Extending Gifted Children by Participating in a Book Rap

A book rap is one of the many types of telecommunications projects which uses computers and the internet to link students in different places across the world so they can communicate.

What is a book rap?

A book rap is an open ended discussion usually about a particular book conducted on the internet using email under the guidance of a coordinator.

Guests for book raps can involve authors, illustrators and other experts relating to the content of the book.

The discussion takes place on a list set up on the oz-teachernet for that particular book, which each school, group or individual has to join. The coordinator posts a rap point to the list, which the students respond to. Usually one rap point is posted each week. Each book rap has two or three rap points and a rap wrap up which is something of a sharing nature. Rap points are open ended discussion points aimed at getting children communicating but requiring higher order thinking.

Here are some examples of rap points. From the Primary and Junior Primary Stellaluna Book Rap:

1. Name and describe any types of bats living in your neighbourhood.

2. As you receive messages from other rappers mark their bats location and any other bat information on your rap map.

3. Ask other rappers questions about their bats.

4. Please forward unanswered questions to our BAT EXPERTS on line at bat-info@owl.qut.edu.au

From the Junior Primary Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge Book Rap:

With Wilfrid's help Miss Nancy does remember, even all of Wilfrid's names. Who are your special old people? Plan something special for them so that it will become a memory...something precious......something happy....something warm... Think of what arrangements would be necessary so that this could actually happen. Post this to your friends on the list. Don't forget to include a list of what you need to do to make your something special happen.

From the Upper Secondary Macbeth Book Rap: Who has the most influence over Macbeth? Lady Macbeth, the witches or his own evil nature?

Book raps are suitable for all ages and usually last for about a month. When a coming book rap is advertised it indicates which age group it is suitable for.

Book raps aim to encourage reading for pleasure and to promote creative discussion with other children about books. It also aims to promote Australian childrens' literature although international authors are not excluded.

Coordinators are usually class teachers, english teachers and librarians. They could also be learning support teachers, computer teachers and gifted and talented teachers. They are, of course, volunteers who are interested in book raps, literature, challenging their students and supporting their students to use computers. They themselves are often learning new computer skills as well. My role as Book Rap Coordinator is to nurture these precious people through the preparation for their book rap and then the rap itself.

Each book rap is listed on the book rap calendar, the lists available and has its own page which the coordinator has input into. <http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/projects/book-rap/calendar.htm>

As well coordinators can create their own pages on their school site which can be linked to the page on the book rap site. These pages developed by the coordinator can be teacher resources and activities for students. They can also include students' work. Visit Hillview State School's Page to see some examples of this. <http://www.schools.ash.org.au/schools/hillview>

For parents and homeschoolers book raps create an avenue for their children to discuss literature and be involved with other children while extending their ability.

How Gifted Students Are Extended

The structure of a book rap encourages greater participation from gifted students because all responses are written for a larger audience outside the normal classroom peer group setting which can sometimes hinder gifted students input.

By discussing the rap points with a larger group of students it allows gifted students to consider and relate to the differing views of other students, in other schools and other countries and to revise their opinions if necessary.

It gives a real purpose for reading and writing requiring active creative thinking as rap points are not the usual comprehension type questions.

As authors, illustrators and other experts can be involved in a book rap, there is more access for gifted students to discuss and understand the work of the author and the illustrator and to develop a greater depth of knowledge by asking questions and seeking answers from the experts.

Gifted students need no longer feel isolated as they will be able to associate with lots of other students who may be similar to them, through their email responses while the use and speed of email makes everyone seem close and often friendly even though classes may be across time zones.

As gifted students are usually more sensitive book raps allow them to use their affective domain in a different way than usual allowing them to become more involved.

Book raps are usually exciting and always different so for gifted children they are a challenge and an escape from the more mundane activities of school routine.

Rap points are formulated in such a way as to encourage higher order thinking needed to create responses and this extends gifted students. As students are encouraged to think about other students responses and respond to them this again challenges gifted students.

The actual typing of messages does not necessarily have to be done by students especially in the junior grades but gifted childrens' ability to stay on task helps build their commitment in the early stages of typing email messages.

Finding the book rap

All book raps are advertised on the World Wide Web on the Oz-teachernet. Use your browser to go to this site.

http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/projects/book-rap/index.html

This page gives you information about book raps and has links to the book rap calendar. If you want information on what lists are available to join visit this page.

By using the link from the book's web page you can subscribe to the email list for that book rap.

All book raps lists have been archived on the book rap web site. To view follow the link from the index page.

For teachers there is a book rap teachers list which they can subscribe to by sending a message to:

lyris@rite.ed.qut.edu.au

Leave the subject blank.

In the message part type: subscribe br-teachers

On this list teachers can find partner schools if they only want a small discussion about a particular book or they can read about the book raps that are coming up.

Steps for Participating in a Book Rap

1. Join the email list.

2. Introduce your group and your location.

3. Check the mail and mark the location of other rappers on the rap map.

4. Read the book.

5. Collect the first rap point and prepare a response. Mail your response to the list.

6. Check the mail daily and read other rappers responses.

7. Respond to other rappers via the list.

8. For each new rap point follow the same steps.(3 or more depending on the rap)

9. The rap rap wrap up is the finale and is usually something that is shared and may not need an email response.

Once a list for a particular book rap has been subscribed to you will receive a welcome message. Before the first rap point is posted classes or groups or individuals introduce themselves. This develops a knowledge about Australia and the rest of the world by locating places on the globe or in an atlas. A rap map can be kept showing the location of each group.

Computer skills can be developed by students sharing collecting, printing and reading the mail. These can be kept in a scrapbook for all to read.

Reading the book is easy if it's a picture book. Teachers need to visit web pages suggested by the coordinator before they do this as sometimes there is interesting information which gives more meaning to the book in shared reading time. For older readers there may only be one book in the library and it may be shared by reading it aloud to students and made available to students at all times for them to read by themselves. Teachers need to formulate with students what is suitable email etiquette so that replies sent to the book rap list will not offend others.

When the first rap point arrives the teacher discusses it with the children. With younger children the teacher will model the writing process using their ideas. Older children will with a little direction create their own responses. Once other replies are received students can work out which ones they would like to reply to. Students can also work in small groups to create replies. This process continues until the rap finishes.

Parents and homeschoolers follow the same steps as above but will have to give commitment and leadership for your children to follow.

Coming Book Raps

Many teachers have made enquires about becoming book rap coordinators and so visit the book rap site regularly to see what new book raps are about to happen! If you would like any more information you can email me at: cmcghee@fan.net.au