"Where the Wild Things Are" written & illustrated by Maurice Sendak Wordle

This is the Wordle a fifth grade student created in response to reading "Where the Wild Things Are". I told the student they could use key words or phrases from the story and how the story made them feel. The student loved creating the Wordle as the product is a creative visual representation of their thoughts. Incorporating this form of technology in the classroom would not be very hard as upper level elementary students can do this task on their own. The student was very engaged and involved in the activity and could not wait to see his final creation. I think it would be neat to publish student's Wordles on a class website or wiki. This would be a great way to incorporate two tools of technology.

Integration of Technology and Literature

1. http://eduscapes.com/ladders/themes/webquests.htm This great website gives tons of literature based webquests for students. Depending on the grade level and what students are reading, there are a bunch of different activities students can do using literature and technology. Webquests are good for students because it gives them a chance to explore on their own. It also allows them research using the internet, which helps them to become tech-savvy.
   
2. http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/bookcover/ This website actually allows students to create a new book cover for stories they read. They can also print out the book covers and place them over their books. I think this would be so much fun for students because it allows them to be creative. It makes students analyze the story, important events, and characters so they can create a new appropriate cover. This would be a great way to integrate technology with literature.
   
3. http://elementarywikis.pbwiki.com/Ideas-for-Elementary-Wikis This website lists ideas of how to use a wiki page in an elementary classroom. I think a class wiki page would be great for newsletters, posting homework assignments, and a great way to keep parents involved. I also think it would be a good way to conduct literature circles. Students could post their thoughts and comments about a story on their wiki page. Students could also write book reviews on a wiki page. It would also be a great place for students to post their other technology projects, for example a link to a students voicethread or wordle. This way the whole class could see and share them.
   

Voicethread of "Where The Wild Things Are" written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

http://voicethread.com/share/419032/

I think a voicethread is a fun and easy way for children to write about stories they have read. They can type or record whatever they want about the story and add pictures. I think this would be a great way for students to respond to readings. It engages students while giving them a opportunity to use technology. I think students in 4th or 5th grade would definitely be able to figure this out on their own. The lower grades may need some help, but I still think it would be fun for them to record their thoughts. I think it would also be fun for students to create a class project using this and recording their voices. They could then share it with parents and family. Overall, I think this is a great tool of technology that can definitely be integrated into the classroom for education purposes.

"Friends of a Feather" written by Bill Cosby, illustrated by Erika Cosby

This book is about Feathers, who is a beautiful bird that loves to fly by the crowds at Beach by the Rock.The crowds swoon at his beauty. However, Hog, who his Feathers best friend, gets jealous that Feathers always gets all the attention. Hog decides it is his turn to impress the crowds with his amazing tricks. He can dive down into the water and come back up bringing a fish. This gets him all the attention, while Feathers gets a bit jealous. While Hog and Feathers are competing for the attention of the people, one of Hog's tricks goes wrong and he injures his wings. Like a true best friend, Feathers comes to his rescue and pops his wing back into place. The two realize how petty their fight was and decide to work together on their shows to the crowds.

This a good story for children to read because again, it has a great moral. I really love stories that have good morals because I believe chilren can learn so much from reading these kinds of stories. I think it also discusses topics that all children can relate to, friendship and jealousy. As we have discussed in class, it is important for children to make connections with stories. I believe children could with this story.

"Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery" written by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell

This children's book explores the mystery of where balloons go once they are let free. Do they go out to dinner? Get married? Meet up for a huge dance? Write letters? The book creatively explores what balloons do up in the sky once they are gone and we cannot see them anymore. It then takes the balloons and draws a parallel between holding onto them and holding onto your children, from a parent's perspective. It says to hold on tight before you have to let go. I think this is such a sweet book for teachers, parents, and students alike. I really like books that are creative and that let children explore with their imaginations. I believe this book does just this. The illustrations are also very vivid and interesting in this book. I think they do a great job of showing what balloons do when they are high up in the sky. 

"Pinkalicious"- written and illustrated by Victoria & Elizabeth Kann

I absolutely love the illustrations in this children's book. I think they are so unique and creative. This book is about a girl who is obsessed with the color pink. After eating too many pink cupcakes, she turns pink herself! She can't believe it, she has a very rare case of pinkititis. She loves it until bees, bugs, and butterflies start attacking her because they think she is a flower. However, once she gets back inside, she wants one more cupcake, which the doctor said she cannot eat anything pink. After sneaking just one more cupcake, she wakes up the next day and much to her surprise, she has turned red! In order to get her normal self back, she tries to eat as much green, healthy foods as she can. Eventually she eats so much green, she turns back into her regular, beautiful self.

I think this is a cute children's book for young girls. I do not think boys would like this book at all, as there is a little too much pink action going on. However, I think it is great for girls and I think it teaches them a good moral of being satisfied with who you are. 

"The Biggest Bear" written and illustrated by Lynd Ward

I chose to read this as one of my extra books in an attempt to read more boy-ish books. Johnny Orchard's family owned a farm, much like most people in his town. However, there was one thing that was missing from his that everyone else's had, a bearskin. Everytime Johnny would go into town, he felt embarassed and ashamed of his farm as he saw the bearskins on everyone's barns. One day on his way home, he stumbled upon a cub. He decided to feed it some maple sugar and just like that the two become best friends. Johnny took the cub home to his family where they were a little hesitant, but they did not resist. As the cub grew into a huge bear, he ate everything from everyone, which began to annoy the people of the town. Johnny's parents decided he must get rid of the bear. Johnny tried, but the bear always came back. So Johnny realized he must do the unthinkable, kill the bear. Before Johnny got the chance to, the two ended up in a cage set for the bear so he could be taken to the zoo. Johnny agreed to let him go there because he knew the bear would be given a great home. Now Johnny can visit the bear whenever he wants and bring him a piece of maple sugar.

Again, I really liked this book. I don't think it is too boy-ish for girls not to like it or appreciate it. I think this is a good book for students to read to show the unlikely bond that the boy and bear shared. The boy felt ashamed for not having what others had, a bearskin, but he realized it is not what others think about you. I think this is great moral and lesson for students to hear. 

Modern Fantasy- "Tuesday" written and illustrated by David Wiesner

This unique children's book only has four pages of words and the rest of the story is told through the pictures. Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm frogs from a nearby lake begin to fly around on their lily pads. The frogs fly through a neighborhood and become unexpected house guests to some homes. However, by this time it is the middle of the night, and no one is awake to see them. The frogs fly through the town until the sun begins to rise. At this time, their flying lily pads disappear and they again become normal frogs that cannot fly. The next Tuesday, there are new animals that can now fly, pigs. 

I really love children's books where the story is told through pictures. I think this gives children the opportunity to interpret the story in their own way. This could add many variations to the story, which I think is so fun. I think this story allows children to be creative and create a story of their own using only the pictures.

Graphic Novel- "Indiana Jones and The Golden Fleece" Volume 1 written by Pat McGreal & Dave Rawson, illustrated by Ken Hooper

It has been a very long time since I have read a graphic novel, so I picked this unexpecting one as an attempt to branch out to more boy-ish books. Indiana Jones is trying to find the Golden Fleece while simultaneously being hunted down by the Nazis. In his search, he encounters many great dangers, but of course is able to overcome them in true Indiana Jones style. The Nazi army is chasing Indy because they have been watching him for awhile now and he has something they want, the blade of reconsecration. He almost gets caught, but an unlikely partner is made with an eight month pregnant woman. She saves Indy not once, but three times. In their last scene together, the pregnant lady wants to escape Greece as does Indy. The two hop into a flighter jet, stolen from the Nazis, and the pregnant lady suprisingly flies them off the island of Greece. Unfortunately, this was only volume 1 and it ended at a cliff-hanger. 

Much to my surprise, I really liked this graphic novel. I thought it was fun to read a story in this form. It was very entertaining and intense. I think that boys especially would love reading this story. As we have discussed in class, it is important to have a variety of texts in the classroom, and I think having graphic novels would definitely be interesting to students.

Science Fiction/ Chapter Book- "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

In this classic science fiction novel, Meg and her brother are in search of their father. He is a famous scientist, who left three years ago on some sort of unexplained mission. He used to write letters to his wife, Meg's mother, but they became non-existent with time. Meg and her brother, Charles, meet some interesting characters named Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. These three old, mysterious ladies aren't ladies afterall. They are from the fifth dimension, which is where Meg, Charles, and a friend, Charles, travel to with the ladies or rather stars/mysterious creatures. To get to the fifth dimension, the children and ladies must tesser; the particles of their bodies separate and travel into the fifth dimension, which is like space. In the fifth dimension, there are two sides, the dark and the light. When the children reach a planet/city called Camazotz, they are abonded by the three ladies and left to fend for themselves. In this mysterious place, everything and everyone is the same, acting in unison. Meg, Charles, and Calvin find the Central, Central Intelligence, which controls the city to figure out why this place is the way it is. Through this, they find their father, but there is still a battle left to fight with the evil dark side of the fifth dimension. When Charles gets taken into the evil side through IT, a brain, Meg must save her brother with love. Once Meg saves her brother, Meg, Charles, Calvin, and their father are able to return home to be united with their family. 

I had never read this story until now. I know it is a class story and because of this, I had high expectations for it. However, the book did not meet my expectations. I think it may be because I am not a huge fan of the science fiction genre. I do think this would be a great story to have in my classroom though. I believe many children would love to read it as it is mysterious and intriguing. I also think children like to read about science fiction. 

Biography- "Martin Luther King" Wordle

I used the below Wordle to describe the book I read about Martin Luther King Jr. I chose words that described who he was and what he did. I think this alternative source of technology can be used in the classroom because it is fun, creative, and easy. I believe that student's would love to pick key words from a story and design a Wordle. It creates a visual representation and organization that is unique and fun for viewers. I think it would be easy to incorporate this into the classroom. Students could get on the computer and type in their selected words. It only takes a couple of seconds for the Wordle to be created. The teacher could have the students print them out for her to see and the student could even keep a copy to take home. I believe this technology source is great for elementary students as it is so visual, cute, and creative. 

Biography- "Martin Luther King" by Rosemary L. Bray, illustrated by Malcah Zeldis

Biography- "Johnny Appleseed" By Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jim Burke

This biography takes the traditional song about Johnny Appleseed and matches it with the truth. Johnny Appleseed, really John Chapman, was born to a poor family, but his father was not a farmer because he did not have enough money to buy any land of his own. When his father went away to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill, Johnny's mother died and he was forced to live with his grandparents. Upon his father's return, he had a new wife and she bore many children. Since his family was poor, Johnny dropped out of school and was hired out for work. This is when he began working with apples. In his twenties, Johnny became a missionary and brought his apples with him. He plants his apple seeds in Pennslyvania and Ohio. Johnny does not take his payment in the form of money, but in exchange for clothes, a meal, or a place to stay. Johnny dies in Indiana when he is trying to repair a fence. He catches pneumonia at the age of 71. Most of Johnny's land is taken by bills and lawyers, and his half sister only ends up getting $165.95 when everything is settled. 

I thought this was a very interesting biography as it took the legendary Johnny Appleseed song and told the facts of his story. I think it is great when stories do this so that children and teachers alike can learn the facts and true history of Johnny Appleseed. At the bottom of each page, the book included proof of how they knew this true story of him. It shows that the author did her research of him before she wrote the story. I believe this is a good book for children to read because they learn who Johnny Appleseed really was.

Folk Tale- "The Gingerbread Man" by Golden Books, illustrated by Bonnie and Bill Rutherford

This is the tradtional folk tale of the gingerbread man. An old lady wants to bake a surprise for her husband. She decides to bake him a gingerbread man. Once the gingerbread man is done, she opens the oven to pull him out. Much to her surprise, the gingerbread man hops up and runs away. The old lady and old man try to chase the gingerbread man along with a cow, horse, and cat. But none can catch the gingerbread man. He comes to a fox who offers to carry him across the river. The gingerbread man agrees since the fox has just eaten dinner. The fox convinces the gingerbread man to ride across on his nose, and then the fox does the unthinkeable, eats the gingerbread man. 

I am sure most kids have heard this story upon coming to school. I think it offers a great lesson of do not boast or be prideful as the gingerbread man ran around saying no one could catch him. I think it also offers repitition which is good for young readers- the gingerbread man sings the same song while running. I think this is a cute, classic tale that children must read. 

Biography- "Mack Made Movies" written and illustrated by Don Brown

Mack always had a dream of being a show business star. However, no one liked him in the few play parts he had. He decided things needed to change, so he learned slapstick humor. The crowds loved it and they loved him. Once Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope, the beginning stages of a filming camera, Mack knew he had to continue to pursue his career in movie making. Mack had several jobs at big movie studios doing manual labor, like building sets. It wasn't until he was helping film a movie that he realized movies would be a lot more fun if they were humorous, slapstick comedies. He and two other people started their own movie company and began filming movies. They signed many big actors of this time period and became well known for their comedic movies. Mack had finally made his dream become a reality. 

This biography was informative and gives the reader a lesson of never give up on your dreams. I really liked this biography because it was not about a "typical" person children already know or have heard about. Instead it was about Mack. I think children would definitely love to read this story because it is about movies, which everyone loves and can relate to. I also like that it teaches the reader a lesson of never giving up. I believe children cannot hear this message enough in their young formative years.