Do I REALLY need one? AKA Why I love my Kindle!

Ok, I was late to the e-reader technology. I watched all the hype as people scoured to buy Kindles and Nooks, and kept thinking, do I I really need one of these? Let's face it, I'm a book store junkie. I'm perfectly content sitting in a used book store, with a cup of coffee, for hours. I often spend my "me" time curled up with a good book and a blanket. Would I get the same satisfaction with a piece of technology in my hand?

Fast forward to my last eye exam, when I heard the dreaded "b" word, bifocals. I don't need bifocals, I told myself, bifocals are for old people, and I'm not old! Never mind that I have to take my glasses off to read, and that I often get headaches. But alas, I have to admit, I do need them, although I did not get them this time. I tried the cheap reading glasses, but that is more hassle than it's worth.

So I'm thinking, maybe, perhaps, that the Kindle would be a more stylish version of bifocals/reading glasses? Ok, let's give it a try. I was amazed at how the screen looked, when I first opened it. Even though I'd read reviews, I was surprised at how "book-like" the screen looked. Changing the font size has been a God-send! On weekends, when my eyes are refreshed, I can use a smaller font size, but when my eyes are tired, I can make the print larger and easier to read. It's almost like 2 (or more!) books in one!

A Tale of Two Readers

Since both of my boys are assigned 20 minutes of reading a night, we often do group reading together. I had a cheap copy of The Story of Doctor Dolittle that I had picked up on a clearance rack, and we would take turns reading a page. The boys really liked the story, so when we were finished, I looked at the Kindle bookstore, and found The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle for free. The boys were so excited to get to read on the Kindle, they couldn't wait for reading time!

We all know that all kids are different, and this is very evident in my sons. My 7 year old is a voracious reader (well, voracious in everything he does!) and reads well above his grade level. I often find him up late reading, because he can't put the book down (I have NO idea where he gets that from!) He likes to put lots of words on the page, so that he can read as much as he wants for his turn. He uses the "microscopic" font size to make his turn last longer.

My 6 year old is more reluctant. He gets overwhelmed if there are too many words on the page. When we were reading the print version, he would only read the short pages at the beginning and end of the chapter, even though I knew that he could read almost all the words on the longer pages. With the Kindle, he makes the print larger, so that fewer words are on the page. He likes to play around and choose the largest font size, just so that the words are huge, but then will switch to a more reasonable font size.

I would like to see a "highlighter" row option (maybe it's there and I don't know it) where it would highlight a row and you could move it down the page as you read, to help my young readers keep their place on the page. This technology could be really useful in the classroom, and help many struggling or unmotivated readers.

The addition of the Kindle has been very exciting for family reading time, as well as for me personally. I do not expect it to replace actual books or trips to the bookstore, but to supplement our reading at home.

Managing Transitions

I've been thinking recently about transitions. In education, we talk about managing transitions, between activities, going to lunch and recess, or other "down times." But in real life, transitions are so much more.

My transitions have been many. From high school student to college student, to employee, to wife, mom, student again, and teacher. Each of these transitions have made me into the person I am today. This reminds me of the "what you do with your - (dash) on your tombstone. The transition is important as the steps it takes to get there.

So what transitions are occuring now? For one, I'm blogging. As a logical math person, this is a big step outside my comfort zone into the touchy-feely world of words. And the huge transition as my school is implementing a STEM program. This transition has been a roller coaster. I love the excitement during this transition, as students are engaged in problem based learning, using technology, creating projects to demonstrate their learning. Then there's the frustration of not having the resources available to do some of the things I'd like to do. Then there's the hecticness (ok, not a real word!) of meeting deadlines and documenting our progress during this time of change. Add to that the apprehension of some of the teachers in our school as they are stepping outside of their comfort zones. I am eager to see the results of this transition as we move forward.