Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. Welcome to the World of Authors and Readers Online 2. Getting Started: Beginning to Explore and Use Digital Author Resources, With Eric Carle 3. Reading Through Writing: Rich Language Arts and Social Studies Learning, With T.A. Barron 4. Welcome to Judy Blume's Home Base 5. Illustrators Are Authors Too! 6. Creating Class Author Study Web Sites Appendixes A. Extra Activities to Extend and Expand Experience With Digital Author Studies B. Pedagogy and Standards Resources References Index
"As a folklorist, writer, and teacher of writing, I know firsthand how interactive author Web sites make it possible for students to talk, meet, and exchange ideas with extraordinary writers. Reissman and Gura have devised a brilliant strategy for utilizing the World Wide Web in the service of literacy. This book offers a wide range of opportunities for teachers and students to use these free resources to foster literacy and learning in the classroom." -Steve Zeitlin, Director City Lore Foster students' literacy and learning in the digital age through the engaging world of author Web sites! Using the Internet as an instructional tool can be daunting, but this innovative guide demonstrates how very easily and effectively author Web sites can be integrated into any classroom as a free and accessible resource for instruction, thus fulfilling the mandate for using technology in teaching and learning. Rose Cherie Reissman and Mark Gura show teachers how to make the most of author Web sites-from such favorite authors as Jean Craighead George, Judy Blume, and Eric Carle-to deepen students' engagement with reading and invite students into a fascinating literary community. The authors offer a rich trove of resources for teachers to explore: Activities that encourage and energize reluctant learners to participate in class discussions Strategies to promote literacy learning, including nonfiction reading, narrative writing, visual literacy, and much more Suggestions for using Web sites as a learning tool in math, science, and social studies Simple instructions on how students can create their own author-focused Web sites No matter what your level of technological expertise, this book provides the guidance needed to use author Web sites to encourage students' lifelong literacy.
Rose Reissman is Chief Academic Officer of Mind Lab and Head of the Writing Institute at the Ditmas Education Complex. She is an ongoing classroom public school educator who has successfully taught and continues to teach literacy, project-based learning, special education, gifted and talented students, and ELL students K-12. As an outcome of her own professional development, Reissman has taught graduate education course at Manhattanville College, LIU, Fordham, and MCNY-Metropolitan College of New York. Reissman has published extensively in the field of multiculutral education, literacy, middle school literacy, law-related education, technology integration,and writing across content. She has done residencies and consultancies throughout the country. The strength of her presentations and conversations with educators lies in the fact that her insights, strategies, activities, and recommendations are based on her ongoing teacher research in the classroom with actual students. She is also willing to demo her techniques with classes of actual student learners. Mark Gura has been involved in the integration of technology across the curriculum for the past 17 years o f his 35-year career as an educator. The former director of the Office of Instructional Technology of the New York City Board of Education, he has planned, supervised, and implemented professional development for thousands of teachers. A Senior Fellow of the Center for Digital Education, Gura has written extensively on the instructional applications of technology for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education); Converge, EdTech, and T.H.E. Journal magazines; and the New York Daily News. He currently teaches graduate courses in the use of technology for teachers at Fordham University and Touro College. He is also the co-producer of the popular Internet radio program, The Teachers Podcast.