The Last Week-and-a-Half in the World of HBWReads

Our summer reading project has really taken on a life of its own over the last few weeks or so.  We are now the focus of some fairly robust national attention for the work you are all doing.

Last Tuesday, as I indicated in an earlier post, I was asked to speak about the work you are all doing at an event called the 140edu Conference.  This conference, modeled after a series called the 140Conference, was aimed at discussing how we are using social media (blogging, facebook, twitter, etc.) to promote real learning and authentic experiences for students in K-12 and college.  Each speaker was given ten minutes to talk about the work they are involved in and how they are using social media with students.

From there, our site got major attention.  The presentation was viewed by the over four-hundred and fifty audience members, plus an online audience that at times topped fifteen-thousand viewers!  Needless to say, there were a lot of eyes on your writing that day and the days that followed.

Based on that presentation, a magazine called School Library Journal, a publication for school media specialists, contacted me and asked to know more about the idea and the work you are all doing to promote reading during the summer.  After explaining the process to them, they decided to feature the idea during their Fall Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. which will be attended by school and library leaders from around the country.

Additionally, during the 140edu Conference, I was contacted by a woman named Tonya Hall, a radio host from Colorado Springs, CO.  She describes her show like this:

The Tonya Hall Show offers captivating interviews from industry movers and shakers that have mastered the power of Social Media. It's the only one of its kind on the radio! 

She was so intrigued by the work you are all doing that she asked me to appear on her show yesterday to talk more in depth about the project and everyone involved.  I spent a good part of the time on air talking about how to access the writing on the site and the work that you have all been doing.  We even had a few callers ask the address of the site so they could check it out!

Editor's Note: I forgot to mention that the site has been mentioned at the Donorschoose blog, a site aimed at helping teachers and others find donors for much-needed classroom supplies.  

We are all so happy with the writing you are all creating, and you should know that the world is noticing and learning from you.  Keep up the great writing over the next few weeks!

The HBWReads Blog is Being Featured at the #140edu Conference

On Tuesday, August 2nd, I have the privilege of speaking at #140edu: Exploring the State of Education NOW Conference at the 92nd Street Y, NY, NY.  My topic: The Buzz Books.  

A while back, I was asked by the conference founder, Jeff Pulver, to participate in this conference, and if so, what did I have in mind to talk about.  Immediately, I thought of the Buzz Books and the HBWReads blog.  Reading, to me, has been a difference-maker in my life, taking me from a place of shadows and ignorance, to one of luminosity and understanding.  

Scholars have recently been examining the state of reading today among the general population of children in grades 5-12, and the statistics coming out of their work paint an awful picture.  There are extreme ramifications upon our society if we raise a generation of non-readers.  So, we as a school, looked at what we thought of reading in general, and more specifically of summer reading.  We looked at reading phenomena like the Harry Potter books, the Twilight Series, and more recently, the Hunger Games trilogy.

We saw something there that caught our eye.  

Reading is a social endeavor, and it's done best when we can talk about books with people we have an interest in.  When we read a book that is outstanding, the first thing we want to do is to run and tell someone who matters to us all about it and recommend it to them.  We wanted to capture that somehow.  

When I get on stage on Monday, I'm going to talk about that idea, but I am also going to talk about the work that has been done by all of the students and teachers at the site so far this summer.  Looking back at the statistics I shared the other day, we have had wild success in terms of readers and traffic through our site.  We have had conversations around books that would not have otherwise occurred.  We are making reading viral, and helping to spread it through not only our community here in Verona, but also in other parts of the county and world.  Don't underestimate the power of your thinking.  

The conference will be live on the web, and as soon as the information is posted as to how to tune in, I'll pass it along here.  (Here is the Ustream address if you are interested in catching the conference.  I go on roughly at 11:45am)

Keep up the great work!

Some Statistical Updates

Good afternoon and Happy Summer to everyone!

I wanted to take this opportunity (it's my turn to post today) to give you all some updates on who is reading our writing and just how far and wide we are reaching with our summer reading reflections.  However, before I do that, it goes without saying that the writing, both by the teachers and by the students, has been terrific so far, and it shows your commitment to this project. 

Reading has always connected us to people, be they our friends or neighbors, schoolmates or parents, we have always used reading as a means to share information, ideas, breaking news, and our thoughts on the world around us.  Through this blog, we've been doing what we've always done, only now we are making our thoughts available to a much larger audience. 

So, on with the statistics..

Above you can see the six most popular posts we have had since the writing officially began on June 17th.  If you don't see one of your posts up there, give it time, some of these have been around for over a month!

 

We have had visitors from ten different countries since we began, with over eight-thousand of them from the United States.  Looking at this, I'd love to challenge you all to double this by the end of the summer, and to see how many different countries we can reach!  

Lastly, these are our total pageviews for the last month and for all time.  A pageview counts as any time a web browser (like Internet Explorer or Firefox) loads a web page.  These number are astounding!  Your writing is being read by so many people far and wide.  

Wonderful job!

Here are my challenges to you for the rest of the summer:

• Increase the number of readers on our page to include people from more than the ten countries we have already.
• Keep connecting the stories to your own lives.  Our posts with the most reaction seem to be those where the writer makes a connection between the book and their own experiences.  
• Spread the word among your friends.  The more people we have talking about our books, the better!!

My Connections to Sleeping Freshman Never Lie

I have three young kids aged six, four, and ten months.  And since I cannot remember what if feels like to be that young, I always wonder what the two older ones were thinking while they were waiting for their younger siblings to arrive. 

Scott Hudson, newly a ninth-grader and the main character in David Lubar's Sleeping Freshman Never Lie, gave me some insight into what goes on in the mind of a child waiting to meet their next sibling.  Only, Scott provides this valuable information through the eyes of a much older child.  Upon finding out that his mother is expecting, and upon going through the trials of being a freshman, Scott does what any self-respecting big brother would do: he creates a survival guide for his younger sibling through his journal entries. 

Now, my oldest reads and writes, of course, but he wasn't ready for this type of undertaking when he was waiting for his sister and brother to be born.  However, I do think it might be a great summer project.  We could even create the guide through short video diary entries like they do in "Good Luck, Charlie!"

That's an idea I'd love to see move forward in my house this summer!  I'll be sure to keep you posted on the progress. 

What about all of you--is there something you feel like you could create a "survival guide" for? 

On a Related Note...

From myveronanj.com:

C.H.I.L.D., which sponsors the summer reading room at Verona Pool, is bringing author Jane Lovascio to the pool today, Wednesday, June 29. Lovascio is the creator of the Casey and Bella series, which feature two real dogs, Casey, the Jack Russell Terrier and Bella, a Yorkie. Each book in the Casey and Bella book series supports a special charity benefiting children or animals.

The visit, which is geared to kids in kindergarten through fourth grade, will run from 1 to 2:30 p.m. over by the book shed at the front of the pool. The first 25 children to arrive will get a free autographed book. Additional books will be on sale, and Lovascio will be signing her books.

  If you are free today, be sure to go and visit Casey and Bella.  

Also, if you are planning on going to the pool at all this summer, stop by the Reading Room to discuss some of the books you have been reading this summer.  The organizers are well-versed in the Buzz Books and the other books on the grade-level lists! 

Ready to Roll!!

As of Monday, June 27th, the Buzz Book discussions will begin at HBWReads!  More and more students are signing up to write for us and we will be bringing them on board next week.  We are really looking forward to some great discussions and thinking from all of you.  

Find this photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fornal/394740182/in/faves-14579369@N04/

Even if you are not writing for us, or even if you are not a student, we want to hear from you.  To leave a comment, just go to the space below that says "Post a Comment" and do just that.  Respond to what we write, agree with us or disagree with us, add to what we say, or take us in a new direction.  We love comments!

If you are stuck for how to begin your comment, try these to help you:

• This made me think about…….
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• This post is relevant because…….
• Your writing made me think that we should…….
• I wish I understood why…….
• This is important because…….
• Another thing to consider is……. 
• I can relate to this…….
• I discovered…….
• I don’t understand…….
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Welcome

In looking at our summer reading program, the community, the administrators, the media specialists and teachers in each of the buildings suggested that changes be made to the program to truly reflect our aims for our young readers.

As a district, we are passionate advocates of reading. The changes you will see implemented reflect input from many community members, teachers, administrators, and students. Our goal is to foster a love of reading, to capitalize on the instinctive curiosity of children, and to create a community of readers within our schools.

In addition to the break from the routine and rigor of the classroom to recharge and renew, we feel it is important for children to continue to work on their reading skills during the summer months. If given appropriate guidance and suggestions in this area, students can maintain a healthy level of independent reading, especially with your support.

Summer Reading Guidelines

We have come up with the guidelines for summer reading.  This will also go home with your child shortly and be posted on the HBW website.

For every grade we have come up with a suggested list to help guide students in their choice for summer reading.  Within that list, we have selected a "Buzz Book" that we will feature on the grade pages above.  Staff and students will be writing about that book, and others, periodically throughout the summer on this page.   We invite you to check back often and add your comments to their writing and add your own opinion about the "Buzz Books."

For 5th  and 6th Grade:
Students are required to read one of any of the following:

• novel
• non-fiction
• graphic novel
• magazine

and when they return to class in September, their assessment will be to design an advertisement or flyer that will be used to "sell" the book to other students during the school year.  These will be displayed throughout the building and throughout the Media Center during the school year.  To help them choose a book, we've created a "suggested" list to choose from.  You can find that list at either the 5th or 6th grade page.  

For 7th and 8th Grade:
Students are required to read two of any of the following:

• novel
• non-fiction
• graphic novel
• magazine

and when they return to class in September, their assessment will be to create a brochure that will be used to persuade their classmates to read what they read.  These will be used throughout the year to help students self-select books for free reading.   To help them choose a book, we've created a "suggested" list to choose from.  You can find that list at either the 7th or 8th grade page.

BLOGGERS WANTED!

Do you like to read? Do you like to write? Do you like to write about what you read? Then you just may be the perfect blogger! Fill out the following form or email Mr. Patrick Higgins at phiggins@veronaschools.org to find out how you can contribute to the HBW Reads Blog!

All applicants must be students of Verona Public Schools. The deadline for applications is June 30, 2011.