, Raven, and Wren all bring food to add to the feast. Bear is feeling badly that he has nothing to contribute but his friends assure him that his stories are the best contribution of all. Jane Chapman has created illustrations that vibrate with fall colors that add to the warm glow of friendship that wraps around each creature, as it will for young readers as well. Visit the author’s website for more about her Bear books and downloadable extras to use in the classroom.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 4-6

 

Tejubehan. (2012). Drawing from the city. Chennai, India: Tara Books.

This simple narrative comes from the heart, and every stroke of its illustrations is hand drawn by its narrator. Artist Tejubehan tells her own story of bad luck, poverty, and rising above it. Forced by drought to migrate from their village to Mumbai, her family manages to make a home with whatever they can find. At the age of 16, she marries Ganeshbhai Jogi. Together, they sing traditional songs and serendipitously develop a fondness for drawing when an artist hands them paper and pen. Although Tejubehan is not formally educated, her inner life and reflections of the life around her are rich and evocative. With its gentle narration and arresting images, the book provides the unique perspective of a cultural insider who envisions breaking gender barriers. The author also brings folk art to the forefront of multimodal narration. Tejubehan’s interpretation of her city, its vehicles, and citizens will linger in the hearts and minds of the readers long after the book is closed. Reminding readers what they themselves have to be thankful for, the book is handmade and will stand out in any collection. Readers may be interested in listening to Tejubehan and Ganeshbhai sing at this website.

- Rani Iyer, Washington State University Pullman

 

Walsh, Barbara Elizabeth. (2012). The poppy lady: Moina Belle Michael and her tribute to veterans. Illus. by Layne Johnson. Honesdale, PA: Calkins Creek/Boyds Mill Press.

Moina Belle Michael, a teacher at the University of Georgia’s Normal School in 1917, truly lived the phrase “on behalf of a grateful nation” as she devoted her adult life to finding a way to aid and honor veterans. Moina was teaching when World War I broke out and eventually American soldiers were called to foreign shores. Like many women of this era, she started by rolling bandages and knitting socks. Wanting to do more she moved to New York City and started working with the YMCA organization delivering food, books, and inspiration to soldiers. Like many Americans, she read the newly penned poem, “In Flanders Fields” written by Lt. Colonel John McCrae, Canadian army MD, (1872-1918), and it gave her the idea to sell poppies as a way to support our wounded soldiers when they returned home and thus the tradition got started. Beautiful oil paintings illustrate this very well researched book that Walsh based on family interviews, photos, and letters that are included in the author’s notes at the end of the book. A portion of the proceeds for “The Poppy Lady” go to the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple which works to help children of the U. S. Military. Paired with Linda Granfield’s picture book of the poem “In Flander’s Fields; the story of the poem by John McCrae” (p2005, c1995) Language Arts and Social Studies teachers could join hands for a thoughtful Veteran’s Day commemoration. Go to the author’s website for extensive back matter including a well-done book trailer and other resources about the actual Poppy Lady, Moina Belle Michael. Visit The Children’s War blog for more on The Poppy Lady. Information and words to McCrae’s famous poem can be found at the Arlington Cemetery website.

- Karen Hildebrand, Ohio Library and Reading Consultant

 

GRADES 7-8

 

Fradin, Judith Bloom, & Fradin, Dennis Brindell. (2012). Stolen into slavery: The true story of Solomon Northrup, free black man. Washington, DC: National Geographic.

Drawing in part upon the memoirs of Solomon Northrup, a free black man living in New York state prior to the Civil War, the authors craft a true story that will, by turns, trouble and mesmerize readers as they ponder the unexpected dangers and assaults on their liberty that free blacks faced at that time. Northrup, a musician, was lured from his home with the promise of job opportunities, drugged, kidnapped, and then sold as a slave to a series of plantation owners in Louisiana. No one would listen to his insistence that he was a free man. Solomon's story comes to life in the sure hands of the Fradins, who skillfully give readers a peek into his heart and mind as well as describing his heartless kidnappers and the various masters he served during his twelve years of enslavement in Louisiana. As much as slavery as an institution is disturbing, and as harsh as conditions for slaves clearly were during that time, the horrors of having been free in this country and then suddenly losing everything you had, even your name and identity, cannot be denied. Readers are sure to be fascinated by Northrup's story and wonder how he managed to keep up his spirits and never give up hope that he would escape one day. Gratitude and thanks go to Samuel Bass, a carpenter who wrote the letters that enabled Solomon to inform his friends of his whereabouts. Although there are still some questions about some of the events in this fascinating story, they only add to its appeal.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

Gregorich, Barbara. (2012). Jack and Larry: Jack Graney and Larry, the Cleveland baseball dog. Chicago: Philbar.

The world of sports has many heroes, and the game of baseball itself can boast plenty of its own celebrated athletes and heroic acts. This brief novel in verse tells the story of courage and inspiration that came in the form of a canine, a bull terrier named Larry, who became the companion of baseball player, Jack Graney, and the mascot for his team, the Cleveland Naps (later, the Indians). Readers will find it hard to resist the emotional tug of this classic tale about the love between a man and a dog as it describes the strong emotional ties between Jack and Larry and eventually between Larry and the also-ran team that just never seems to come up with all the right combinations to win enough games to make it to the World Series, the Holy Grail of professional baseball. The author chooses to include certain details, hint at others, and omit still others. The story begins in 1912 when Jack is unsure if he will remain with his team or be traded. To his delight, he stays with Cleveland, but endures some very tough years with the team. One of the heart-breaking aspects of the book is how the author hints at events that lie ahead. In life, as in baseball, sometimes the ball takes unexpected bounces, and the team must deal with those. Just when things are looking up for Cleveland, tragedy or misfortune seems to strike until finally, amazingly, the team wins the 1920 World Series. Throughout most of those years, Larry captivates the attention of the fans and inspires Jack's teammates. He becomes so famous that he even meets the president of the United States. Above all, though, the book and its two heroes remind us of how persistence and determination sometimes trump sheer ability and talent. Reading this heart-breaking story provides one more reason to be grateful for the blessings of a loyal dog’s companionship and the small acts of heroism that go unnoticed every day.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

 

GRADES 9-12

 

Schrefer, Eliot. (2012). Endangered. New York: Scholastic.

The Congo to which fourteen-year-old Sophie Biyoya-Ciardulli has returned for a summer sojourn with her mother is more annoying and inconvenient than she remembers from when she lived there as a child. Her mother runs a sanctuary there for bonobos, and seems to lavish all her affection on the animals. Sophie is compelled to rescue a bonobo being offered for sale by a man on a bicycle, thus, saving its life, but also breaking one of her mother's rules. Before Sophie can return to her father in Miami, the country erupts in chaos. With her mother away on sanctuary business and most of her mother’s employees slaughtered by renegade soldiers, Sophie and Otto must depend on each other to survive. At first Sophie is able to hide in the sanctuary's enclosure with the other bonobos, but eventually, she must try to reach the capital city or the wilderness where her mother is if the two have any chance to survive. Sophie’s choices will remind teen readers of the strong connections between humans and other animals and the actions each of us may take when our lives or the lives of others are at stake. The author does not shun the violence that fills the countryside, describing the deaths of the sanctuary workers, the violence and cruelty of the boy soldiers who seem to be at the heart of the campaign whose objective is not clear, and the politics at the heart of the conflict. While Sophie is lucky, time and again, to escape relatively unscathed, her resourcefulness, determination and pluckiness are admirable. This is an insightful examination of the value of lives, both humans and bonobos, and how helpless each of us can become in the face of the unexpected. Teen readers will easily slip into Sophie's smelly, almost-rotten sneakers and wonder what they might have done in the same situation, faced with decisions more pressing than what outfit to wear for the day.

- Barbara A. Ward, Washington State University Pullman

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.

 

 

In the spring of 2012, a group of English Language Arts educators from Franklin, MA, launched a highly successful middle school reading program around The Hunger Games. In this five-part special series, the teachers who orchestrated the whole-school read will detail, step-by-step, this year’s initiative. The first installment offers a look into how the team made their book selection.

Last year, a dedicated group of literature lovers loaded four school buses with 224 impassioned middle-schoolers and sallied forth to the local movie theater. Our goal was greater than just simple movie-viewing; we were there to celebrate reading and the power of a good book.

In the weeks that followed, those 224 were joined by 36 additional readers, bringing participation to almost 50% of the total school population. Two-hundred-sixty sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students took part in competitions of mind (trivia), body (relay races), and spirit (talent show) to crown a victor in the 2012 Horace Mann Middle School Hunger Games.

Through circumstances outside of the Gamemakers’ control, two victors ended with the crown (how fitting!), and even before the feathers from Effie’s boa had been swept away, the questioning began: What book were we going to do next year?

The citizens of the Capital (a.k.a. the teachers who worked like crazy to pull of this insanely successful festival of literacy) were thrilled and exhausted at the same time. So, we did what all good exhausted teachers do: we asked the kids for help.

The boys in my homeroom told me I just had to read the Charlie Higson Enemy series. An eighth grade girl gushed about her excitement about the upcoming young adult novel Jodi Picoult wrote with her daughter Samantha Van Leer, Between the Lines. The daughter of my daughter’s soccer coach recommended Matched by Ally Condie. The kids came to us with old favorites and future classics: Eric Morgenstern’s Night Circus and Divergent by Veronica Roth made the list. My own 10-year-old daughter suggested Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind and Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird. About the only recommended book we didn’t take into consideration was Fifty Shades of Grey!

It took probably eight weeks for us to arrive at “the” book for our next reading initiative, and it wasn’t one that was on the original brainstorming list. See, here’s the thing. Some of the books were too violent. Some appealed too much to just girls or just boys. Some, while beautiful stories chock full of teachable moments, were written at a reading level perhaps not challenging enough for eighth grade.

We found ourselves devising a way to do a school-wide reading initiative without all of the kids reading the same book. We talked about working around the question “Where do you belong?” since the answer to that question could be tied to the plot and themes of Between the Lines, Divergent, Out of My Mind, and Matched. We envisioned smaller, teacher-led book clubs in which students created ways to present their book to the others, leading to students switching groups and reading new titles. We could find a movie, not necessarily an adaptation of a book, dealing with the theme of the importance of finding where one belongs. While it didn’t feel like something that would draw in 50% of the school population, we decided it was an acceptable solution.

And then Erin, reading specialist extraordinaire, met with the principal.

They were there to discuss goals, and he had two words for her, words that have since become a sort of mantra for the teachers involved in the school-wide reading initiative: “Six Buses.”

That goal, that challenge, was invigorating and instilled us with new direction. We couldn’t settle. We had to do more than just come up with a follow-up to The Hunger Games; we had to eclipse The Hunger Games. No small task, indeed.

Given our marching orders, we began our search anew. We needed a story that lent itself to big, fun activities. We needed a book with a strong fan base and a movie with a lot of buzz to suck in readers, non-readers, and the kids who just love being involved in big, fun stuff.

In short, we needed The Hobbit.

Deciding on the title was the hard part. Our experiences last year gave us insight into motivating masses of middle schoolers. It turns out the way to middle schoolers’ hearts is to show them themselves on a TV screen. We started with a “Do You Remember?” video, aired over the school video team news, showing pictures of kids enjoying the movie and games last year. The three-minute presentation prompted students to recall the fun they’d had and imagine the excitement in store. It ended with “Be Ready for Anything.”

Once the video was shown, we let the rumor mill take over for a day or two. Students could talk of little else. They interrupted class to ask if I knew the book. They grilled me in homeroom and in the halls.

“You have to tell A-period! We’re your favorite!”

“C’mon. Just tell me. I won’t tell anyone!”

We even had staff members asking to be let in on the secret. (We didn’t divulge. One leak and the surprise would be ruined. We didn’t make any new friends that way, but I’m pretty sure most folks understood.) One seventh-grade math teacher was so beleaguered by students who couldn’t stop debating the title of the mystery book long enough for her to teach her lesson that she gave in and allowed 20 minutes for debate. A poll was taken asking which title the kids thought most likely, the results graphed and posted in the hallway.

Two days after the video, Erin took her camera into the cafeteria and asked students to predict the title. The overwhelming majority thought we’d be reading Catching Fire. Thankfully, they willfully ignored the handful of obsessive eighth grade girls who have the movie premiere date etched into their brains and would proclaim to anyone who would listen that the movie wouldn’t be in theaters until fall of 2013. Those interviews were made into another video that was aired for the whole school to watch, and it ended with the news that “The Reveal is Coming.”

That night, the walls of the school were mysteriously decorated with posters written in runes. They said things like, “Get ready for an adventure,” “Don’t be left behind!” and “Read the book, answer the riddles, see the movie.” As I stood in the hall outside my classroom, I heard conjecture: “Those are Greek letters! It has to be a Percy Jackson book.” My morning classes were all pretty convinced that we were either going to show The Lightening Thief in the auditorium, or that Sea of Monsters would be in theaters before the end of the school year.

But by mid-day I started to hear rumblings of The Hobbit. “Those are runes. I know they’re runes. I’m gonna translate it when I get home. I bet it’s The Hobbit.” By the end of the day the tide had turned, and more students were guessing The Hobbit than ever, letting us know that the time for the reveal was upon us, if earlier than we’d originally planned.

The next day, Erin took to the airwaves and read the following:

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea

Brave students of Horace Mann Middle School, you are invited to join in an adventure. The road is long, and the perils are many, but the rewards at the end are beyond measure. Join your classmates, teachers, and friends in reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s original adventure story, The Hobbit. Participants will need to prove their mettle, and only those deemed worthy will journey to a distant land to celebrate with a viewing of the feature film. Challenges, both physical and mental, await those sturdy enough to survive the journey there and back again.

Far over the misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.

The kids reacted to the news with middle-school appropriate responses ranging from glee to skepticism. We are lucky this year; last year’s successes make it easier for us to get partners in crime. The local paper has already been to the school once. The local bookstore sent swag our way. The public library reserved all the copies of the book from in-network libraries, and our PCC bought copies to augment the school library. We’ve even been in contact with reps from Warner Brother’s films.

With all this support, our attention can be spent on keeping student interest high between now and Dec. 14. It’s too much for one post, but I’ll happily share it with you as we muddle along. Until then, best of luck plotting your school-wide reading adventure!

Mary Cotillo is an eighth-grade ELA teacher at Horace Mann Middle School in Franklin, MA. Mother to two children, she enjoys engaging in light saber battles and hanging out on soccer fields. She earned her National Board Certification in 2009. 

Read the rest of the series here:

The Quest, Part 2: Monday Morning Hobbit-Backing

The Quest, Part 3: Goblin Caves and Spider Webs

The Quest, Part 4: Some Shall Not Pass

The Quest, Part 5: The Journey Pays Off in Unexpected Ways

by W. Ian O'Byrne

Many of our school districts are moving to one-to-one computing initiatives. These may take the form of wired desktop computers, laptops and netbooks, or tablet computers. For some guidance as to best practices in going one-to-one, please review this Center for Digital Education handbook and this Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment article. A growing contingent of schools is moving to a "bring your own device" (BYOD) policy. For more insight into BYOD policies, please review this whitepaper from MicroSoft and this post from The Innovative Educator blog.

Despite the need to provide our students with ubiquitous access to the Internet and other communication technologies (ICT), there are classrooms that do not, or cannot, provide sufficient access. In working with pre-service and veteran educators, I find that at times there is a belief that because they do not have technological access in their classroom, they are exempt from discussions about the use of new and digital literacies. In these instances, I suggest that it requires teachers to be a bit more creative in planning and development of lessons…qualities that teachers usually "have in spades."

In the event that you do not teach in a one-to-one environment, there is a multitude of ways that you can build the knowledge, skills, and dispositions students will need when they do have access to ICTs. One way to incorporate online texts into the classroom is to print out and photocopy websites and blogs, and have students read them along with other print sources (e.g., textbooks, novels, poems, biographies, newspapers). A second way to bring online multimodal information sources is to capture them and bring these images or videos into the classroom. I use products like Jing, Skitch, and Evernote daily to capture and create "paper copies" of websites and videos to share with students in class. A final way to build these aptitudes when all students don't have online access is to have students blog without using the Internet. As a classroom teacher, I started every class with journal time. This process included the traditional spiral bound notebook that remained in the classroom. When we did have access to the computer lab or laptop cart, students were to select their favorite journal entry from the past week and rewrite it on their blog.

These three examples identify ways that we can think creatively about using online informational texts in our classroom when we are not able to work online. One-to-one computing and BYOD initiatives are great, but not all classrooms and schools can afford to participate. Regardless of your ability to provide each one of your students a seat on the information superhighway, teaching and learning needs to focus on the individual student learning objectives. After that you can figure out creative ways to effectively and authentically embed technology into your classroom.

W. Ian O'Byrne is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of New Haven. You can follow him on Twitter (@wiobyrne), at Google+, or contact him at wiobyrne@gmail.com.