The Global Read Aloud - A Monster Calls

Last week we kicked off this year's GRA (Global Read Aloud) with the title "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness. This year we collaborate with Canada and the USA through the use of Flipgrid topics and it's such a hit! My students have recorded presentations and predictions and are now moving on towards analyzing the relationship between Lily and the main character Conor.

So far, we've seen videos from students in Washington state, Iowa, New York state, Texas, Florida, Ohio, California, Ontario and Manitoba, Canada.

Here are some examples of Flipgrid videos:

We've visited these places in the world so far. Pre-Skypeathon!

Pre-Skypeathon this is where we (my students and I) have traveled so far in the world...without ever leaving the classroom. Some places we have come back to and with some schools there have been proper collaborations and with others the occasional video message. After looking at this map I'm even more looking forward to our Skypeathon and all the new places, and faces, that we will see!

Link to map to read more.

Two more videos from Florida - SA16M

Two more videos arrived from Vero Beach, Florida 

Global Read Aloud - slow chat questions for week 6 of All American Boys

We have received videos from our friends in Florida and Tokyo - for SA16M

Kelly and her students in Florida have responded to the video that we sent, introducing ourselves and our city and school. Here are two videos from the Chinese students that go to high school in Florida. Enjoy! 

and here's one from our friends at St. Mary's High School in Tokyo:

I Am NOT Black, You Are NOT White - Diversity

Now, more than ever, the urgency to emphasize that diversity enriches us is great....and growing day by day. After starting to read All American Boys (we're part of the Global Read Aloud 2016) we are starting to soak our minds in the notion that we don't like labeling, it confines us and limits our thinking. Today the lesson starts with the video above....

Against The Wall from Against The Wall on Vimeo.

Reading "All American Boys" - Global Read Aloud 2016

There has been a change of plans for me regarding Global Read Aloud since I'm changing work places and moving on up from junior high school to high school. This means  that "Orbiting Jupiter" will have to wait and instead I'm focusing on "All American Boys" to see if that is something that I can work with with my new students this fall. So far, after 100 pages of reading, it's promising and I'm slowly getting caught in the characters' dilemmas... I think this will be a great book to discuss and from it bridge into the US elections in November.

This is what I'll be reading this weekend!

I've decided to join the Global Read Aloud this year too - and this is the title we'll be reading this fall in year 7. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt.  

Hangout with Laura Dron (L. S.Matthews) today

Having finished reading "Fish" we were delighted to be able to speak to the author Laura Dron today. My students had prepared a few questions, a couple questions came from our friends in NZ and some students came up with some new ones during the session - some a bit original, like: 

* Do you like porridge? (yes, but she doesn't like making it)

* Have you had a fish yourself? (yes, when she was younger... a carp - Laura told us a story about this)

* What's your favorite food? (Thai)

* Can you make a living as an author? (No, that's difficult, but she's also an artist)

and some that had to do with the book:

* Why is Tiger genderless? (because we can all make up our own vision of Tiger that way)

* Where does the book take place? (wherever we want to...)

* What happened to the donkey and the Guide at the end? (well, their purpose was done so they could vanish from the story...)

We also found out that Laura lives in Bridport, England with husband. She has two grown-up children and her son got married recently. She has eaten Swedish meatballs and thought they were ok. She also asked us a few questions and when she found out that the students were 14 years old she recommended her book "The Outcasts" which may be suitable for older students .....we'll look into that one. 

Thank you Laura! :)

Q and A on Thursday at 10.45 - with Laura Dron (L S Matthews)

Wow! What an opportunity - on Thursday you get to ask the author of "Fish" questions about the book - prepare yourself - what do you want to know??

8A + 8B Checking understanding

8A + 8B
On Tuesday you will answer these questions:

Google Form for checking your understanding of Fish - halfway through...

Slow chat on Twitter - question #1

This week we're one of the hosts for the slow chat on FISH. One question posted now onto Twitter (picture above) - do you want to give your opinion on the matter? Please go ahead!!
@Erikslundskolan @PernillaElma  hashtags: #Grafish2 #GRAFish

Homework for Tuesday - year 8

Homework for Tuesday week 42 - English year 8

1. Watch this video:

https://youtu.be/xpG3jLGGkvc

about the Syrian refugee Aya, 8 years old.

2. Think about the video and what’s happening in the book “Fish”

Answer these questions - on the paper I give you:

• What would you consider to be important to take with you if you had to leave your home suddenly? Explain why. (Answer on blue paper)

• What do people need to feel safe in the world? (Answer on yellow paper)

Best of luck and may the force be with you!

/Pernilla

Kunskapsmål - engelska:

SKRIVA – egen produktion
I skriftliga framställningar i olika genrer kan eleven formulera sig (...)	enkelt, begripligt och relativt sammanhängande	relativt varierat, relativt tydligt och relativt sammanhängande	relativt varierat, tydligt och sammanhängande

Here is an example of what it could look like:

Global Read Aloud - Twitter

So I have started reading Fish in my two classes in year 8 and we're off to a good start - however it does take a lot longer to read than I anticipated at first. Chapter 1 is finished and we're starting chapter 2 tomorrow....hopefully we'll catch up....since we want to be a week ahead of the original schedule since we have a week off school in late October.

On Twitter the discussions have started and it would be wonderful if you - students -  would like to follow them. This week the hashtag is #GRAFish1 - and next week we're in charge of the slow chat.

and, since today is The World Teachers' Day I think it's appropriate to show you what classrooms around the world could look like:

Photo credit: Russell Boyce/Reuters

Global Read Aloud - this week we kick it off!

On Tuesday we kick off our global project - here is the rough plan!

One book to connect the world - here are our connections for the Global Read Aloud 2015

Soon our project will start and I'm really excited about it - hopefully all my students will be too! I made a map of our connections and we are indeed connecting across the globe!

This is what I'm reading now

 

On my way to Stockholm today and this is what I'll be reading on my way up!! Can't wait! #GRAFish

Hope you have a great weekend!

Our account on Twitter

I have started an account on Twitter for our work with Global Read Aloud (GRA). @Erikslundskolan - feel free to follow us!

Global Read Aloud - looking forward to reading and global collaboration

I've registered for GRA (Global Read Aloud), starting on October 5. First time for this. Looking forward to doing this project with my 8th graders - and time willing we hope to reconnect with some "old" hangouters from New Zealand from last school year. Reading aloud in the classroom is not something we do very much, but it's definitely something that needs to be done MORE. Kids today are so visually stimulated through their screens (mobiles, tvs, computers, ipads ...) that it's only a good thing to try to turn those eyes away for a while, and to focus on listening - and to listen for a long period of time. To listen and to make up your own visions in your head. Really excited about this!

http://theglobalreadaloud.com/

The book chosen is Fish by L.S. Matthews.