GROUP 4

Title:  Video Conference Book Club  

Authors:   David Gentry, Business/Technology, Paris High School - - Pairs IDS - Paris, Texas, gentrydavid@parisisd.net

Siglinda Smoak, Computer Lab Technology Specialist, Mae Luster Stephens Junior High - Linden-Kildare CISD - Linden, Texas, ssmoak@lkcisd.net

Katherine Johnson, Media Specialist, Dowagiac Union High School, Dowagiac, Michigan katherinejohnson@verizon.net

Ana Maack, Guidance Counselor, Watervliet High School, Watervliet Public Schools, Watervliet, Michigan, amaack@watervliet.k12.mi.us

Subject Area: Reading

Intended Grade Level: Secondary

Description: 

This after school book club targets students who would like to get together to discuss favorite books in the time frame immediately after the last bell and before sports practices begin. There is a need for enrichment activities to engage students from various backgrounds and with many young adult interests.  The participants will  bring their favorite books to the video conference and "sell" one to the groups.  The books selected from the promotions each student gives will be included in the reading list for the book club.  At each subsequent VC meeting, the favorite books will be discussed just like any fun book club.

Learner Outcomes:

Read and comprehend a variety of level texts. Draw inferences from text and support these conclusions and generalizations with the evidence from the text. Offer observations, react, speculate, interpret and raise questions in the response to text. Generate relevant research using multiple sources of information. Demonstrate characteristics of fluent and effective reading. Encourage a love of reading.

Time: 45 minute session meeting twice a month for 3 months. 

Preparation:

Identify students who would be involved, plan for area for conference, prepare area and check for proper equipment, chairs, and snacks. Teachers from both sites need to schedule one or two sessions with their students before videoconferencing to get the process started. During those sessions, instructions would be given for students to bring a book they would like to explore with the book club (from the library collection), and give them time to prepare something so say about the book to promote it. 

Materials:

Variety of books, Video Conference equipment with 2 screens for near and far views, snacks for after school students.

Video Conference Agenda:

•  Roll call- initiating school (School A) 
•  Introductions of students from both schools (Start with School A, then B). 
•  Facilitator (School A) reviews the concept of book club with all students. 
•  First video conference session only:
  • Students share group ideas for books on round robin manner.
  • Students vote on a selection of books to be read (one selection per month).  All of the students will read one book at a time.
• Subsequent sessions:
  • Students share thoughts from the book, with help from the facilitator as needed.
•  Debriefing or evaluation would take place during the final session

Post Activities:

Blogging if permitted by District policy and/or Reflective Journaling. Facilitators would communicate the positive and negative points of the experience during communication after the video conference.

 Debriefing and or wrap-up between conference leaders.

Assessment & Evaluation: Student's would write a mini book review of their thoughts and opinion of the book which would include if they would recommend this book to someone else in the future.  Group debriefing session: discuss the process and evaluate the program as a whole in a survey format. 

Implementation Plans:   

This particular program will be a point-to-point VC twice a month after school ranging from October through December, 2007.  Katherine Johnson, Media/Reading Specialist at Dowagiac Union High School will be the facilitator.