Author Visits

Author Visits – one more topic that is new to me in literature!  Hope everyone is having a full and productive week?

In Kate Messner’s article titled “Skyping Renaissance,” skypevisits . I learned about children being offered the opportunity to visit with authors. This is an article related to the new movement of Skyping authors into classrooms a technology that is reducing the cost and travel time involved with conferences in the 21^st century.  The article offers a peak into the many advantages of using Skype in education.  Those who have made use of this technology have connected children with authors that they (children) may not otherwise have interacted with.  It is also a way to help children build on lessons learned in the classroom with real life experiences.   Authors and illustrators are being invited into classroom across the world and children are able to interact with them as they never have before.

ASLC  http://www.ala.org/alsc/issuesadv/kidscampaign/authorvisits has information on how to arrange an Author Visit at your school or library either in person or as mention above via Skype.  The details are given in an easy format for people who are interested in developing this activity.   After forming a committee, selecting an audience and author the rest of the time a planner will be planning.  The planning period will need to start 12-18 months in advance ensure a venue, equipment, funding and publicity are in place. After the event is a successfully completed and book sales are wrapped up, thank you cards and evaluations will be in order. For anyone who is hesitant to coordinate this type of activity there are many helpful links listed on the website as resources.  After reading through the website it appears that arranging a Skype visit is achievable and rewarding.

Other websites that I looked at for Author Visits are https://education.microsoft.com/skype-in-the-classroom/overview here you will find information on Skype lessons, Mystery Skype (something I look forward to using in my future classroom).  Also, virtual field trips and Guest Speakers (Author Visits).

The following link was very helpful for me when learning more about actually facilitating an event http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sites/default/files/asset/file/scholastic_author_visit_brochure.pdf.  This is highly detailed to make planning out an author visit less cumbersome.

Interestingly while learning about the growing use of Skypevisits, I discovered what a virtual field trip is. They are masterful way to advocate for the use of technology in schools because say for instance, children who are bed ridden or ill can take a virtual field trip and share in the experiences of mobile children.

Personally, I have not attended an author visit and as a matter of fact it hasn’t been until this current semester that I would have even considered it.  Now, I will gladly attend an author visit in the future if I have an opportunity.  I would also enjoy a Skype author visit as they would be cost effective and convenient.

After reading multiple books by the same author I feel as if I have studied an author or two 🙂 to a degree, but to meet a well-known author would be completely different in that there would be interaction with them face-2-face, that’s cause for excitement!

I would like to invite via Skype to my future classroom Brian Pinkney, because he has a moving personal story and writes children’s books that have African children in them so that a Black child is reflected back at a Black reader.

What will we learn about next in KidiLit?