Reading aloud to students on a regular basis helps me stay connected, build relationships, and share my love of literacy. It's also been a catalyst for some powerful conversations with kids too. This year I started doing a book talk video to introduce staff and students to my monthly read alouds.
Here are 30+ reasons I believe all educators should start creating book talk videos (interspersed with some videos):
1. Book talk videos create additional opportunities to connect with authors.
2. Book talk videos are a natural entry-point to reading for many reluctant readers.
3. If you expect students to create and consume quality digital content, you should too.
4. Book talk videos create opportunities to collaborate with students or colleagues.
5. Everybody speaks "book."
6. Students will sense that you love reading and talking about books regardless of their first language.
7. Modeling risk-taking is important, so getting over your camera-phobic tendencies is critical.
The Adventures of Papa Lemon's Little Wanderers: Meeting Dr. Martin Luther King
8. The more I practice making book talk videos, the more fluent it feels.
9. I learn something new each time I create a book talk video.
10. Making book talk videos helps me connect to different passions that teachers may have (i.e. technology and literacy).
11. Reading is only part of the fun...relating to the characters and talking with others about them is also a blast.
12. Creating succinct book talks pushes me to be more purposeful about what I want to share in 60 seconds.
13. It sounds simple, but modeling content creation is one way to prioritize content creation.
14. Recording book talk videos helps me curate the books I've read.
Ada Twist, Scientist
15. I'm able to be more reflective (and purposeful) in the titles and authors I'm selecting over time.
16. I find myself reading more children's books.
17. Any hesitation with public speaking (or video-recording) that I had has gradually decreased the more book talk videos I create.
18. I'm taking time to prioritize an activity that I expect to see students doing.
19. When I create, share, and view other people's book talks it stretches me to be more creative.
20. I feel like when I share a book talk video with a class in advance, it creates common ground to build upon when we meet together in person.
21. Book talk videos prime the pump for important conversations with kids.
Thunder Boy Jr.
22. Creating a short (1 minute or less) video doesn't take much time.
23. Your Candy Crush, Sudoku, and Clash of the Clans games can wait.
24. Creating book talk videos has made me curious about other approaches to creatively share my love of reading.
25. When you innovate the way you talk about books you never know what will happen!
26. We even tried making a Virtual Reality video using a 360 camera and Google Cardboard at a recent book fair as a spur-of-the-moment book project.
27. Your book talk video may not go viral, but your vision for reading and creativity will make a difference for kids.
28. Talking about books transcends any specific content area.
29. Talking about books can be much more uplifting than talking about politics or television.
30. Book talk videos can be your small stake in the ground for the book, subject, or topic you're talking about.
31. Why do YOU do book talks or book talk videos?!? I'd love to hear more in the comments section.
My Clothes, Your Clothes
And speaking of book talk videos....be sure to follow along with Jen LaGarde and I as we prepare to launch the 2nd annual "World Championship of Book Talks." We've asked 16 authors and educators to create a 30 second video of their favorite children's book, and you won't believe what they sent us! That video compilation is coming soon via #30SecondBookTalk on Twitter.
