Journal #9

“Author Web Sites Inspire Students”
By Rose Reissman

Summary of article:
Language Arts teachers have a new and exciting way to involve their students in the books they are reading. To connect students with the assigned authors, have them explore information about the author online. There are many reputable sites that offer standard features including: Biography of the author, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), Inspirations or background information about key author works, and interactive activities for visitors to explore using key words, ideas, and themes in the author’s books. Many authors respond to student and teacher comments. Dr. Reissman states, “In exploring author sites, students often construct unexpected but particularly meaningful connections to literacy through their identification with photos of the author when the author was their age or finding out how the title of a famous work came to be.” Author web sites also aid teachers, librarians, and parents on book-specific lesson plans, author teaching suggestions, and models of successful curricula projects.

Questions:
I. Is this exercise geared toward elementary students?
No. Authorized Web site and fan or unauthorized sites stretch to a wide variety of authors. Background information about an author is helpful to any age reader. For middle and high school students assigned to create their own Language Arts Web site noting all the books read and projects completed that academic year, the author’s Web site can be used as an added link.

II. What are some of the cons?
Many child predators mirror spelling of frequented child Web sites. Students should be made aware the difference of reputable sites. Other than that safety issue, there are more benefits than pitfalls. Inspiring students to read through visiting author Web sites is a great idea. This activity is great for younger children, older children, special needs, visual learners, and English Language Learners. This activity “immediately connects student readers in concrete visual, auditory, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and linguistic ways to the author.”