Literature Circles and Technology:Explore the Possibilities

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Literature Circles and Technology Explore the
Possibilities

• Susan Silverman
• Instructional Technology Integration Consultant

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Known By Many Names
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The Reading Experts

• Literature Study Fountas and Pinnell
• Literature Circles Harvey Daniels
• Book Clubs Lucy Calkins
• Book Clubs Keene and Zimmerman
• Literature Discussion Groups Leu and Kinzer

Just to Name a Few!
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Definition

• Students meet regularly in small groups to deepen
  their understanding of literature.

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Literature Circles

• Students
• Choose Books
• Groups Are Small (Heterogeneous or Homogeneous)
  Based on Student Needs
• Groups Meet Regularly
• Teacher is a Facilitator
• Evaluation by Student Self Assessment and Teacher
  Observation
• Extensions Activities
• Everybody Has Fun

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The Benefits

• Fit into a balanced literacy program
• Improve student achievement
• Foster student enjoyment of reading
• Multicultural Awareness
• Provide social outlets
• Improve communication
• Higher level of engagement with text
• Endorsed by The National Literacy Standards (NCTE
  and IRA)

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Role Sheets or Response Logs?

• Role Sheets
• Tools to help students work in a peer-led
  discussion group.
• Response Logs
• Students record their feelings, insights, and
  factual evidence. Response logs are shared in the
  literature circle discussion.

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Word Wizard

• Identify and study new and interesting words.

• Computer Resources
• Dictionary.Com
• Visual Thesaurus
• Phils ESL Resource Pages

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Discussion Director

• Ask open ended questions to promote thoughtful
  discussion among group members and the global
  community.

• A Few Online Discussion Resources
• Nicenet
• Blackboard
• eBoard
• Blogger
• Wiki

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Blogs Wikis

• Ms. Kreuls Class Blog
• Wringer
• The Polar Express Blog
• Mrs. Richardsons Literature Circles

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Summarizer

• Represent the major events in the text in any
  format.
• Timelines
• ReadWriteThink TimelineClick on Student
  Materials
• Tom Snyder Timeliner
• Slide Shows
• MaxShow (Power Point)
• Kid Pix

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Researcher

• Investigate interesting aspects of the story such
  as setting, author, historical context.

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Illustrator

• Express your perspective of the text through any
  medium.

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Passage Master

• Identify and interpret memorable, special and
  important sections of the text through any
  medium.
• Internet Resources
• Online Photographs
• Clip Art
• Sounds

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Passage Master
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Connector

• Represent connections between the text and
  personal or life experiences of people you know.
• Internet Resources Primary Documents
• Diaries
• Photographs
• Essays
• Videos

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Assessment

• Student Self Evaluation and Group Assessment
• Informal AssessmentTeacher Observation-Not
  Testing!Would YOU join a book club if you were
  getting a grade?

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Helping Struggling Readers

• Adult volunteers read with student
• Student reads with a partner
• Shorter and easier books
• Create audiotapes of the book
• Mini-Lessons-Direct Instruction
• E-Books
• Software

Low Auditory Learners
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http//www.tomsnyder.com
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Extension Projects

• Extension projects are not art activities for
  their own sake. A good extension project will
  keep the thinking and response alive even after
  students have finished a book. The goal is to
  lure students back into the book to cement,
  enhance, and even reinvent what they gained from
  their first visit.¹

¹http//fac-staff.seattleu.edu/kschlnoe/LitCircles
/Extension/extension.html, Katherine L. Schlick
Noe, 2004.
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Comparing Book Reports and Extension Projects

• Book Reports
• Offers readers a chance to pause and reflect once
  initial reading is over
• Develop from a book alone
• Are crafted independently
• Rarely involve draft work, planning or rereading
• Have a limited audience the teacher
• Can be done without reading the book

• Extension Projects
• Offers readers a chance to pause and reflect once
  initial reading is over
• Develop from a book read and discussed with
  others
• Can be crafted independently or collaboratively
• Often require drafting of ideas or rereading
• Have an extended audience global community
• Require reading, rereading, and even discussing
  with others to complete project

Getting Started With Literature Circles (Schlick
Noe et al.,1999)
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Focus Lesson Extension ProjectGuiding Questions

• Will the audience learn something about your book
  from your project?
• Does your project show what you have learned by
  reading the book?
• Did you reflect and reread part of the book in
  order to get your ideas across?

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Computers Generated Extension Projects

• Collage
• ABC Book
• CD Cover
• Commemorative Stamp
• Time Line
• Computer Graphic
• Book Cover

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Example
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Commemorative Stamp
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CD Cover
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Story Quilt
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Persuasive Writing

• Dear Justice Strauss,
• I am writing to you on behalf of my play The
  Marvelous Marriage. I think your skills and
  knowledge on being a judge would be perfect for a
  part in my play. In addition, your eyes are
  beautiful, because they are perfect in color.
  Your hair is radiant because it shimmers in the
  daylight like golden hay. Moreover, your body
  shows nothing but true elegance. Even the scent
  of you as you pass reminds me of wildflowers.

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Extension Project Assessments

• Extension Project Evaluation Forms
• Rubi Star

The recommended way to assess extension projects
is by listening to conversations and taking
notes. Of course, your students can create their
own rubrics.
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My Completed Projecthttp//kids-learn.org/litcirc
les/

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Getting Started

• Devote Time-Nothing in this model is outside of
  what your students need to know
• Explain Activities
• Concrete Examples-Videotapes
• Student Assessment Successes and Opportunities
• Is scaffolding in order? Mini-Lessons are the
  answer!
• Laura Candlers ResourcesChoose
  Carefully-Different Variations!

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Literature Circle Resources

• Dreadful Online Resources
• Resources

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Recommended Books

• Campbell Hill, Bonnie, Johnson, Nancy, and
  Schlick Noe, Katherine. (Ed) (1995) Literature
  Circle and Response. Christopher-Gordon
  PublishersNorwood, MA., USA.
• Daniels, Harvey. (2002). Literature Circles Voice
  and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups.
  Pembroke Publishers LimitedMarkam, Ontario
• Schlick Noe, Katherine L.and Johnson,
  Nancy.(1999) Getting Strated with Literature
  Circles. Christopher-Gordon PublishersNorwood,
  MA. USA.
• Pollack Day, Jeni, Spiegel, Dixie Lee, McLellan,
  Janet and Brown, Valerie. (2002) Moving Forward
  with Literature Circles. Scholastic NY., USA
• Cavanaugh, Terence. (2006). Literature Circles
  through Technology. Linworth Publishing, Inc.,
  Worthington, Ohio

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Happy Reading!

• susan_at_susansilverman.com
• susansilverman.com