I loved creating my digital book review. I chose a simpler route of just discussing my thoughts about the book in a video, rather than creating a book movie trailer. In order to organize my thoughts, I created a sort of “script” of what I would say during the video so I wouldn’t blank out when it began. The questions that were provided with the assignment were super helpful because it allowed me to cover all of the important information of the book and give my audience a better idea if they would be interested in reading it or not. I found that the most difficult part of recording the book review was my speaking skills. I would practice what I wanted to say before turning the camera on, but when I started recording I would stutter and have to start over.
Discussing YA books in a digital medium is beneficial for students because it allows them to use something they are familiar with: technology. One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was to watch YouTube videos! I think kids will more naturally be opposed to the digital book talks because it combines educational material with a fun video. One drawback to making online videos is that children will not have the opportunity to ask questions about the book they are interested in or look at it in person. For example, if a book is about a topic students are unfamiliar with, they may bypass watching the video instead of asking for clarification from their teacher.
I think I would use this method as an assignment for my students, and keep all videos in a place where they can easily have access. This way, they are hearing their classmates and someone their own age talk about books, instead of their teacher. Then I could allow students to browse through the videos when they need ideas on what books they would like to read.
Goodell YAL 