I work with many teachers whose students do not have access to computers outside of the classroom.
I work with some whose students do not have access to computers inside of the classroom.
And I know that at least ONE school in the area just received it’s first shipment of desktop computers LAST YEAR. Teachers in this school were still writing report cards by hand. Not happily, I might add, but that’s their reality.
We all know that teachers like these are hardly few and far between. We have some distance to go before most teachers are able to invite all kids to Facebook their reading reflections and create their own virtual bookshelves. Most of the six word memoirs I’m familiar with were created with a pen, not a keyboard. And some of the greatest book-report alternatives shared with me over the last week can take shape in this way too.
So this post is for you: the teacher who is just getting tech-comfortable or the one who arrived in that place long ago and is eagerly waiting for the resources to accomplish more. This is the best of what my network had to share with me when I asked for “unplugged” and “beyond-the boring” alternatives to the book-report. See? I didn’t forget you. Just don’t forget them either, deal?
- Education World published some ideas for better book reports here.
- Mrs. Stansbury, an English teacher herself, shares 50 alternatives to a book report here.
- There are more ideas than you’ll ever need (maybe) on teachnet.com.
- Scholastic offers this printable , which is filled with some good ideas.
- And there are all kinds of downloads available as well.
- Some of my friends directed me to their wikispaces.
- Others shared their bookmarks, and here are mine as well. When I find something new, I’ll add it there, so please return! Or, consider joining Diigo yourself. More on what that can look like in the classroom later.
