Due to parent/teacher conferences, I was unable to attend one of my classes at university last week. Because I had a presentation to make, I decided that it would be a perfect time to try my hand at vlogging. Since I started watching the vlogbrothers, John & Hank, last summer, I've been kind of enthralled with the process and interested in trying it.
So I went through the process of making a video for class, and though it took me half the day to complete, I realized I loved the process. After I finished, I decided I wanted to make vlogging a monthly thing. I figured that with graduate school and teaching full time, once a month--right now I'm looking at the last Sunday of each month--is a pretty good rate of posting.
The idea for this vlog was inspired by the Centurions of 2011, a group I belong to on Facebook. We've pledged to read 111 books before January of 2012, and at the end of each month, we share the titles of the books we've read throughout the month. I think it's a fantastic way to get book recommendations and start the conversations about books that I miss when I'm not taking a YA class at university.
I see it, also, as an opportunity to share what I read with my students. Sometimes we have conversations around the books that I'm reading, and they all know that I read, but because of class sizes and the way I have to structure instruction, they don't get to see me read as often as I'd like. But, if I create the videos, at the beginning of each month, I can give my students a brief recap of what I've read. It's another avenue to share the titles they may have missed.
A little about the title: "The Supplier."
At the beginning of each school year (semester really, but many students know who I am by reputation by then), I take the moniker "The Pusher." I spend a lot of time pushing titles at my reluctant readers trying to convince them that there are good books and that there is something out there that can catch their interest. By the middle of the semester I become "The Supplier." My students have talked to their peers about the books they're reading, and I get not only my students, but students who don't take my class coming to me for titles (especially when they can't find them in the library).
This has even picked up at university. One of my colleagues is taking a class from my graduate advisor. When in need of titles, my advisor sent my colleague to me for advise. Personally, I love sharing my reads with others and I'll promote literacy any way that I can. As I understand it, she actually referred to me as "The Pusher" in her class last week. Definitely a compliment.
I think the first episode of my vlog will be at the end of March. I'll talk about my top reads of the month, and hopefully entice a student or two to write something about a book they've read for a section of student recommendations.
