S2E10 Read Into Read Alouds- Julie Vandendool & Aviva Dunsiger

Join Read Into This host Beth Lyons as she explores how virtual read alouds have been used with fellow teacher-librarian Julie Vandendool and kindergarten educator Aviva Dunsiger throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Our discussion stems from a Twitter thread between the three of us looking at why read alouds seemed to have been more successful when in a virtual space than in the bricks-and-mortar space while following safety protocols. How do we balance supporting the literacy needs and sharing of stories with students and educators using virtual tools with the power we know that comes from small group discussions and the connections made when talking about the books together? Both Julie and Beth reflect on how the act of sharing stories in a large school-wide setting using virtual tools allowed for a small act of community gathering in a year when we were all so far apart. How can we engage in a story and the learning connected to themes and inquiry sparks when working with grades ranging from kindergarten to Grade 8. We know that stories act as “mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors” (Rudine Sims Bishop) but how have they also acted as “keys” (Julie Vandendool) to a shared common space? <br /><br />Julie Vandendool- Alloa Public School LLC<br />@AlloaLlc<br /> <br />Aviva Dunsiger<br />@avivaloca<br /> <br />Poem shared by Julie-<br />Her Books and Stories by Erin Hansen<br /><a href="https://inspiration.allwomenstalk.com/her-books-and-stories-by-erin-hanson/" rel="noopener">https://inspiration.allwomenstalk.com/her-books-and-stories-by-erin-hanson/</a><br /><br />Sparks that helped structure our discussion:<br />“We are, as a species, addicted to story. Even when the body goes to sleep, the mind stays up all night, telling itself stories” ~Jonathan Gottschall, The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human<br /><br />The Science of Story- <a href="https://news.berkeley.edu/berkeley_blog/the-science-of-the-story/" rel="noopener">https://news.berkeley.edu/berkeley_blog/the-science-of-the-story/</a><br />