Grandview Library

www.grandviewlibrary.org

We profiled Grandview Elementary in Monsey, NY, and the school’s media specialist, Sarah Chauncey, back in September 2005 (“Tell Me a Story,” pp. 24–25), but the library’s remarkable Web site is certainly worth another look. Media specialists, in fact all educators, would do well to visit Grandview online to see a stellar example of technology in practice. The site features podcast recordings of picture books read by “Mrs. C” and the students themselves, who range from kindergartners through third graders. The Web-based newspaper Top of the Fold includes work by students—again, we’re talking K–3 here—in both written and podcast formats. “The Web site is updated constantly as I add new lessons, books, student work, and newspaper updates,” says Chauncey. “The companion site, which I created this summer, Digital Pencil, is the new home for our [online] project organizers and Web 2.0 resources.”

If anything, the idea of a six-year-old producing a podcast may shame you into trying a new platform yourself—at least that’s what it did for me.