Tar Heel Reader -- Make a book and win some books!

[ddeubel]

I am one who usually poohahs "contests" but I've also seen how it can motivate students and even teachers! So just like how I teach - I discount nothing as "horrible". If it works, it works. Pragmatism and a focus on outcomes, keep me healthy.

In this vein, I've started a contest and hope some Fireside members will participate OR even get their students participating. I find this to be the apex of all great teaching - when the students are making the content. In doing so, they are learning so much!

If you don't want to join EFL Classroom 2.0 to participate - just use our generic ID/PW [e-mail] / eflclassroom

So now after that lengthy introduction, what is Tar Heel Reader? What is this contest about?

Tarheel Reader is a place where you can make a picture book. Easy as ABC. It can even be read after you finish, by a computer, TTS. An amazing place to get students reading, learning to read/write using technology and creative means.

I love the Tarheel Reader! In order to get more teachers going there (and most importantly - sending their students there!), I'm offering up gift certificates to any teacher this month that makes a wonderful book!

Simply go to the Tar Heel Reader and use our PW - EFL Classroom and ID - eflclassroom to make a book. [if just browsing, you don't need to log in or register - ONLY IF MAKING A BOOK]. Or just visit and use with your students! )

Make a book and add the link to the discussion on EFL Classroom 2.0! The entries this time, unlike our last contest, will be judged! They will be judged equally on;

1. Educational content / teacher and classroom usability for EFL / ESL

2. Creativity, flair, elan, style.

Contest closes May 31st.

1st Prize = $100 Amazon certifcate 2nd / 3rd prizes = $50.00 certificate.

See these books for some possible types that you might make.

An Alphabet Book

A "topic" book

A People book

Your City.

All about You!

A Folktale / Story

How do I make a book?

It is easy! Click here for a run through! After logging in, give your book a name and search for photos using the search box on Tar Heel Reader. Or upload your own photos.

Choose a picture for your cover, first page, second page etc.... Write some words for each page. Save and Publish. Copy the link/url/address and post here to enter the contest! Stay tuned and I'll shortly publish a nice screencast showing the actual real time making of a book.

Happy Book Making!

[Laura Gibbs]

That looks very nice, David - I had not thought about adding transitions and such in converting the TarHeelReader into a video!

Wouldn't it be great if people created nice readers like this about all the countries of the world...? Here is my Canada connection to your video - just a couple of weeks ago, we watched a great old movie on TV - 49th Parallel - which has a wonderful finale on the Canadian border at Niagara Falls!

[ddeubel]

Barb, glad you see the value too! Contest will be extended until June 30th!!!!! So still time to get to EFL Classroom 2.0 and submit your book and win books!

Laura inspired me and I put a book into video! here it is......


Find more videos like this on EFL CLASSROOM 2.0

[Barb Wollak]

I can't say enough for the Tar Heel Reader. It's interesting to see that is being used so widely by Latin teachers, kindergarten teachers and students of all ages. Of course the purpose of its creation was to provide a free source of high interest, age appropriate, low reading level books for older students. Unfortunately, there are too many students who have never been taught to read beyond sight words. Now, there are books available that give students access to connected text. Here is a simple alphabet book that can help teach the alphabetic principle and celebrates the beginning of summer. http://tarheelreader.org/2009/04/27/our-s-book/

[pennydreadful3]

The video works beautifully, Laura, very cool! Gary, I hadn't even noticed we were at the anniversary mark--happy birthday, Tar Heel Reader. I've got more poems in mind to tarheelize, so stay tuned.

[Laura Gibbs]

Penny, that is lovely!!! I was playing around tonight with ways to embed the readers as videos here inside a Ning and here is how it turned out - to me, something like this is a pure pleasure, with such great words and beautiful images to go with them! :-)


Find more videos like this on Fireside Learning: Conversations about Education

[Gary Bishop]

Wonderful Penny! I really enjoyed it. It is a fine contribution to mark the first year of Tar Heel Reader.

[pennydreadful3]

I just added my first "caution" book--based on the poem "Books" by Zora Cross (1890-1964):
http://tarheelreader.org/2009/05/19/books-by-zora-cross/

I put the caution on it because the poem is about being dead, buried in books. The vocabulary is a stretch, no doubt, but I've been wanting to try making a book from poetry--the title and theme of this one, and the strong images, made it a candidate.

[Laura Gibbs]

Hi Or-Tal, they have Hebrew as one of the language categories at TarHeelReader! :-)

[Or-Tal Kiriati]

Hey you all! That's a great tool for teaching and learning. I love this idea.
For the more advanced writes among us - here is another tool, not so much for teaching though. It's called "webook" - and it is a venture inviting writers to collaborate on writing books, either by becoming co-authors or by contributing valuable feedback. The writers community has published 4 books so far. Very interesting angle.

[pennydreadful3]

I've written dozens of Tar Heel Reader books, but here are two I just added today:
http://tarheelreader.org/2009/05/10/quilt-geometry/
http://tarheelreader.org/2009/05/10/sunprints/