The Utopian Library

Eloise Long, Kutztown University
Eileen Kern, Kratzer Elementary School

See presenter’s wikispace for more info and examples

“We need to talk to kids the way they are talking to each other.”

A booktalk should be something the ‘talker truly enjoys…

• a booktalk IS a structured mini-mystery
• a booktalk IS NOT a review or critique

Types of booktalks

• plot driven
• character driven
• connections
• author purpose
• influence
• it’s all about me
• scene driven

Booktalk formats

• print
• audio
• video
• video/audio

Technology tools for creating booktalks

• Character Trading Cards
  • www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/student_material.asp?id=56
• Comic Strips
  • www.makebeliefscomix.com
  • DIY three- and four-panel comic strips with talk bubbles and think bubbles
• “READ” poster design kit
  • www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=1216
• Wordle
  • www.wordle.net
• Podcast
  • Kids script and voice themselves into the podcast booktalk
  • Tech requirements
    • Audio recording software such as Audacity (Windows or Mac) or GarageBand (Mac)
    • USB headphone with microphone (works better than mic plugged in to back of computer)
    • LAME MP3 encoder
  • Experiment with and demonstrate how sound plays back on the podcast (silence, throat clearing, “um,” articulation, etc.)
• Videos
  • Windows Movie Maker
  • iMovie for Mac OSX
  • Share movies on YouTube
• GoAnimate
  • www.goanimate.com
• Xtra Normal
  • www.xtranormal.com
  • 3D text-to-movie
  • Type in script, create animated avatar
• Voki
  • www.voki.com
  • Type in script
  • Create character, voice, background, wardrobe
  • Doesn’t require an email account
• Voice Thread K-12
  • www.voicethread.com

Filed under: CIL2009, conference notes, libraries, multimedia, social software