April is National Poetry Month! Poetry can sometimes be intimidating to students, but there are fun ways to get them involved in appreciating and creating poetry.
This article from School Library Journal is packed with a ton of unique ideas for helping students uncover the delights of poetry. Some of these ideas include:
The Goth-O-Matic Poetry Generator: This site “can help you build your own shadowed and unearthly opus. It’s easy to convey your own emotional abyss with this insidious wonder, expressing the dark and tormented path on which you tread.”
Steps for writing a “Where I’m From” poem: “This poem encourages tolerance and awareness of our own personal experiences and can be rewritten over and over again.”
Plus, the article describes initiatives different libraries are taking to incorporate poetry into student activities. It’s always encouraging to see the cool things that happen in libraries across the country.
“I believe in student-centered learning. Part of student-centered learning is giving students voice and choice in the classroom. A few years ago, back when I was a high school English teacher, students were assigned a culminating project on Romeo and Juliet. Students had to show what they learned during the unit in a medium of their choosing. A student approached me and asked if he could show what he learned using Minecraft. I had no idea what Minecraft was, so after having him explain the game and how he planned to use it, I approved the project. A week later he brought in a video of Minecraft characters acting out his favorite scene from Romeo and Juliet in a gorgeous, block-based Globe theater. This is how I met Minecraft.
In June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.
Metamorphabet is an app that makes the alphabet come to life! Using animation, letters are able to morph into images that portray vocabulary words. This engaging alphabet book could also be used with ELL to build and develop vocabulary.
Check out reviews of the app from Common Sense Education here. School Library Journal shares their thoughts and examples from the app in this article.
Storytime is a fun and important time in all libraries. In order to get even more out of storytime programs, the Library of Virginia has created 12 new videos on how to “supercharge” your storytime.
They define supercharging storytime as incorporating two main characteristics: intentionality, where they focus on making connections between the storytime activities and early literacy, and interactivity, so both the kids and parents participate and get more out of the program.
You can find more resources, including videos and links to articles, on early childhood literacy expert Saroj Ghoting’s website here.
Learn the basics and benefits of supercharging your storytime by watching this short video:
In June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.
This interactive app allows readers to choose their own adventure by using non-linear storytelling. Readers search for a magic lamp while moving around a map of the stories of Aladdin and Sinbad. The app features detailed collage illustrations, sound effects, and music. This app is recommended for ELL students or as part of a unit on traditional literature.
April is National Poetry Month! Poetry can sometimes be intimidating to students, but there are fun ways to get them involved in appreciating and creating poetry.
