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Running head: USING TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE RECREATIONAL READING
Using Technology to Promote Recreational Reading
Melinda Makings
Graduate Student, University of Nebraska at Kearney
Using Technology to Promote Recreational Reading
Abstract
In today’s world, students have technology at their fingertips. In some cases high school
students are more advanced in their knowledge of technology than many adults. The
problem arises when this technology: cell phones, iPads, iPods, laptops, Facebook,
Twitter, etc. takes over students’ lives, and recreational reading is lost along the way.
Yet, teachers and librarians working together can use students’ love of technology to
promote recreational reading through intrinsic motivation. Creating book trailers, which
are similar to movie trailers, will create excitement for reading while integrating
technology, as well as, book talks and literature circles.
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Using Technology to Promote Recreational Reading
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Using Technology to Promote Recreational Reading
The reason book trailers are being used to promote reading comes from the idea
that many students enjoy technology and combining it with reading will encourage
intrinsic motivation by reading books that are interesting to them. The idea of book
trailers is based on he movie trailers, which are used to give audiences short previews of
movies. Book trailers will allow students to create short videos about books they have
read as a form of a recommendation to other students. Book chats by librarians and
teachers as well as literature circles will also be used.
Description
At the beginning of the school year, to make the library more inviting and set the
atmosphere for the book trailers project, the library will be decorated with famous movie
posters of well-known books. During the first week of school, librarians and teachers
working together will explain to the students what a book trailer is, as well as, show
examples and have booktalks about new books added to the library. “A traditional
booktalk is a brief advertisement for a book delivered in person to a group of students by
a teacher librarian, classroom teacher, or a student. The idea of a booktalk is to entice
potential readers to want to read a particular book” (Chance & Lesesne, 2012, p. 26).
Book talks are simple but effective ways to get the word out about books. If students are
never given the information, they might not realize that there are books in the library that
they will enjoy.
A book trailer is a short video. It is between two to three minutes long and
contains pictures, video, music text, voiceovers and sound effects, which are used to
promote the book. Just like a movie trailer, the book trailer does not give away the entire
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plot but gives just enough information about characters, setting and plot to grab the
audience’s attention.
According to the article “Rethinking Reading Promotion,” there are many benefits
to book trailers. "Book trailers take what happens in a reader's mind and display it like
real-life. Trailers can also do the opposite, and make people who watch book trailers want
to read the book. Whatever side people sit on, be it a reader or a non-reader, a book trailer
will fill that gap in a powerful, potent way. It's a powerful tool for 21st-century students"
(Chance, 2012, p. 27). Book trailers are a wonderful way for librarians and teachers to
use the technology that is available to make reading and choosing books more exciting
and geared toward students.
Schools with Mac laptops for all students can use the user-friendly program of
iMovie to create the book trailers. Schools with computer labs and library computers only
would be equipped with a corresponding movie maker program. During the first month of
the school year the librarian will collaborate with the technology teacher to arrange a
training for all students for the movie maker program. The training may be during a
technology class, but if students are not taking a computer class that semester, the
librarian and the technology teacher will collaborate with the English department to make
sure all students understand the book trailer project and the movie program.
The actual process of creating book trailers is not completed during class time
unless the students have study hall or the teacher allows it. It is considered an
extracurricular activity. If students do not have laptop computers, computer lab
computers and library computers will be available before and after school and during the
day for study hall students to work on book trailers.
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The book trailers project is broken up into four parts for the four quarters that
make up the school year. Different literary genres are encouraged for each quarter;
however, any book is still acceptable in hopes of students not being turned off by a
certain genre. The first quarter is realistic fiction. The second quarter is fantasy and
science fiction. The third quarter is nonfiction and historical fiction, and the final quarter
is multicultural books of any genre.
Students may submit their book trailers at anytime during the quarter and create
as many submissions as they would like. Once the trailers are complete, they will be
available for viewing on library computers or through the school server on any school
computer. There will also be lists posted in the library and around the school of the book
titles that have book trailers. The purpose is to give recommendations for other students.
According to Mary Alice Anderson (2004), making book recommendations is a simple
but effective way to promote reading within a school. Students are more likely to want to
read a book after they have more information about the book and if they know a peer has
also enjoyed it.
On a designated date near the end of each quarter, all students who participated
will be excused from class for a viewing party of all book trailers. To get students excited
make it seem like the previews at the movie theater. Set up a large screen in the gym or
large classroom. Serve popcorn and beverages as a reward for the students hard work.
After the book trailers are shown, tudents will be given a chance to ask questions to the
maker of the book trailer and discuss the book more in depth if students are interested in
hearing more.
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Students then will be divided in to groups that read the same book or similar
books for literature circles. “Literature Circles provide an opportunity for small groups
for children to talk together about a text” (Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan, 2012, p.
239). Students will be prepared with prewritten questions that they would like to present
to the group. This is an entirely student led activity. Because most students will not have
read the same book, this is not a typical literature circle. However, students will be
divided in to groups with students that have read the most similar books, and the purpose
is to get students talking about any aspect of the book that they choose to discuss.
According to Chia-Hui Lin (2004), an important benefit of literatures circles is reading
and text relationship. “In literature circles students have opportunities to create
connections between texts and personal experiences, to listen to various interpretations
presented by others, as well as to monitor and take ownership of their own learning
through discussion and sharing with each other, thereby deepening their understanding
and heightening their enjoyment of the texts (Lin, 2004, p. 24). This is just one of the
many benefits of using literature circles to promote reading.
Students may participate just once or every quarter is they wish. They may also
submit as many book trailers as they want, but must choose just one to show on the
presentation day. All trailers will be kept on the school server for all students to watch.
Collaborative Partnerships
The school librarian will work with classroom teachers to present booktalks, as
well as, books to promote each quarter. For example, the history teacher may suggest
historical fiction books during that particular quarter. The technology teacher will also
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have an important role of teaching the students how to use the movie maker technology
and may need to work with other teachers to schedule a time with all students.
Integration of Technology
Students will be using either iMovie for Macs or a similar movie making program
for the type of computers the school system has. The program will be taught to all
students by the technology teacher. All students will also have the chance to watch the
book trailers on computers in the library when searching for a book to check out, and
those that participated will watch the trailers together projected on a big screen.
Resources Needed to Implement the Program
The resources needed depend on which type of computers the school has. Many
schools are already participating in the Mac 1 to 1 laptop initiative, which means each
student in the high school has their own personal computer provided by the school. Mac
laptops have the iMovie program, which can be used to make book trailers. If the school
just has computer labs, a similar user-friendly movie making program would need to be
installed on the computers. A computer needs to be assigned in the library for viewing
book trailers for those students who are looking for book recommendations. On the
presentation day a computer, projector and screen will be needed to show the trailers.
Movie posters at the beginning of the year in the library are needed for promotion.
During the year students may choose to create their own posters to help promote their
trailer. Lists of finished trailers will be posted around the school. Most importantly the
school librarian, teachers and technology specialists need to work together to accomplish
the goal.
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Motivational Base
If the book trailers project was mandatory, students would not be reading
intrinsically. Librarians should help students become lifelong, intrinsically-motivated
readers. By making participation optional, students will not only create better book
trailers, which in turn creates a higher likelihood that other student will then want to read
the book, but also students get to choose what books they want to read. A second reason
is literature circles, which allow students to understand the text more and better enjoy
their reading through discussion with peers (Lin, 2004, p. 24). Lastly, the book trailers
project promotes a community of readers. “Focus on developing a group attitude that
reading is a pleasurable way of making discoveries about the world. Everyone in the
community will have the chance to select materials that reflect his or her personal choices
and interests” (Tunnell, 2012, p. 227). Not only will the participants will like a
community of readers, but the entire school will be viewed as a community of readers.
Reading Role Base
The book trailers project allows for leadership. “School librarians take a
leadership role in organizing and promoting literacy projects and events that engage
learners and motivate them to become lifelong readers” (AASL, 2011, p. 1). It is the
librarian’s job to lead the large number of staff and students through the process, but it
could not be done without collaboration.
Through booktalks and the promotion of specific types of literature promoted
each quarter, “Classroom teachers, reading specialists, and school librarians select
materials, promote the curricular and independent use of resources, including traditional
and alternative materials, and plan learning experiences that offer whole classes, small
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groups, and individual learners an interdisciplinary approach to literacy learning” (AASL,
2011, p. 2).
Finally, the literature circles allow for students to understand and discuss their
book on higher levels. “When learners follow an inquiry process they assess and use
reading comprehension strategies. The skills identified in the Standards for the
21st‐Century Learner align with the reading process” (AASL, 2011, p. 2).
Conclusion
In order for students to understand that reading is still vitally important even
though their lives are very hectic, the book trailers program promotes recreational reading
using technology to create lifelong, intrinsically-motivated readers. The purpose of the
project is to allow students to make recommendations to other students about books they
love and get them excited about reading. The books on the shelves need to come to life
and what better way of doing that, while promoting reading, than creating book trailers
with video, pictures and music depicting that favorite book. Students will find themselves
reading not because it is something they have to do but because it is something they want
to do.
Using Technology to Promote Recreational Reading
References
Anderson, M. A. (2004, November). Reading Promotion in the Age of Technology.
Multimedia & Internet@Schools, 11(6), 29-30.
CHANCE, R., & LESESNE, T. (2012). Rethinking Reading Promotion. Teacher
Librarian, 39(5), 26-28.
Lin, C. (2004). Literature Circles. Teacher Librarian, 31(3), 23-25.
Tunnell, M. O., Jacobs, J. S., Young, T. A., & Bryan, G. (2012). Children's Literature,
Briefly (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
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