Book Talk @ Carver via Skype

Or: How to do a Virtual Book Talk that Works!

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Carver Media Specialist Currie Renwick hosted Broncher Hoseley’s 7th Grade ELA classes for two book talk sessions this week with fantasy author Sarah Prineas.

The author appeared live via Skype from her home in Iowa to talk about The Magic Thief and take questions from students.

Author Q & A

The sessions were a hit. I think they went exceptionally well for several reasons:

Prineas was delightful. She is an engaging person and a great teacher. Prineas ‘illustrated’ her points with artwork, showed the students an edited manuscript page to make a point about the collaborative process, and shared important lessons about the craft of writing with humor.

Ms. Hoseley’s class came well-prepared. Ms. Hoseley and her students obviously had enjoyed reading and discussing the book. They asked thoughtful, insightful questions that clearly impressed and flattered Prineas.

The Skype Station

Mrs. Renwick staged and directed the book talk effectively. The setup allowed the author to see all the students, and for all the students to easily see the author’s projected image. The students had easy access to the Skype station to take turns asking questions. The audio was patched through the media center’s ceiling-mounted speakers. Preparation, planning, and good luck resulted in the technology working nicely.

The result was a virtual book talk environment in which the author, the students, Ms. Hoseley, and Mrs. Renwick experienced a connection that was the next best thing to being there. We even got to see the author’s dog!