Virtual Author Visit in the Studio
Since our initial Spring 2020 Stay-At-Home effort, hundreds of elementary students have visited my studio for a lively up-close-and-personal introduction to writing and illustrating. One teacher who has hosted me over the years for multiple sessions in her Florida school said she actually enjoyed the virtual visit even more “because it was so intimate … we really saw your life, your challenges, and your inventiveness up close …” Another 4th grade Minnesota teacher wrote …“Thank you for today. Your presence brought light and joy into our space.” Visiting a studio IS INSPIRING!
What does a Virtual Author Visit look like? Here is a visual outline — and you can see how using a rolling desk for my laptop camera allows for snappy pacing and a wide variety of camera placements.
Optional: Faculty In-service follow-up session
Participating staff can meet with me virtually for a visual presentation on how to use my Vocabulary Book Events and Activities in virtual learning situations. A step-by-step presentation of extensive available tools on my website with examples from across the USA.
Samples from 2020 Online Vocabulary Parades
In April of 2020 I posted this curriculum to help teachers move the Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster, Vocabulary Parades Project to the distance-learning classroom. Many schools have used this Virtual Author Visit to introduce students to this book and the Vocabulary Parade Project. Let me know if this is your plan and we can emphasize participating in the project. A few samples from recent online vocabulary parades are included here.
The challenges of teaching online are enormous. I have brought my three decades of experience presenting in actual schools to designing an online experience that uses these very challenges to our advantage.
With the virtual studio visit we are able to intimately SEE the process of making something that will one day become something. This is the world that our students actually live in: one of constant becoming! And yet this is the world that the large audiences of actual visits made impossible to see — But now you can walk right into the place where creativity unfolds and see how it works.
For the Virtual Author Visit I have paid great attention to the quality of our video experience by investing in lighting and sound equipment, as well as holding multiple tests with pacing of content to give us the most inspiring time together.
Virtual AUTHOR Visit Inclusions and Cost
Each Virtual Author Visit package includes:
- All pre-planning and scheduling time with faculty and staff, phone and email
- One copy of Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster, sent to the school media center
- One Pre-Virtual Visit tech rehearsal with online hosting staff (essential, 48 hours before our visit)
- Pre-Visit delivery of Author Study materials including the Listening Lesson Author Biography & Art Project, Video Book reading, Pre-Visit Question preparation
- TWO online live sessions (up to 60 minutes each) with however many students you may technically accommodate. Dividing by grade levels will best support the material we cover, for example: K‑1 – 2 and 3 – 4‑5 grouped together.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Your school MAY record and archive the sessions for future use within the school.
- One optional faculty in-service, where we cover online projects and available resources to support book projects. Up to 40 minutes. Lively and visual, this program is highly recommended, and scheduled to follow the student visit.
- Follow-up delivery of Debra’s PAPER CAMP Art Lesson, “Making Striped Pictures,” a series of virtual cut-paper illustration lessons made for distant-learning at home (available Winter 2021 and sent to your school as soon as it is published). Based on the book illustrations in Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster.
Special Pandemic Pricing: $650.00
Please contact Debra Frasier to arrange a visit at debrafrasier@nullmac.com
Teacher Comments
“My inbox is exploding with comments about how much they all LOVE you! I know we weren’t able to see all the children, but my own two were completely captivated by you. My own 4th grader said, “That’s really cool!” about 20 times and my first grader is in her room right now adding marker lines to paper.”
“Your work is truly magical.”
You are truly inspirational…