So, I was reading Pernille Ripp's blog and she was listing the various project ideas that she uses to engage her 4th grade students in reading; some really great ideas!
It made me think about how much things have changed. When I was a kid, which was not all too long ago, we did the same kind of book reports year after year. Nothing ever really changed in terms of what we were doing, besides the books we were reading of course.
These days, there is such a wealth of new and innovative ways in which students illustrate their knowledge and understanding of what they are reading that disinterest in doing lit projects is virtually extinct. Students can blog, create websites, write lit letters to e-pals, and engage in such a vast offering of different types of reading projects that extrinsic rewards are really pre-historic fossils as well.
Back in the day (which was a Wednesday for those of you that don't remember), we had "Book It!" This ingenious program partnered school districts with Pizza Hut and attempted to motivate kids to become avid readers using pizza. Unfortunately, this program didn't really work out too well and probably only compounded the huge problem of obesity in America.
People have said, "The way to a man's heart is through their stomach." While this may contain some truth, and far too many carbs, fostering lifelong reading habits is not something that can be spoon fed, even with something as delicious as pizza. In fact, it is quite the opposite. It is something that requires a perpetual appetite; a hunger to read and explore ideas. Once a person gets full, they are no longer interested in indulging. When it comes to reading, the teacher's goal is to ignite student appetite to read. 21st century learning projects keep students hungry to read.
CHECK OUT PERNILLE RIPP'S BLOG FOR READING PROJECT IDEAS:
Blogging through the Fourth Dimension: So Instead of a Book Report...
PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT TYPES OF READING PROJECTS YOU ARE DOING WITH YOUR STUDENTS!
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