Possibilities

It is so refreshing to be around a group of people so excited about Language Arts. Our initial meetings were very high energy because we had all these great ideas about the different things we wanted to create but no real idea of how to make it happen. We wanted to create a space where we could have podcasts, book trailers, resources for students before they read a book, links to articles for further reading for after a student finishes a novel, opportunities for them to talk to one another about the books they are reading. And the best part was, rather than filter those ideas, we have decided on a project that will encompass all the ideas. We can also build upon it as future technologies and ways of using current technologies evolve.

While we originally wanted our website to be a space for kids to go to give them a boost in their independent reading, I can see this site as an invaluable teacher resource as well. The site itself reminds me of the basic ideas behind wikis and other such technology: more minds are better than one. I feel blessed to be working with such energetic and enthusiastic teachers as Dr. Kajder, Lauren, and Beth. I hope someday it may also be a sight where equally energetic students, teachers, and whoever else who happens to share our love of children's literature can come together in a community to talk about the books they love and explore the books they will love (they just haven't read them yet).