Connecting Students from Around the Globe to Read

It's something most of us take for granted: sitting down to actually read a book.

I'll be the first confess, I haven't sat down and read a book in years. I'd really like to be able to shut out the world, including my cell phone, and just read.

One of the many challenges to getting young people to read is the distractions that come along with electronics, as well as our shorter attention spans.

When I came across a post of a local teacher merging reading with connecting students from around the globe utilizing technology, I had to share my excitement. When I was in school we sat in a quiet room and read. We would do a review of what we read among our teachers and classmates.

Recently, students at Friends Academy got to share their reading experience with students in Toronto, Canada, sharing different points of view and their understanding of the book via video chat.

Hearing that our schools are acclimating to include technology to allow students to gain a different perspective I think is a lesson in itself. The book that both classes read was called The Bridge Home, which is a story about young people with the grit to survive and really hones in on childhood homelessness.

The book received a four-and-a-half star review after being released earlier this year.
It's creative education like this that gets me excited about the future of our youth and more importantly the endless educational opportunities our youth has.

Has your child experienced something in their classroom that you thought was a creative way to teach your child, whether it used technology or not?