Supporting the #Wildcatway Reading Initiative

The Wildcat Way is more than just a motto at Wilson Middle School.  Over the summer, teachers put down their beach reads and picked up Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters by G. Kylene Beers and Robert E Probst in an effort to better understand ways to foster a culture of  reading across campus and provided opportunities for collaboration through ways to disrupt our thinking about reading.  

It was from this book study, teachers Helen Read, 7th grade ELA, and Matt Norris, 7th grade Math, crafted “The Wilson Review.”   The Wilson Review is a process of creating and posting digital video reviews for students and staff. The goal of the showcase board is to get students interested in books as well as to share the books they love so that they can get inspired to read. Students can access the reviews via teacher Moodle pages and Google Classroom courses. The Reviews are also on display outside Ms. Read’s and Mr. Norris’ classrooms on a large bulletin board where students and teachers can use their mobile device to scan the QR codes.  

While the activity of having students submit book reviews might seem somewhat mundane,

these two teachers took it up a notch by allowing students to use FlipGrid as a tool for recording
their review.  In the world of Instagram and SnapChat selfies, what a better way to relate to
students than asking them to record their book review. 

Flipgrid is place where you can verbalize your learning.  Flipgrid was purchased by Microsoft and provides a moderated and easy to use platform to create up to 5 minute videos and showcase the videos for only NISD users to view.  Flipgrid along with the cameras on student’s Chromebooks were a great pair for this project. “With the integration of Flipgrid students get excited about sharing their books using the Book, Head, and Heart Model.  As they are creating they can investigate what others have said about books they might be interested to read.  Find a review you enjoy, students can leave a thumbs up to the creator and check out the book in the library.” This type of interaction motivates students to continue reading so they can make additional post.  WOW,  so far The Review board has 26 hours of engagement time and growing. 

Student Raul shared, “Flipgrid allows you to express what you think about a book, you can
say what you want.”  Students enjoy the freedom and creativity this outlet offers.  The ability to
record something for others to watch later is also an aspect of the tool students appreciate.
Gracie Clair reflects, “My flip grid experience has really put it in a way for me that I can speak
up and prove my thinking, with people watching it after I film it, not while I film it.”

Staff have already seen an increase in student engagement during daily reading and this is
only the beginning!  Ms. Read and Mr. Norris hope to continue utilizing Flipgrid throughout
the year for book reviews.  Even teachers have benefited from the program!  As Ms. Read
reflected on her experience she shared, “Making my own Flipgrid video was an interesting
experience because it put me in the shoes of my students. I was a bit nervous recording myself.
It also solidified what I wanted my students to be able to share about their reading. I’ve learned
about some books I have definitely added to my own TO BE READ list.”  Mr. Norris has also
enjoyed the experience and was pleased to see, “With showcasing of teacher examples and as
more students recorded their reviews, students overcome their hesitations.”

In today’s schools, technology can be seen as an enemy of reading, however these two innovative teachers have uncovered a strong ally in growing passionate readers.  The Wildcat Way Reading Initiative is off to a strong start. 

A Smashing Good Book… Google Site Style

Every summer many students sign up for Pre-Ap English Language Arts classes. Students know they will continue their learning through their summer reading projects.  This type of summer reading project, which adds a digital touch, advances literacy, strengthens critical thinking, and authentically engages students to ensure an increased level of academic performance.  One particular project exceeded Mrs. Laynie Johnson's expectations with something that is known as App Smashing. The definition of App Smashing is the process of using multiple apps in conjunction with one another to complete a final task or project all included under one accessible URL.

Emmarie, 6th grader from Wilson Middle School, chose the book The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen.  She chose to show conflict resolution by using a comic creator called Pixton, figurative language was expressed by a multimedia presentation called eMaze, and her personal connection was showcased in a Smore digital flyer.  To bring all of the tools together she showcased them on a Google Site that is easy to navigate and has eye appeal.  The goal of the project is to CAPTURE the audience into reading the book and she certainly has done a great job.

While this project was intended for this school year, Emmarie has a vision for this Google Site to continually add to it each year to incorporate all of her summer reading projects for her Pre-Ap English Language Arts classes to show growth and curate her reading to share with others. 

S'more... hear me "Roar"

This summer, all students entering 6th-8th grade pre-AP Language Arts were required to read a book from the NISD Recommended Summer GT/PreAP Reading list.  When these students returned to their campuses in August, they were given the task of creating a product based on a matrix of choices. They were given a rubric to help them self-evaluate if their end product met the learning expectations of the product.

It is the student's choice how he/she showcases the work. This allowed John (seventh grader at Pike Middle School) to showcase his thoughts, ideas and understanding of his book, The Roar by Emma Clayton, in a unique way. After browsing many options such as Weebly and Wix, John decided to use S'more.

John was extremely passionate about Roar and this is evident in his S'more.  He chose the S'more as it allowed him to showcase the book via images, video (Animoto) and text, as well as embed links to an informational website on the author.

S'more is an exceptional and thorough way to showcase a book. It is incredible is how John not only completed the requirements, but valued sharing and feedback as well.  John asked his mother to share his work via Facebook.

The Feedback he obtained via his mother's social media allowed him to gather important information and ideas. The feedback helped him edit his final product and allowed him to evaluate whether his product had an impact beyond just completing the assignment.

While he was looking for feedback to improve his product, his work as a by-product was so convincing that many behind the posts featured here stated that because of his S'more, they now wanted to read The Roar.

What do you think of his final product? Are you persuaded to read the The Roar by Emma Clayton now that you have viewed John's S'more?