A New Zealand School - Auckland:
Here in Oregon I have just finished an hour and
quarter SKYPE session with the most charming and enthusiastic 10 and 11 year
olds I have ever met – their teacher as well.
I have scattered some Auckland pictures throughout, so you can see what a lovely city Auckland is.
I have scattered some Auckland pictures throughout, so you can see what a lovely city Auckland is.
Walking tours of Auckland
The boys were reading my Taconi and Claude - Double Trouble, and the girls were reading The Revenge of Thelma Hill. I talked about what makes a great book, the
importance of hooking their reader, and powerful and active words. I offered sentence examples and what makes a great HOOK into a story. Baiting Your Writing HOOK so to speak.
The Kiwi Bird of New Zealand
They soaked this all up and asked lots of questions. Then I read to them from my latest young teen book, Down Under Calling.
The Aussie aboriginal
artifacts I showed were a hit with the boys reading Taconi and Claude. And the idea of the Ghost in
Thelma Hill being based on my Mom (even her name) pleased the girls reading
it. They were full of questions about each book. To top it off,
they sang a special song they created about me and my books + a lovely
traditional Maori song.
Te Hana Te Ao Marama is Auckland's leading Maori cultural
centre,
offering a comprehensive range of Maori cultural experiences and more.
offering a comprehensive range of Maori cultural experiences and more.
Their teacher was as keen for the session to go well as were the kids. A participating and enthusiastic teacher makes all the difference, and Harini Karan jumped in and played her part to perfection.
Tours of Auckland City
The whole experience left me thrilled and humbled,
all at the same time. This New Zealand Skype class visit was
one of the highlights of my writing career. The class rendered me speechless!!
NOTE:
And you can do it all from the comfort of your own writing nook. No travel, hotel bills, or suitcases to lug about. YEA!! Skype Education is very helpful. It also pays to court teacher sites world wide. Linkedin is a good place to begin your Skype campaign. Skype gives us a chance to visit schools that are not on the usual author circuit. These kids are SO appreciative and eager to partake. The same goes for the teachers. Private as well as public schools are keen to have Skype author visits. Plus the US is a vast untapped source. I will also be writing a further blog about the nuts and bolts of organizing a Sky Visit.
NOTE:
And you can do it all from the comfort of your own writing nook. No travel, hotel bills, or suitcases to lug about. YEA!! Skype Education is very helpful. It also pays to court teacher sites world wide. Linkedin is a good place to begin your Skype campaign. Skype gives us a chance to visit schools that are not on the usual author circuit. These kids are SO appreciative and eager to partake. The same goes for the teachers. Private as well as public schools are keen to have Skype author visits. Plus the US is a vast untapped source. I will also be writing a further blog about the nuts and bolts of organizing a Sky Visit.
These are the books this class is now reading:
into books, writing, and reading up a storm!
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Books for Kids - Skype Author Visits
http://www.matgotfinke.com
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