March 6, 2016 – To Read To Write To Be

It’s day six in the March Slice of Life challenge. The challenge to write daily requires a little inspiration from time to time. Today it came in this tweet and a quick search.

#DigiLit Sunday: Technique @cvarsalona @Jreaderwriter @jarhartz @CathyMere @grammasheri @dogtrax @MuellerHolly @Mhaseltine @kagmoran

— Margaret Simon (@MargaretGSimon) March 5, 2016

Technique – noun – a way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific procedure.

Last summer three colleagues picked up Cynthia Lord’s new book Handful of Stars. Next read, next week? Sounds like a way a book club might choose a book. But, this book club was a little different. This book was read and “discussed” with colleagues all over the country on a shared Google doc. It was a terrific experience. We did it to write about reading together. We did it to experience what we asked our students to do.

What also came out of this experience was an idea, a possibility. Might students write about reading in this way? Could students in our classrooms connect and read a book together this way?

A few weeks ago I walked up to H and L huddled together with their notebooks and a book. They love to work through books side by side. I asked them, “Have you ever gotten to a good part in a book and you’re at home, and you can’t talk? ”

Both started talking about times when this happened. This was it. I asked, “Can I show you something? What if …” and I told them the story of reading Handful of Stars with my friends. Then I showed them how to start a collaboration document.

They began side by side and saw their names pop up on the same document. Squeals of “That’s so cool!” were noticed by readers around them. So it started. Readers and writers have found a new way, a new technique to read and write together. Sometimes it happens when they are at home. Sometimes it happens across the room. Sometimes it happens when they’re sitting side by side.