I hate reading logs. Seriously. I haven’t had any meaningful success with real students using them. I mean, they’re great in theory: keep track of books and pages read. Some teachers even have parents/guardians sign the reading logs in order to add some extra authenticity to them. But, all I’ve ever faced is frustration. By the time I am asking my teens to fill out their page count for the day, they are packing up to leave or they’re ready to move on to the next thing. Some of them fake numbers for fear that they are disappointing me (they’re not–for some students, just getting through a few pages is an accomplishment) and some just flatly refuse because they don’t see an authentic connection to anything in their lives, academic or otherwise.
Enter Goodreads (available online, apps for Apple and Android devices)
I wanted to find a way to do reading logs that would reflect an authentic reading life. Continue reading “Using Goodreads.com in the Classroom”
Don't Panic: I'm a Teacher 