By Pamela Livingston
I learned many new things after reading this article. I had never heard of an arrangement made where students can have an author chat online with an author. I was happy to see how the librarian, along with the students' teacher and the author collaborated so well to organize this online chat for the elementary students. I can see how the process of signing up for a chat took longer than the teacher and librarian expected, because this is all fairly new and an online chat between students and an author has not been done many times. I understand that it is important to not tell the students too early in the process of signing up, for the risk of the online chat appointment being cancelled or the chat not even occurring. It is important to not get the kids excited for something if it may not even occur.
I also learned some things about online etiquette, like using capital letters is considered shouting. Before beginning the online interview, it is best to temporarily remove firewall protection or the online chat may not work. As future teachers we need to realize that we need to prepare our students, especially if there is a new or exciting experience just like this interview. The elementary school students were told to come up with questions that they would like to ask the author before the actual interview, so that the online chatting would go smoothly.
I really like this new technological approach. After asking questions, the students received their answers right away as opposed to waiting for weeks if they had written the author a letter in the mail.
Q1. How will I be able to use this method when I am a teacher?
A1. I can create a lesson plan where I have the students read books from a particular author thy like and enjoy to read from. I will then set-up the the same thing the elementary school librarian Jackie Gwyn arranged. A teacher who I am volunteering for just recently had her students do a real interview with an author. That is fun and interesting too, but not always easy to arrange or do.
Q2. How is it beneficial for the students to personally speak to the author themselves?
A2. The students can ask questions they personally have to the author and receive immediate answers. Also, they an gain a better understanding of the author's own writing style if the author themself explains it to them.
