2. MANY VOICES:
Interpreting Literature Via Online Book Clubs
Carmen Escamilla & Christine Romanelli
© United Independent School District 2011-2012

3. Advantages
• Great way to engage students
in digital literacies
• Students can participate in a
discussion from anywhere,
anytime!
• Online book club
environments benefit
students’ multimodal reading
• Tolerance is learned and lived
in an online book club format.
Advantages with a Twist
• Selected titles will be “read-a-
likes” using different genres
• Classes chosen are from
feeder schools (K-12th)
• Triad Partnership: Teacher,
Librarian, and IT Coordinator
• Supports inverted or flipped
model of instruction where
students practice what they
learn under the guidance of a
teacher: not LECTURE based!

4. Vertical Feeder Online Book Clubs and
Standards for the 21st Century Learner
Standards Successfully Met:
• Standard 1: Inquire, think
critically, and gain
knowledge
• Standard 2: Draw
conclusions, make informed
decisions, apply knowledge
to new situations, and
create new knowledge.
• Standard 3: Share
knowledge and participate
ethically and productively as
members of our democratic
society.
• Standard 4: Pursue personal
and aesthetic growth.
Source: Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action.
Chicago: American Library Association, 2009. 60-
61. Print

5. Use Award Winning Bibliographies
Reading Lists |
Texas Library
Association

6. Look for Commonalities
Slavery, independence, civil rights, self-rule, human dignity,
personal and corporate freedom
Fiction Non-Fiction

7. Choosing Two Different Genres Will:
• Historical Fiction (Chains):
• Develop an awareness of the past and its
connection to today.
• Create a community of tolerance and
empathy.
• Information -Photo Essay Book
(Marching for Freedom):
• Create interest, especially with boys.
• “By grade five, many surveys of children’s
preferences show that boys, in particular, rate
nonfiction books as their favorite.” (Vardell, 234)
Source: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children’s Literature in Action
A Librarian’s Guide. Connecticut: Libraries
Unlimited, 2008, 234.

8. Book Club Participants
• Content of books
• Grade levels tested
• Go VERTICAL!
– High School
– Middle School
– Elementary
• Future high school students socializing with Juniors
• Juniors setting an example for the upcoming students
• Permissions
• Subjects
Elementary
Middle School
High
School

9. Triad Partnership at Work:
Who Does What?
Framework:
Met with Teachers, IT Coordinator,
and Librarian to discuss project
Choose online format:
•ECHALK works well
•Moderator was chosen for discussion
boards
•Create a Student Wiki
•Choose Web 2.0 Tools
•Choose Dates to Post/Publish
•Computer Lab Times
•IT Coordinator’s Role
•Librarian’s Role
•Teachers’ Role
•Students’ Role

10. Most Important: Two Key Factors
• Patience & Understanding
– Campus activities may interfere with scheduled events
– Teachers and students may be at different technology
levels
• Flexibility
– Change/ compromise on dates of activities/ readings

12. Moderator
Elementary
High School
“Marching for Freedom”

13. Let Them Loose!
Bookmarks created by AHS High School, CTE Graphic Design & Illustration Class, Mr. Fernando Silva
Printed and handed out at the Author’s Presentation

14. Let Them Loose!
Submitted projects by: Middle School and Elementary
Design by: Nye Elementary, Ms. Z. Solis’ class
Book Jackets by: Gutierrez Elementary, Ms. S. Reyna’s Class

15. Vertical Feeder:
Participating Campuses
New!

16. Web 2.0
• Gave teachers the freedom to choose what
tool THEY felt comfortable using
• Tagxedo
• Comic Strip Creator
• Voki
• Xtranormal
• *Wiggio
• *FlockDraw

17. Tagxedo
• http://www.tagxedo.com/

18. Comic Strip
• http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
By: Elian Fernandez
Elementary

19. Voki
• Elementary-”Chains” • Middle School-”Marching for Freedom”
• http://www.voki.com/

20. Xtranormal
• High School- ”Chains”
• http://www.xtranormal.com/

21. Wiggio
http://wiggio.com/

22. FlockDraw

23. FlockDraw

24. Adobe Connect
• High School with Elementary

25. Thank You!
Questions?
Carmen Escamilla: cescamilla@unitedisd.org
Christine Romanelli: cromanelli@unitedisd.org