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The Literacy Shed: a treasure trove of ideas

June 25, 2012Kelly Tenkely2 Comments11893 views

What it is: The Literacy Shed is a fantastic blog/site I learned about on Twitter from @missmac100, thanks Carol! The Literacy Shed is maintained by primary teacher Rob Smith and is packed full of teaching ideas all related to literacy. The site is separated into “sheds,” each with a different genre. There are short films images and book suggestions that are each accompanied by a teaching idea that includes discussion questions and writing prompts. The Literacy Shed has plenty of ideas to keep you going all year long! This truly is a treasure trove that will keep you coming back again and again. You will find the following “sheds” on the Literacy Shed:

Fantasy
Ghostly
Other Cultures
Inspiration
Moral
Picture Book
Great Animation
Love
Inventors
Fairytales
Reading
Poetry
Adventure
Mystery
Film Trailer
Fun
Lighthouse
Flying Books
Resource
Non-literacy
Weblinks

How to integrate The Literacy Shed into the classroom: The Literacy Shed is a great one-stop-shop for inspiration and ideas to improve literacy and critical thinking in your classroom. The ideas can be used with a variety of age groups, different ages will pick up on different themes and discussions using the same videos/images/books. Students will become familiar with a variety of genres and become comfortable with the characteristics of each.

There is something here for every classroom and unit. As I said, it is a treasure trove of resources! Use the ideas in the Literacy Shed to spark meaningful discussions and writing direction for your students. I always like to start with discussion and end with a written reflection because it gives students the opportunity to listen to other ideas, and then solidify their own ideas and reflections in writing.

Tips: You can follow the Literacy Shed on Twitter: @redgierob

Please leave a comment and share how you are using The Literacy Shed in your classroom!

Book Wink

May 5, 2009Kelly Tenkely7 Comments3315 views

What it is: Book Wink is an absolutely incredible site to motivate students in 3rd through 8th grade to read. Through podcasts and web video Book Wink introduces students to books that will help get students excited about reading. Video book talks are about 3 minutes in length and introduce students to a topic, and the additional read-alikes that can be found on the Book Wink website. Books can be searched by grade, subject, author, or title. Subscribe to the video podcats to automatically receive the newest book talks. This months book talk introduces students to the heist. Check it out, it is fantastic!

How to integrate Book Wink into the classroom: Book Wink is an outstanding way to excite and motivate students to read. Use Book Wink with a projector and introduce your whole class to a book talk. The book talks are engaging and will have your students wanting to check out books on the subject for silent reading time. Each book talk gives a related list of books along with their age appropriateness. This makes it simple for your students to find a book that will capture their attention and help them gain a love of reading. Check out the Book Wink archives to find a genre or topic that fits with your current curriculum. Topics include: heists, World War II, Sharks, 19th Centrury, Love, Mythology, Volcanos, Mermaids, Museum Mysteries, Sea Adventures, Parallel Universes, Popularity, South America, and Endangered Animals. A new book talk is added each month, this should have your students excited about reading year round! Book Wink would be a great site to have bookmarked or set as a homepage in the school library. After your students have become familiar with the book talk format on Book Wink, encourage them to host and record their own book talks.

Tips: Book Wink is free to use. You can support Book Wink through purchases from their online store or through a donation.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Book Wink in your classroom.