Belle Vernon students share their reports with peers across the state
On opposite sides of the state, Belle Vernon Area Middle School English teacher, Carol Frow (right), and Michele Fowkes, Upper Perkiomen School District middle school teacher (on screen), lead their classes in a persuasive book talk via Google Hangouts, allowing the children to share their thoughts on books with their peers. Both Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year finalists, Frow and Fowkes met at a state Department of Education conference and discussed the idea of promoting the joy of reading among their technological savvy students.
Morgan Posey, eighth grader at Belle Vernon Middle School, reads a book review she wrote on the book ‘Flowers in the Attic’ as middle school students from Upper Perkiomen School District listen on the other side of the screen. Michele Fowkes, English Teacher at Upper Perkiomen School District, came up with the idea to use technology connect the two classrooms who share a similar passion for books; the two teachers met and discussed the idea at an education conference.
Belle Vernon Middle School eighth graders in English teacher Carol Frow’s class react to a book review read to them by a student from a middle school across the state projected in the front of the class via Google Hangouts. Michele Fowkes English Teacher at Upper Perkiomen School Districtof came up with the idea to use technology connect the two classrooms who share a similar passion for books; the two teachers met and discussed the idea at an education conference.
Dana Meyer, eighth grader from Upper Perkiomen School District north of Reading, Pa., presents her book review on ‘Ruined’ to eighth grade students at Belle Vernon Middle School through Google Hangouts. Michele Fowkes, English Teacher at Upper Perkiomen School District, came up with the idea to use technology connect the two classrooms who share a similar passion for books; the two teachers met and discussed the idea at an education conference.
Students in Carol Frow’s advanced eighth-grade English class at Belle Vernon Area Middle School nervously prepare to give their persuasive book talk.
Their audience is going to be unique. And their work will span the state as well as the generations.
Utilizing Google Hangout, the students and their peers at Upper Perkiomen School District, located north of Reading, Pa., this week shared their book reviews live online.
Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year finalists, Frow, and Michele Fowkes, who teaches in Upper Perkiomen School District, first met at a Standards Aligned Systems Conference, a state Department of Education-sponsored event, in Hershey. The idea to use technology to connect the two classrooms was born.
“The future of education is changing,” Frow said. “If we’re going to reach our students, we have to reach them in the world they live in.”
As they prepared for the online shared class, Frow and Fowkes gave their students a list of the books their classmates and the other class were planning to review.
“I haven’t heard of most of these books, so I’m interested in seeing what they’re about,” said student Morgan Posey of Rostraver Township.
Posey admitted a little jitters as she prepared to be the first student to give her report.
The students’ recorded book reviews were captured on a QR code that will be stored in the front of the book. That will allow future students who pick up that book to scan the code and hear the review.
“You can read the summary of the book on the inside of the book written by the author, but it helps to have a voice of someone your own age,” said student Austin Martin of Rostraver Township. “You tend to believe them more.”
Many of the students in Frow’s class chose fiction novels.
Sam Desai of North Belle Vernon chose “The Hunger Games.”
“I like the adventure, action, suspense,” Desai. “I liked it because it was more than one book. I don’t like cliffhangers.”
Desai said the connection with his peers in another district will motivate him to keep reading.
Jillian Butchki of Rostraver Township chose “The City of Bones.” The message of her book report was “everything is not always what it seems.”
Martin read “No Name,” about the changes in a young boy’s life after his family becomes homeless. “No Name” is among the books students will read if they compete in the Englishfest. Held in May at Duquesne University, students get to meet one of the authors.
Morgan Posey of Rostraver Township was drawn to the technology-based lesson.
“Our generation likes technology, so to talk with students in another district across the state is great,” Posey said.
Mackenzie Heckel of Rostraver Township was one of the few students in the class to choose a nonfiction book, “Jefferson’s Sons,” which highlights the conflicts of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner.
The students in the Upper Perkiomen School District were just as inspired by the special reading assignment.
“It’s good to hear different opinions,” said Kayman Heater, who read the Holocaust-based novel, “Projekt 1065.”
“We all know each other, so it’s good to hear from students in other districts.”
The teachers shared their students’ excitement about the project.
“It’s great to have a real-world audience, and I like that they write speeches about something that they have a passion for,” Frow said.
“There was an excitement to see what the other class was reading,” Fowkes added.