The Global Read Aloud as Told by a Student

    Hiya again.   We finished the Global Read aloud yesterday.   The Global Read Aloud is where teachers read one book a out loud to their class, then they and their kids do fun stuff, like maybe blogging, or skype, or use edmodo, it’s really fun to connect with other kids around the world.  I think teachers should do it because it would be a good  way to show you can show your kids you can make a difference and share your opinion with the world.  It’s also a good idea  because you can introduce them to a different genre of books.  For example, I pretty much only read fantasy books, but Tuck Everlasting made me think I should try a different genre of books for once.      If you read my post called Tuck Everlasting and the Toad, you’ll find the full dish of stuff about the book.  But for now I think I’ll just say I was totally and utterly shocked at the end.  Sorry, can’t give out the end. 
     Why I thought being part of this was really fun was the fact we got to do fun things like how I said before we get to skype and blog. More things we do without technology are we jounal about what shocked me or why it might or might not be good if nothing ever died.  When Mrs.Ripp asked us to predict what the book was about by only looking at the cover, it  was really fun and I really was surprised when she showed us online a book with different cover and how they’re predictions varied by a lot.  It was so cool.  Something I would’ve changed next time is, well, erm, I really don’t think I want to change anything.  Next year I think the book should be  Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs.  I think it should be Belly Up because it’s a mystery with lots of cliffhangers and problems, its also a pretty good length.  I had a really fun expirience from the Global Read Aloud and I think other teachers should have their kids do it to.
My Question is: If you could live anywhere in the world, where and why?
***Sophia***

Thank You

Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for being part of the
second Global read Aloud project. What started as one harebrained
idea one late night in 2010 culminated this year in more than 2,000
students around the world all reading the same two books. To say that
I am humbled by the eagerness and passion people dedicate to this is
an understatement.

So as we wrap up for this year, I need to hear from you. Your
feedback is what drives me to start thinking about next year's project
and how it can be better than this year. To make your life easy, I
made a Google survey for all of you to take. Please do take it and
don't hold back, this is a continual work in progress.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGVWLVpkTmFzdmRoQVZockVaOFJ3UlE6MQ

To all of my wonderful collaborators, thank you so much for dedicating
your time to work behind the scenes with me. It made my life and that
of my family's much easier.

The Edmodo student groups will be disbanded this weekend so if you
have any work you need to get out of there, please do so. The teacher
groups will remain.

Thank you also to all of those who continue to vote for my classroom
in the Great American teach Off. $10,000 to my school would possibly
mean new gym floor or carpeting in our classrooms so every vote
matters. www.good.is/gato

Please continue to reach out to me with any questions, concerns or
comments. I am very accessible through email or Twitter @pernilleripp

A final note from the Flat Stanley group:
Many people in the Flat Stanley group indicated an interest in
continuing with our Edmodo discussions and other connections by
reading Stanley In Space. For those that are interested, we'll start
reading the book during the week of October 31st. More details on the
week-by-week breakdown of activities are here. Please email Aviva
(dunsiger@yahoo.com) if you have any questions about this.

My Classroom

For those of you who are new to the project and wondering why I am in the Great American Teach Off, there will be videos to show you on Monday.  However, until then here are some links to show you what happens in our room:

• My classroom new website
• My classroom old website
• My website where I share my educational journey
• My students' blogs

I hope this gives you a window into our world and where the Global Read Aloud came from.

A $10,000 Opportunity

This post is from Pernille Ripp, the creator of the Global Read Aloud

As some of you may know, a couple of weeks ago I was told I was one of 10 finalists in the Great American Teach Off.  This contest was created to highlight great elementary educators across the nation and I am frankly astounded to be part of the group.  And yet, here I am super excited, super proud of the work I do and very eager to showcase it.  Not only that but the grand prize in the contest is $10,000 for my classroom.  

The last two weeks I have been very busy creating videos highlighting my students and how we are innovative and making a difference and now I need your help.  The final part of the contest is a nationwide vote-off.  Every week they post a video and the lowest two vote-getters will be eliminated until finally one is left standing.  I do feel like I am on American Idol right now, but thankfully it is not my singing chops being evaluated but rather me as a teacher.

Voting starts on Monday at 1 PM at www.good.is/gato and you can vote once a day for the week.  If I survive the first week then I have to get people to vote the following week and so on.  

So if you have a moment, would you please consider voting for my classroom (on Monday)?  

These students work their hearts out, sharing their journeys with the world, and we try to be innovative within the very rigid public school framework.  I am proud of the accomplishments of my students, their eagerness to try and fail, and their willingness to share it all with the world. 

$10,000 for us would mean more books in our library, perhaps a new gym floor, or even carpet in our classroom so we could snuggle up with good books.  There are many deserving educators out there and I am one of many, so here is our chance to get more money into a public school and that is a wonderful thing.