Planning an Author Visit to Your Classroom

 

What could be more exciting for you, the new teacher, than having a "real live author" visit your classroom. Here's how to plan and prepare for an author visit.

Author Lisa Ard visits a class in Beaverton, OR - Lisa Ard

All teachers want their students to be good readers and good writers. But, as a new  teacher, have you given any thought to where all of those words in all those the books your students are reading came from? Have they? When you teach a new book to your class, do you make the connection between the words and the real true person who wrote them?

When you teach writing to your class, do you draw parallels between the words they write and the process they go through and the way published authors work - for in most cases, that process is very similar.

The possibilities for author visits abound, and some can even be arranged via higher tech options such as Skype and virtual author visits - thus opening your visit up to authors who are not in your local area - or even in the same country!

But, planning for an author visit is vital to its success. Here are some ways to make that visit meaningful for your students and a pleasure for your visiting author, too. There are many things to consider when deciding on an author. Do your students have a favorite author? Do you know of a local author who would love to talk with your class? Are you at a loss when thinking of the right person, and can use some help deciding?

In order to get some "real author" input, I was lucky to have a virtual visit with Lisa Ard, a Portland-based children's author who is also an experienced visiting author. Lisa does free author visits in the Portland area, and can also visit your class via Skype.

Lisa was willing to share some of her planning ideas with me - and now, with you:

"How do you go about setting up an author visit? First, you need to find an author. There are many websites and organizations that list authors who visit schools and I’ve included a list to get you started [see below]. You may also google ‘author visits’ for your area or ask your co-workers if they have a contact. Find the author’s website or school visit information. Consider these points when narrowing down your list:

• Choose an author that writes for the audience you teach (i.e. middle grade for elementary grades). Kids will be more excited by an author visit if they’ve read his/her books. Plus, authors want to meet their audience.
• Find out what types of visits they offer: in person or via skype; classroom or auditorium visits; Q&A or something meatier, like a writing workshop
• Your budget. Many authors charge for their visits.
• Availability and schedule"
  

Of course, once you've decided on an author - the next part is actually arranging for the visit. Will this be an in-person visit, a virtual visit or one done via technology like Skype? Your budget may dictate your choice, but all of these are all great ways to bring an author into your classroom.

After you've set the date, Lisa offers some additional tips to get ready:

"Now that you’ve found an author, made contact, and agreed on a date, it’s up to you to  make this visit a success – for you, the kids, and the author. Prepare the class or school using some or all of these tips:

• Advertise, advertise, advertise! Make sure every kid and every family knows an author is  coming to school. Write it up in the school newspaper. Send home e-mail announcements.
•  Put a poster up at school. Let the local paper know; they may show up to take pictures. Authors love publicity and kids do too!
• Read the author’s book in class. Have the kids prepare book reports, questions for the  authors, draw artwork to go along with the story… this extra activity builds excitement  around the author visit.
• Ask the author how you can help with book orders. Send home order forms. E-mail buy links for the author’s books. 
• Arrange a book signing after the visit. Kids love autographs and  owning a book all their own. And frankly, authors need this support from schools.
• After the visit, have the kids write thank you letters. Reading through readers’  letters  inspires authors to keep writing. Plus, it’s teaching good manners. If you and your class  enjoyed the visit, tell all your teacher and librarian friends. Help the author find more  school visits."

Now it is up to you - talk to your students and colleagues, plan your visit and have a
great time!

For more on arranging author visits, see the following resources:

• Lisa Ard is the author of the Dream Seeker series (ages 7-10) and the award-winning Saving Halloween (ages 9-12).
• My Little Bookcase Challenge: Meet an Author
• Authors by State
• Reading Rockets Video Book Interviews
• Skype an Author
• To read more about preparation ideas, look through Dan Gutman’s article The Perfect Author Visit.
  

Original copyright 2012 +Irene Taylor. Permission to republish  in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.

Carschooling - Tips for Parents and Homeschoolers

Carschooling by Diane Flynn Keith

Title: Carschooling 
Author: Diane Flynn Keith
Genre: Homeschooling, Teaching, Parenting Advice 
Publisher: Homefires, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: 2009 
eBook: Available in paperback
Pages: 360

Have you ever counted license plates with your children, or practiced spelling words while you were driving to and from various appointments, soccer games, or friends’ houses? If so, you were engaging in a form of carschooling, a new way to make the most of those hours you spend driving around with your kids.

Diane Flynn Keith’s book, Carschooling, takes everyday car-related activities to a new level. Why not make the most of those hours spent in the car and give your child a carschool education while you are driving?

What is Carschooling?

I spoke with Diane Keith to get her perspective on her unique approach to learning. When asked, “What is carschooling,” Ms. Keith replied:

“Carschooling is the act of turning travel time into fun and engaging learning time.”

Carschooling is a great book for all parents – the homeschooler and the traditional schooler alike. It is divided into subject sections, each describing a variety of activities that parents can do with children while they are riding in the car. Games and activities are included for ages 4 though 17, and examples of age-appropriate “carschool curricula” are given at the start of the book.

But how did Diane Keith come up with the idea? She told me:

“My kids and I spent a lot of time in the car commuting to classes, field trips, the library, friends’ homes, the park, sporting events, enrichment activities – and running everyday errands. Sometimes, when my kids got bored they’d whine or complain. To calm them, I’d play an audio book or music. That almost always led to interesting discussions and it was clear they wanted to learn more. 

I began to search for activities, games, and resources we could use in the car to boost their knowledge of the world.  Because we homeschooled, I looked for resources that would help my children learn language arts, math, science, geography, history, social studies, and more.  I asked other parents what they did in the car to pass the time and tried their suggestions.  Over time, I realized we weren’t just homeschooling – we were learning on the road or ‘carschooling.’ Eventually, I compiled all of the ingenious ideas and fun resources into my book, ‘Carschooling’.”

Ms. Keith also addresses common and practical concerns such as car sickness, items needed to successfully carschool, organizational materials, and even which types of vehicles are more conducive to this unique educational method.

Car Games and Activities

Carschooling includes activities for all subjects typically required by national school curricula, from science and math to visual and performing arts, and even health and physical education. Ms. Keith also includes activities for “electives” such as current events, economics, and driver’s education and even some for “recess.”

Especially helpful at the start of each section is the list of subject area-specific tools needed to enhance the activities. For example, resources for the science section include such handy items as binoculars, cameras and film, rubber gloves, a journal, and the Periodic Table of Elements. Each section has similar suggestions that are specific to the subject area.

Rest Stop Olympics, How Do They Make That?, The Car Mechanic’s Cat, and Skeleton Hokey Pokey are just a few of the over 350 activities included. All are appropriate for use in the car, but many can also be adapted to other forms of travel, or just for some backyard fun.

Perhaps what is best about using Carschooling’s methods are the benefits for both parents and children. When asked, “What is the most important thing you’d want parents to know about using this method with their children? What are the benefits of using it?,” Ms. Keith replied:

“Carschooling not only makes your kids smarter, it improves your relationship with your children. Playing fun and interactive educational games in the car together, or having earnest discussions about provocative issues of the day, improves communication, builds trust and good will, and bonds families together in profound and heartfelt ways.”

Learning Resources for Parents

Ms. Keith includes a robust list of resources that parents can use to expand upon the ideas presented in the book. Many additional ideas are found at the Carschooling site as well.

Here are some of the Carschooling success stories that Ms. Keith recounted.

“The book is chock-full of stories from parents who have successfully used time spent in the car to engage their children in learning about every subject through fun games and innovative resources.  

One of my favorite stories is from the Hunt Family. On a 6-week long car trip they used a ‘Memory Box’ to help the kids record a history of their trip and instill an understanding of historical artifacts.  Each child had a shoebox and at each stop along the way, they were encouraged to find an item to put into their box as a reminder of the place they visited.

Each box contained a mishmash of items including rocks and feathers found along the way, as well as postcards purchased at souvenir stores. The children spent hours reviewing the contents and talking about each item. When they got home they considered burying the boxes, imagining an archaeologist in the distant future excavating their yard and discovering the priceless artifacts from their trip.”

Ms. Keith’s advice for parents using Carschooling:

“When using the games in ‘Carschooling’ remember these guidelines:

1. Games and activities are supposed to be fun for everyone.  Learning happens when it is desired by the learner. So don’t force it. If you’re not having fun, move on to something else.
2. Keep the rules to games as flexible as possible. It’s okay to change them to accommodate your children’s needs, interests, and imaginations.
3. Some children are comfortable with competitive games; others are not. Remember that competitive games can be turned into cooperative games by having everyone do the activity together. Set a goal within a specific time frame, and once it is achieved – everyone wins or gets a treat.

Encourage learning while building self-confidence in a fun and affirming way. Be on your kids’ side and recognize their accomplishments. When children experience success, it will motivate them to learn more. Above all, have fun learning in the car with your family.”

All in all, Carschooling is a great resource for parents looking to expand their children’s educational opportunities while making time spent driving around in the car both rewarding and productive.

Diane Flynn Keith is also the author of Papa's Pearls, winner of the Dan Poynter Global ebook Gold Award in the Parenting and Family Non-Fiction category.

Sources

Keith, Diane Flynn. Carschooling. (2009). Homefires.
Email interview with Diane Keith. (2013).

Copyright 2013 Irene Taylor. Permission to republish  in print or online must be granted by the author of this blog in writing.