Join February's Nonfiction Picture Book Event #nf10for10

Our February Nonfiction Event
The calendar just marches on!  It's hard to believe it is already time for February's Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 event (#nf10for10).  This year will be our 4th annual nonfiction event.  I know I'm excited to see the selections and posts about favorite nonfiction titles.

The event will be Friday, February 19th (because 1 + 9 is 10...yes, I know the one is in the tens place, but let's play along with it).  For me, this is always a book gap filling event.  Each year it seems there is a greater emphasis on nonfiction picture books for young readers.  I'm always working to catch up on these titles.  Events like the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge (#nfpb2016) hosted each Wednesday by Aly Beecher, help me to learn more about these books.  For me, our February 19th community picture event, brings to the front some "must have" nonfiction titles for young readers.

Here are a few examples from past participants:

• Erika Victor, 2015:  Expect the Unexpected
• Catherine Flynn, 2015:  Lives of Artists 
• Jodie Rodriguez, 2014:  Architect and Building Books
• Cathy Mere, 2014:  Mentor Texts for Young Nonfiction Writers
• Stacey Shubitz, 2013:  10 New Words of Nonfiction I Hope My Daughter Embraces

About #nf10for10
In 2010 Mandy Robek and I hosted our first picture book event.  In 2013, Julie Balen suggested we add a nonfiction picture book event that worked the same.  Participants choose 10 - well, usually 10 (they're a crafty bunch) - nonfiction picture books to share.  On the day of the event, we'll ask that you visit the Google Community site to add your nonfiction link to the 2016 #nf10for10 tab.  We will also suggest that you leave the link on one of our blogs in the comment section, just in case we have to move again.

• What:  10 nonfiction picture books you can't live without.
• Hashtag:  #nf10for10
• Who:  Anyone interested --- educators, media specialists, librarians, parents, and book lovers.  
• When:  Thursday, February 19th
• Where:  All posts will be linked on the 2016 #nf10for10 page of our Picture Book 10 for 10 Google Community Site.  

Start sorting through your collections to find your favorite titles and join us in one month as we share 10 nonfiction picture books we just can't live without.  Feel free to grab the #nf10for10 button and spread the word.  

In the meantime, please feel free to browse our home.  Send a request to join our community.  If you have participated in the past, we'd love it if you would add your old posts to the correct tab in the community.  We are hoping to recreate the resources the best we can.  

DigiLit Sunday: Join the Digital Maker Playground...Reader Response Focused

I'm curled up on the couch by my sliding glass doors watching a rainy snowy mix fall to the ground.  I pull my blanket a little more tightly around me as the wind outside whistles.  This is the perfect day to play on the playground.

What???

Have I gone crazy?

This is the perfect day to play on, not any playground but, the Digital Maker Playground.  The playground opens January 19th and we're hoping you'll join us.  The Digital Maker Playground isn't your typical professional development opportunity.  Instead it is a place where learners join together from around the globe virtually to consider, and work through, the new possibilities in literacy thanks to digital spaces.  This opportunity allows you to work from wherever you'd like, in times that work best for your schedule, while still connecting with others around a common goal.

Last year, as we explored digital tools, this virtual space hosted learners from around the world.  Our community includes members from states such as Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine and Wisconsin.  We were fortunate to have friends join us from Australia as well.  The playground is open to members around the world.

Our Focus:  Reader Response
This year, I'm once again hosting the Digital Maker Playground (#P2Lmooc) with Julie Johnson.  Our focus on the Digital Maker Playground will be around reader response.  We're looking forward to digging into reader response to deepen our understanding and open our eyes to new possibilities for our students.  It seems reading used to be an act of solitude, but digital tools and spaces have opened new possibilities for readers to extend their thinking beyond the text and connect with other readers.

There are four makes in this year's session, followed by time for reflection on reader response.  There is roughly two weeks between each make.  A focus will be selected for each make and community members will be asked to play around and respond digitally to a text.  Participants will have about two weeks to complete each make.  All digital artifacts will be shared in the Google community.

You Might Want to Know:

• To begin Join the Digital Maker Playground
• Our first make will be announced Saturday morning, January 16th (to be completed by 2/2). 
• An optional live workshop is offered for local participants (see Smore).
• Follow the #P2Lmooc hashtag on Twitter (@jreaderwriter and @cathymere)

We hope to see you on the playground!

*Hilliard City School educators can receive credit for this course.  Sign in on PD Express.  If you have questions, please contact Julie or me.  

As part of a continuous collaboration among educators interested in digital learning, Margaret Simon hosts a weekly Digital Learning round-up on her blog:  DigiLit Sunday.  Stop by Reflections on the Teche.  

DigiLit Sunday: Organizing Google's "Shared with Me" Drive

Dear Google Gurus,

Today's post is a call for help.  

In the last several years, I've become a Google fan.  I honestly can't imagine life without Google (shhh, don't tell them).  My favorite piece of the Google family is Google Drive.  I love its capabilities.  It's been a long time since I word processed something on my computer based software.  Google Documents give me the ability to create, collaborate, and organize my documents.  I appreciate the ability to work with others and to receive feedback on my documents.  I appreciate the ease of sharing and the flexibility in making documents private, limited, or public.  I appreciate being able to go back in the history to look at revisions.  

However, any trip into my shared folder makes me crazy.  The longer you use Google drive the harder it becomes as documents upon documents pile up in a long list.  I've learned to organize my personal documents into folders in my personal drive, but seem to have little control in what others send to me.  Additionally, I always worry about messing up someone's document.  

I know someone out there has already solved this problem.  I'm hoping you'll share the answers with me.  

• How do you handle documents that are shared with you?
• How can I organize my shared drive?
• Do I have any ability to tag, sort, move, or delete?

Please help!  

Thanks,

Cathy

As part of a continuous collaboration among educators interested in digital learning, Margaret Simon hosts a weekly Digital Learning round-up on her blog:  DigiLit Sunday.  Stop by Reflections on the Teche.