If you think your students could be intimidated by talking with an award-winning published author, take a look at this collage of photos taken from several videoconferences with Patricia McKissack…
… maybe not so much, right? If you want to read more about Mrs. McKissack’s interactive, engaging distance learning programs, click here.
Mrs. McKissack connected to 5 schools today via videoconference to talk about ber book, The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll
Patricia McKissack welcomed schools from Canada, Tennessee and Louisiana today during her story hour videoconference on The All-I’ll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll. She said it was a delightful group of students from across North America- in addition to talking about the story, they discussed their regions. At West Haven Elementary in Alberta, Canada, it was negative ten degrees- but a warm up for them! The kids in Louisiana from the Tangipahoa School District were experiencing temps in the 40s, and the students at East Side Elementary in Shelbyville, Tennessee, like us in St. Louis, had mid-20s and light snow.
You Can’t Clone This Videoconference Series
December 14, 2010
St. Louis author Patricia McKissack teaches students how to write via interactive videoconference. During hands-on and highly interactive sessions through Cooperating School Districts’ New Links to New Learning, students discuss plot, themes, character development and more.
This spring is the Creative Writing-Science Fiction workshop.
Dates and times (always central) for this three-part series are:
4 p.m. on 4/13 – teacher meeting
11 a.m. on 4/27 – student meeting I
11 a.m. on 5/11 – student meeting II
In a series of three videoconferences, Mrs. McKissack customizes for any grade level and any part of the writing process. In the first videoconference, the author meets with the teachers to discuss the goals of the author visit and the science fiction book she will be presenting, The Clone Codes.
In the first videoconference with students, Mrs. McKissack introduces herself and gives a brief biographical background including how she came to be a writer. Then, she goes into a lesson, which could focus on brainstorming, revision, or any other area that the teachers have agreed upon. Time is left for questions and answers from the students. The author then makes a science fiction writing assignment to the students. When they get back together in the last videoconference, she gives them feedback about their writing.
