This summer I shared goodreads in several of my workshops. If you haven’t yet heard of it, it’s one of the many online social libraries: sites that allow users to create a library of the books they’ve read, rate books, write reviews, discuss books with other users, write quiz questions, share favorite quotes, create groups, and more.
In short, they are an incredible tool for getting students talking and writing about books. This year, I’m abandoning my paper reading log in favor of a digital reading log. Using the gmail + trick, I’ll create a goodreads account for every student (saves class time not having to walk students through the registration process) and have them keep track of their reading. Using common tags, we can categorize the books by quarter.
I’ve created a goodreads page on my workshop wiki with resources teachers might find helpful. I also created a goodreads photo set at Flickr: screenshot tutorials with step-by-step directions for using goodreads. Click on the photos and read integration ideas for using goodreads with students.
What other ideas do you have for using goodread with students?
JustRead! 
Susan Carter Morgan
August 13, 2008
Thanks for this Lisa. Do you prefer goodreads to some of the other programs–Shelfari, for example?
justread
July 26, 2010
@Susan: I’ve used a couple others–Shelfari and LibraryThings. I prefer goodreads: I think it has the best collaborating tools. I suppose it depends on your purpose. Shelfari has the coolest widgets to showcase your reading bookshelf. I use LibraryThings to track my library–just as an inventory.
lhuff
August 13, 2008
@Susan: I’ve created accounts at LibraryThing and Shelfari. goodreads seems to be the most user-friendly, and for students has a few more features that make it my favorite: I especially love the ability for students to write and submit their own questions (an important reading strategy–questioning a text) and to submit favorite quotes and discuss them. Finding “golden lines” is another mini-lesson I use with students. goodreads allows them to start their own discussion around particular lines of a text.
I do admit I have limited exposure with Shelfari. It does have the coolest widget–that looks like a real bookshelf. But, it doesn’t seem as user-friendly when it comes to managing the bookshelf.
Siya Maliwa
August 19, 2008
Susan i must say that is a good plan because not only student can learn more but even teachers can benefit to this because learning never stops, and what i really like about this its the fact that it stimulate leaners to learn and read more, and i think i will recoment this to some of the best teachers around.
Siya Maliwa
August 19, 2008
one thing that we need to realise is that things have changed learners nawa days they need serious motivation in everything they do thats why i think this could also work to their advantage.
some of the ideas that can be introduced to our learners to stimulate them more in their reading, we can introduce reading competitions at schools where learners compete for the best reader and so on or even compete for the best interpreter of a certain text to motivate them to read for meaning and understanding.what do you think about this.
lhuff
August 19, 2008
@Siya: I like your idea of competitions. I envision students or groups of students hosting a discussion on their favorite books/authors. They can become the resident experts so to speak. goodreads can really empower students. I’m excited about using it this year. I’ll try to catalogue my journey using the tool with students.
Siya Maliwa
August 21, 2008
I’m glad you like the idea because i really believe that the more we motivate our learners the morwe knowledge they acquire as while they are in their growing process , which means by the time they reach maturity they will be good citizens for their country.
Ihuff, i need you to help me if you can, next 2009 i will teach english to a certain township school i know learners most of the time they have atittude towards learning a second language especially the grade 8,9 & 10.can you help me with a strategy that you think can work for me and them , my aim is develop interest to them towards the learning of a second language.
siya
August 26, 2008
we are faced with so many challenges in the education sector as teachers, like you said we need to equip our learners with tools that will enable them to be inovative thinkers with problem solving skills from an early age group. providing our learners with multiple genretic formatscan only increase their reasoning, thinking and aplication skills in every situation that they are faced with.
we as teachers we must be ain a position whereby we teach them basic language skills combined with problem solving skills in that way it is easy for them to adapt and adopt to multiple ways of learning.
prescilla
August 28, 2008
Hi i’m prescilla from cape town i just signed on this educational blog, reason being is to aquire as much knowledge about teaching english although i have some few years being on the field but like they say teachers are life long learners. i like the issues that you guys deal with on this educational blog,i say this because our learners nawadays i feel they are too lazy to do things just for the sake of doing it. like for an example in my classes i always come up with different strategies on how must i keep them motivated to learn english as a medium of instruction.
i introduced competitions most of the time in my class just keep them motivated and i try to bring a lot of presents for those who excell in what ever activity that we are doing, but when you engage on such a strategy bear in mind that learners will never be on the same level when it comes to learning. some will be good in reading others speaking and others in writting so it’s imperative that you make it a point that your learners do not reach a stage where they will say, its obvious peter is going win the present for reading because that could create a problem amongst learners, so it is better when you group them to allow all the learners to win a group situation it motivates all the learners to work hard not for themselves but for the group. in the meantime your goals as a teacher you achieve them without them realising that, they are competing for learning. blog mates i dont know if i’m taking it too far or what do you think i could also do to motivate my learners to be competent readers, speakers and writers of the language.
sean
August 28, 2008
Hi Siya you know i dont think any preson can really give you a straight advice on that one because i think you should see the learners first and see their response on how do they view english as the subject an d see their attitude because i believe that it depends on the teacher on does one approach any type of subject. i believe that if your attitude is positive you might influence them to change their behaviour about the subject.
you know when i started teaching i was teaching chinesse children age between 12 and 15 it was a big challenge because most of them they had english as their third language not even a second language, the first time i worked into class i had a bit of discussion with them about the subject. first i wanted their views on learning language, i ask them questions that would give me a clear mind about how they see the learning of english. after i told them what is the importance and after that i had a great time with my learners because we had levelled the grounds before we could even go far with them.
lhuff
August 28, 2008
@ Prescilla: I like your idea of competition–a fair one where everyone has a chance to succeed. I’d love to hear your ideas for a competition using goodreads. What competition could we pose to our students? What would be the rewards–if we give external rewards? One idea I’ve been kicking around involves Twilight, Stephenie Myer’s book series that has become a cult phenomenon. The movie is set to debut around Thanksgiving. I’m challenging my students to read the first two books of the series and earn a trip to the theater. Perhaps, I should add that they rate the book and participate in a discussion and/or write a review.
Siya Maliwa
September 2, 2008
Ihuff & Prescilla i totally suport the idea of a competition in your classes because it promotes competance amongst the learners, but how do we sustain and mantain the learning standard, in a sense that dont you guys think this can create a situation for other teachers, for an example what if learners begin to be reluctant when it comes to learning other subjects where there are no motivational insentives for them to promote good and competant learning. so i challenge all of us in this educational blog to think about this and come up with solutions on how do we prevent this from happening at all.
sean
September 5, 2008
what if we can develop a set of a working relationship within the school as teachers, meaning i’m quet aware of the reasons that Mr. Maliwa is raising of which they are very important because really if one teacher can have incentives for learners for a job well done in his or her subject that could create a big problem for your coleagues. so my argument is what about if we talk about this as teachers of a certain grade or subject or as a whole school just to find a common ground where everyone will be benefiting as far as the learner participation because this can increase the pasing rate of the school in my opinion.
Siya Maliwa
September 18, 2008
i think sean has a plan really because some of the things that we do to stimulate our learners can hamper the progress of the other teachers as far as teaching is concerned. but if we can take a resolution as teachers to work together and push our learners from one direction that could prove to be fruitfull for the whole school.