Technology Up to Speed: Movie Shorts and Reading Strategies

Starfall: Learn to Read with Phonics, Learn Mathematics Children's Short Stories Peter was tired. After 10 years of holding together the paperwork for “Johnson, A.P. – SSN 555-66-33xx,” his tensile strength was fading; he could feel his molecules beginning to degrade. - Length: 8 pages - Age Rating: U People told tales of long, long ago, when they used to enjoy Halloween, dressing up, knocking on doors showing off their fine costumes, playing something called Trick or Treat and, it used to be fun, but not anymore. - Length: 7 pages Was this a riddle? Becca laughed and smiled at her brother ruefully. - Length: 6 pages Hoover had been the runt of his mother’s fourth litter. - Length: 5 pages It was the fifth day at her new school and ten-year-old Buseje hung her head as she settled down into her desk. She returns to the kitchen and stops in her tracks. - Length: 4 pages Helen was born wrong. - Length: 14 pages Snow fell steadily in the wild woods of Siberia... Bobby Osgood woke up one October morning and he was twelve years old again... Peter was tired. - Length: 8 pages

3 Digital Reading Challenges for Summer This summer, more than ever, how we read may be just as important as what we read. In April, researchers at West Chester University published a report arguing that eReaders could lead to decreased comprehension and fluency. In this New York Times article, the professors suggest that the interactivity, easy access to a dictionary, and constant use of text-to-speech could actually hinder the development of students' reading skills. However, the examples highlighted in the article focus on the content -- comparing traditional, paper-based books to electronic versions with a high level of interactivity such as games and video -- rather than addressing the skills and strategies implemented in the reading process. As I wrote in a previous post, students now have the potential to customize their reading experiences with mobile devices. So this summer, instead of reading in whatever manner you would traditionally use, I'd like to suggest three digital reading challenges. Diigo Features:

Video Shorts Links The Best Children’s Books of 2014 by Maria Popova Intelligent and imaginative tales of love, loneliness, loyalty, loss, friendship, and everything in between. “I don’t write for children,” Maurice Sendak scoffed in his final interview. “I write — and somebody says, ‘That’s for children!’” “It is an error,” wrote J.R.R. This is certainly the case with the most intelligent and imaginative “children’s” and picture-books published this year. Once in a long while, a children’s book comes by that is so gorgeous in sight and spirit, so timelessly and agelessly enchanting, that it takes my breath away. Dubuc’s warm and generous illustrations are not only magical in that singular way that only someone who understands both childhood and loneliness can afford, but also lend a mesmerizing musical quality to the story. As an endless winter descends upon Lion and Bird, they share a world of warmth and playful fellowship. “Yes,” says Lion. The seasons roll by and Lion tends to his garden quietly, solemnly. Summer passes slowly, softly.

Touchstones Volume A Class Set | Touchstones Discussion Project Through Touchstones Volume A, students consider lessons offered in folktales, evaluate and discuss early historical accounts, explore the foundations of society through Plato and Pascal, examine compassion in Mary Shelley’s compelling narrative, and reflect on the human struggle in Langston Hughes’ poetry and writings by Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Dubois, among others. Class sets include at least 25 Student Editions and 1 Teacher’s Guide. If your class has fewer than 25 students, please call us at (410) 604-3309 or (800) 456-6542 to place your order. Click to view a sample of Touchstones Volume A Student Edition. Click to view a sample of Touchstones Volume A Teacher’s Guide.

34 Smart Ideas For Using Smartphones In The Classroom 34 Ways Ideas For Smartphones In The Classroom By Category by John Hardison first appeared on gettingsmart.com In continuation of last week’s article, Part 1: 44 Better Ways to Use Smartphones in Class, here is a new list of thirty-six additional ideas to help leverage the power of these tech gadgets in the learning environment. In this blog post, I have attempted to avoid any redundancies. 34 Smart Ideas For Using Smartphones In The Classroom To Collaborate 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. To Communicate 6. This method encourages educators to abandon the time-consuming and inefficient task of periodically calculating the data. 7. 8. To Create 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. To Curate/Coordinate 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. Still not convinced? Image attribution flickr user davelawler

Francis by Richard Hickey Written by novelist & screenwriter Dave Eggars, for the ever-popular radio show This American Life, animated film Francis is the tense tale of the unexplained happenings on a lake in the middle of an Ontario nature preserve. Brought to life by Not to Scale director Richard Hickey and a team of 40 animators, this captivating short perfectly blends the worlds of outstanding production values with engaging storytelling. Her mouth went dry. She held onto each side of the boat, and now she could only wait to see if it happened again. One night on a family camping trip to Quetico park, the reckless raven-haired Francis waits until her family have fallen asleep and takes a rowing boat out to the middle of the lake. With a voiceover so rich and detailed that you could close your eyes and let your imagination run wild, it’s impressive that Hickey’s short feels so perfectly realised.

Read & Respond - Scholastic Shop Overview Now fully in line with 2014 Curriculum objectives Raise literacy and attainment through a deep and active reading of best-loved children’s stories from acclaimed authors. Read & Respond takes growing readers into the heart of over 70 timeless titles, chosen to inspire genuine delight. Each teacher resource book focuses on a popular children’s story, bringing it alive in a cross-curricular way. Read & Respond is an ideal alternative to scheme or extract-based reading, letting children discover the joy of reading whole stories and novels. “Reading and writing for enjoyment are two of the most powerful ways of getting children reading. Each resource book includes: Plot, character and setting activities Speaking and listening activities Guided and shared reading sessions Extended writing projects Cross-curricular links and creative exercises Differentiation ideas and assessment guidance Photocopiable activities Shop now! Series structure Read & Respond Read & Respond Interactive