The other day, while up in our Computer Clubhouse, after taking an online test, my students excitedly went on to Big Universe.  They love spending their free time there: browsing books, creating images and finding friends.  That’s what their focus seemed to be that particular 15 minutes.  By the time everyone was done with the test, the whole room was buzzing with happy kids.  I actually had wished later that I had recorded the sounds in the room.

“Look at all my friends!”

“Look at this friend.  He has over 300 books on his shelf!”

“Mrs. Peterson, you NEED to be my friend!”

The SHARE part of Big Universe is a great feature and I like to encourage the students to use it.  First of all, it is a very safe environment.  Many of the kids’ names are in code, the social network is confined to Big Universe users and the comments students can make are limited.  In fact, they choose a comment to leave for a friend from a drop box.

I find that the students are showing some nice camaraderie online that can sometimes can be lost in person.  Everyone wants to be everyone’s friend.  It’s  nice to see!

Another great thing about the SHARE tab is that you get to see what other readers are up to.  The boy who became friends with one who read over 300 books was so excited.  So, I told him to check out the books he was reading.  My student happily went back to his computer and started to read one of the books on the boy’s shelf.  He took the recommendation as an exciting adventure: to read what someone across the country thought was a great book.

It was fun to see my students get excited about social media in the classroom in a very safe and educational environment.  My hope is that this healthy interaction with other people online will help them see the possibilities of online collaboration in the future.

~EMP

BigUniverse.com book touts the inventions of Thomas Edison.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Thomas Edison this year – not because I am a great history buff, but because I like my comfort. We live in a rural setting, but have all the urban amenities – that is, until the wind picks up, the rain pours …or a butterfly goes by and the power goes out!

 We live amid the trees. Apparently trees and power lines don’t mix. The boom of an exploding transformer is something that shakes a house – even a home on a solid foundation. The sound of a wailing woman shakes the house too, especially when there are writing deadlines on the line!

I don’t need fancy clothes, or TiVo, or even fine jewelry. Just give me one working power outlet for my computer modem and I’ll muddle through the rest. I’ve learned to find my toothbrush in the dark, locate matching shoes by feel, and light a kerosene lamp with one hand tied behind my back, but…been there, done that. Sixteen times this year, in fact!

I like the convenience of electrical lighting. In-home power is truly remarkable. It’s made my life quite comfortable, and it and the Internet have made my work as a freelance writer possible. So thank you, Thomas Edison.

It’s been more than 130 years since Edison filed Patent No. 223,898 for his incandescent light bulb on that day in early November. Never one to sit on his laurels, he and his inventive cohorts forged ahead, designing generators, fuses, batteries, a prototype of today’s power grid and hundreds of other inventions like the phonograph and the motion picture camera. Edison was an incredible thinker – the “Genius of Menlo Park” – with 1093 patents to his name.

You can read more about this remarkable man and his peers on BigUniverse.com, which features “Thomas Edison and the Pioneers of Electromagnetism,” a picture book by Elizabeth R.C. Cregan and published by Teacher Created Materials Publishing. (F&P GR: Q   Lexile: 690 Grade Level: 3-4. Interest Age: 6-12).

Mr. Edison was not only scientifically minded, but was also a wise man that knew his way around language. To read a collection of his pithy quotes, visit the BrainyQuote.com website.

Thomas Edison said, “There is no substitute for hard work.” My WASP upbringing has me nodding my head in agreement. And so, Duke Energy, I implore you to keep searching for the bug-a-boo in the power lines that is making it hard to write, but easy to wail (and rail). There are no more trees for your workers to trim, so perhaps it’s time to put on your thinking caps and channel your forefather, Edison, who said: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Thomas Edison Links for Kids:

• Thomas Edison Timeline
• Brief Thomas Edison Biography
• Thomas Edison Inventions
• Thomas Edison Coloring Page 

*NOTE: To read more about the great thinkers, who invented the modern conveniences that are part of our everyday lives, read Saddleback Publishing’s “Machines and Inventions,” a book in the “Science” section on Big Universe. 

Or, in Spanish read:

• “ Invenciones en la Industria de los Alimentos” (Inventions in the Food Industry)
• “Invenciones en comunicación” (Inventions in Communication)
• “Invenciones en la Industria de la Ropa” (Inventions in the Clothing Industry)

Just to find out what might be out there about Big Universe, I did a search on the internet. I was lucky enough to find these pages with lots of pictures, links, and great information. Please click on these links to find out even more (I have given some of the highlights under the links, but there is so much more.)

What they’re saying about Big Universe

• We’re honored to receive such high marks from our members and the press

Affordable Student-Centered Learning for PK-8

• Learn more about how this great resource can be used
• Take a tour
• Ways to encourage reading and writing using Big Universe
• Benefits of using Big Universe

How Big Universe Learning System is used in schools

• Reading
• Writing
• Learning
• Sharing

Content and Features of Big Universe Learning System

• Large Library of Books Online
• Reading Books Online
• Writing and Publishing Books
• Safe Sharing Community
• Account Management
• Assessment
• Reading Logs

image from Big Universe

Did you know on Big Universe users can look for books by …

• Lexile level?
• Fountas and Pinnell rating?
• DRA level?
• Accelerated Reading (AR) reading levels?
• Grade Level?
• Topic?
• Language?

Did you know you could combine some of the above searches by using various search combinations in the Advanced Search area?

Did you know on Big Universe there are books for all the main subjects (Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science)?

Did you know users can find picture books, read-aloud books, chapter books, and many other types of books on Big Universe?

I am sure (well, almost sure) that I have those types of books in my classroom library. However, I can’t search through all my books according to the levels listed above (I do have some of them marked AR but that is about it). I know that I don’t have many books in my library for math and science. I really enjoy reading books aloud. I have my own special books that I read aloud from. I try to keep these away from students, but students often want to read their own copy of book after the book has been read aloud to the class. If I used books from BigUniverse to read aloud, I would not have to worry about students losing or tearing up my books when they want to read the story on their own …

Even though I asked many questions to start this post, I think I have found a possible answer for expanding  … and possibly replacing my classroom library collection.

Have you heard of graphic novels? I will be honest and admit that I do not know very much about them.

Here is what I have found:

Graphic novels are expressed through many frames of pictures and words. They are similar to comic books in appearance but have the depth of novels. Graphic novels are important to introduce students to for many reasons.  Students are given opportunities to analyze many forms of literature.  Some of these are poetry, fiction, and non fiction.  Graphic novels are often not taught at all by teachers.  They can be an excellent resource though.  Students who may not respond well to some literature might love graphic novels.

I recently found a LiveBinder (online 3 ring binder) dealing with Graphic Novels which helped me understand and appreciate this type of story a bit more: Graphic Novel Webliography.

Here are a few things I learned from the Graphic Novel Webliography:

• Graphic novels appeal to both experienced readers and reluctant readers
• Graphic novels can be used with students of all ages (elementary through adult)
• Graphic novels can be used to build vocabulary

The webliography also provides links for parents and educators to learn more about Graphic Novels in general and recommends   specific ones.  I really like the “No Flying, No Tights: Super Hero Soup” tab. I know my classroom library tended to have more options for the girls to choose (I did not plan it that way … it just happened). I can see Graphic Novels appealing to both girls and boys.

I was also pleased to find that when you do an Advanced Search in Big Universe, one of the categories is Graphic Novels. When you do a search for Graphic Novels on Big Universe, you can find illustrated classics, biographies, history, nonfiction, and just really good stories!

image from Franklin Park Library and found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/88488351@N00/2624664037/

According to the Crayola.com Calendar, April is Poetry Month! From the Crayola.com Calendar page, you can find coloring pages, crafts, and lesson plans to use to Celebrate Poetry. On Big Universe, you can find books to use to Celebrate Poetry!

In the classroom, I enjoyed sharing poems and poets with students that were not very familiar to them. One year, we had a Poetry Party. Everybody had to find a poem to share. Those 4th graders thought the sillier the poem, the better it was ( I know that a poem doesn’t have to be silly but if that was what got them interested in poetry …).

We moved the desks and put our chairs in a big circle so we could all see each other. Everybody in the circle shared a poem. Towards the end of our Poetry Party, I heard students asking each other where they found the poem they shared. Just by listening to others share, students became interested in discovering other types of poems and various poets.

One year, I had students pick a poem or poet they liked and try to compose poetry imitating the features they enjoyed. We were connecting reading poetry and writing poetry to Celebrate Poetry.

Here are a few of the Poetry Books I found on Big Universe that you can use to Celebrate Poetry (if you do an advanced search, you can search for poetry and even pick the reading level, grade level, interest age to find more specific resources):

• What a Hippopot_Mess!
• I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud
• The Whoosh of Gadoosh
• ‘Twas The Day Before Zoo Day
• By a Thread
• Chatterbox

So … go Celebrate Poetry! And you know what … you don’t have to only Celebrate Poetry in April … you can do it all year long!

image from: Atkins, Sue. inspiration.jpg. May 30, 2004. Pics4Learning.

23 Mar 2011 <http://pics.tech4learning.com>

While sitting in a school library one afternoon, I looked around and saw a poster: “Turn the pages of your imagination. READ!!” That would be a great writing topic for students. I can imagine inviting children to brainstorm about what they think that message means. Here are a few guiding questions that came to mind:

• How might your imagination have pages?
• How does reading help jumpstart your imagination?
• Why do you think writers want the readers to imagine when they read?
• How do the things you imagine help you understand what you are reading?
• How might the things you imagine cause you to not understand what you are reading?
• If reading helps you turn the pages of your imagination, what could you do next?

That brainstorming or journal idea could be used as a pre-reading activity to get students thinking about or imagining what could happen in a certain story. That activity could be used to activate prior knowledge and/or generate a purpose for reading.

Another way that brainstorming or journal idea could be used is as a post-reading activity for students to reflect on what they read and how they used imagination in the story.

Students could also provide illustrations of what they imagine. Those illustrations could be connected with the before reading activity and/or the post reading activity.

So while the idea mentioned above could be used before or after reading, students could keep track of the things they imagine while they read. A small notebook, a piece of paper, or even a program like bubbl.us could be used to help student notice things in the story that cause imagination to take place.

Imagination plays a role in reading … before … during … and after

Why don’t you pick a book from Big Universe and see how it turns the pages of your imagination?

image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/24113168@N03/3803641352/

I just ran across the most delightful book for babies and toddlers. It’s been around for a while, so I don’t know what took me so long to cross paths with it.

“What Makes a Rainbow? A Magic Ribbon Book” is one of the books that my 3-year-old nephew brought with him when family gathered for a post-Christmas reunion. The book was lying on a couch, so I flipped it open out of curiosity. The smile was instantaneous. I know a good book when I see one. What a fun introduction to reading, I mused. It’s also a good way to teach colors.

Written by Betty Ann Schwartz and illustrated by Dona Turner, the book features colorful artwork and a real string rainbow that magically grows each time a page is turned. If that weren’t cute enough, the last page includes a pop-up rainbow – which will definitely catch the eye of a pre-reader.

I think this would make a perfect book to share in a daycare reading circle or when a grandparent wants some snuggle time with a grandchild. Because the shiny strings and pop-up might get mangled, I would suggest that you not toss this board book in the basket with the rest of the toys. I’d save it for special supervised reads.

I discovered another set of board books in a little children’s boutique in town. They were first produced in The Netherlands, but are now published by San Francisco’s Chronicle Books. I decided the “Little” Finger Puppet Books would make a sweet introduction to story time, so I got enough to give to the new moms that I mentor. (Sh-h-h! They are a surprise.)

In each book, a soft three-dimensional finger puppet pops through a hole on each page. The books are visually stimulating and offer tactile appeal.  I counted 17 different versions in this book series. “Little Puppy,” “Little Bunny” and “Little Giraffe” are particularly cute ones. The books are pint-sized and sturdy, making them a good candidate for hands-on “reading.”

While Big Universe can’t offer finger-puppets or magic string books, it does offer a huge variety of online picture books – some of them animated and with audio, too. The books are organized by age, topic, language, and reading and grade levels. If you want the book for your permanent collection at home or school, Big Universe makes that easy with links to the publishers’ websites.

 Big Universe offers a free 14-day trial of its online library, which includes thousands of premium publisher books, member-written stories, and an Author Tool to write and illustrate a book.

UPDATE:(March 16, 2011) My nephew’s honorable mention in this Big Universe blog garnered the attention of Lee Becknell of Piggy Toes Press, who invited him to be featured as the Fan of the Week this week. You’ll see him pictured on her blog, reading ”What Makes a Rainbow” – one  of his favorite picture books. Keep reading, Michael!

On this day 76 years ago, Amelia Earhart took flight from a Honolulu area runway in her red Lockheed Vega. Eighteen hours later, she had made her mark in the history books as the first pilot – man or woman – to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to California. She landed successfully in Oakland, Calif., on Jan. 12, 1935, having traveled a little over 2,400 miles!

This was just one of many adventure flights completed by the popular aviator, before she disappeared mysteriously in an around-the-world flight in 1937. Earhart had the heart of a pioneer, just like her grandparents who had traveled to Kansas in a covered wagon to help settle the Midwest.

Saddleback Educational Publishing strives to capture this spirit of adventure in its 32-page graphic biography “Amelia Earhart.” BigUniverse.com also offers other non-fiction picture books with smart, strong, courageous, kind and adventuresome females in the starring role. Read a book. Light a fire.

Books to Inspire Girls to Greatness

• Jane Goodall: Animal Scientist and Friend
• Jean Driscoll
• Mother Teresa: A Life of Kindness
• Rosa Parks: A Life of Courage
• Early America: Pocahontas
• Early America: Phillis Wheatley
• Early America: Abigail Adams
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Marie Curie: Pioneering Physicist
• Rachel Carson: Nature’s Guardian
• Harriet Tubman
• Madam Curie – Graphic Biography
• Helen Keller

There’s a golden apple waiting to be plucked by a worthy literacy teacher, and it’s valued at $10,000 for his or her organization, plus a trip to Louisville, Ky., this spring.

 The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) in Louisville is hosting its annual search for the Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year and is accepting nominations for outstanding educators through Jan. 31. Online applications are available, so although the clock is ticking, it’s not too late to make a bid for the prize.

 The winner and three other finalists – who will be awarded $500 scholarships – will present their best teaching practices at the National Conference on Family Literacy in April. Organizations may nominate up to two candidates, but the educators must not have been finalists in the past three years, 2008-2010. The winner will be determined by a panel of family literacy specialists.

 Please note that the nomination application must be completed by either the director or coordinator of the candidate’s program. The application also requires the prize candidate to write a response to a particular question, and it must include a supportive statement from an adult student who has worked with the nominated educator.

This is the 15^th year that the Toyota company has teamed with NCFL to promote literacy. Kay Brown of Louisiana was the 2010 winner. She was instrumental in the success of the Union Parish Family Literacy Center, located in rural Bernice, La. The center was one of three named as outstanding English language/civics programs in the state in 2008.

NCFL was founded in 1989 by Sharon Darling with the help of a grant from the William R. Kenan Charitable Trust. Since that time, more than one million families have benefited educationally and financially from its programs, according to the organization’s website.

BigUniverse.com, a literacy-minded web community of more than 39,000 members, offers thousands of online children’s picture books for teachers, parents and their K-8 students, as well as a kid-friendly Author Tool to encourage a love of language, creativity and writing.