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From: Vicki Cobb <vicki.cobb2_at_verizon.net>
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:12:52 -0400
Just in case you're not aware of our blog Interesting Nonfiction for Kids, where about two dozen of us write on a daily basis about our genre and the writing process, the url is: http://inkrethink.blogspot.com. The success of the blog (now entering it's fourth year) has given birth to a new company of award-winning nonfiction authors: www.inkthinktank.com. On our website there is a free database of all the current INK authors' books in print aligned to national standards. It's not designed for librarians but for busy teachers who still don't know about us despite the best efforts of the wonderful librarians in this listserve who are the chief promoters of our books. I look upon the lack of cross-pollination between the library and many classrooms as similar to the blood/brain barrier. What does it take to get teachers to consider the quality of the material they give kids to read about the real world? Lynn Rutan mentioned that she thought hearing from us nonfiction authors could be "powerful." We believe tha t we authors may be one of the most under-utilized and overlooked resources available to the educational community but it is expensive to bring us to schools (remember we have no salaries). So one of the missions of Ink Think Tank is to make us available to schools (in real time) as a team via technology--specifically videoconferencing---at a fraction of the cost
of having transport us, feed us and entertain us in person. A core cross-curriculum group of us are now available through Ink Link: Authors on Call (on our website). We are using technology for live, synchronous communication with teachers through professional development and will, of course, talk directly to their students. I should also say, that although we can Skype, we are set up to interface with the H323 protocol that is legacy vc equipment in many schools. (Many technology teachers are looking for programs that will get the dust off the equipment and have a budget for this.) The protocol allows us to speak to more than one site at a time. Also, we have added the amazing Angela Maiers, a literacy advocate-for--21st century learning, to our roster as a bridge between our books and the needs of students and teachers.
Vicki Cobb
Received on Sun 24 Oct 2010 08:12:52 AM CDT
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 2010 08:12:52 -0400
Just in case you're not aware of our blog Interesting Nonfiction for Kids, where about two dozen of us write on a daily basis about our genre and the writing process, the url is: http://inkrethink.blogspot.com. The success of the blog (now entering it's fourth year) has given birth to a new company of award-winning nonfiction authors: www.inkthinktank.com. On our website there is a free database of all the current INK authors' books in print aligned to national standards. It's not designed for librarians but for busy teachers who still don't know about us despite the best efforts of the wonderful librarians in this listserve who are the chief promoters of our books. I look upon the lack of cross-pollination between the library and many classrooms as similar to the blood/brain barrier. What does it take to get teachers to consider the quality of the material they give kids to read about the real world? Lynn Rutan mentioned that she thought hearing from us nonfiction authors could be "powerful." We believe tha t we authors may be one of the most under-utilized and overlooked resources available to the educational community but it is expensive to bring us to schools (remember we have no salaries). So one of the missions of Ink Think Tank is to make us available to schools (in real time) as a team via technology--specifically videoconferencing---at a fraction of the cost
of having transport us, feed us and entertain us in person. A core cross-curriculum group of us are now available through Ink Link: Authors on Call (on our website). We are using technology for live, synchronous communication with teachers through professional development and will, of course, talk directly to their students. I should also say, that although we can Skype, we are set up to interface with the H323 protocol that is legacy vc equipment in many schools. (Many technology teachers are looking for programs that will get the dust off the equipment and have a budget for this.) The protocol allows us to speak to more than one site at a time. Also, we have added the amazing Angela Maiers, a literacy advocate-for--21st century learning, to our roster as a bridge between our books and the needs of students and teachers.
Vicki Cobb
Received on Sun 24 Oct 2010 08:12:52 AM CDT
