True of false?
     1.  Kids learn best when content is fun and meaningful.
     2.  Adults never stop learning.
     3.  Video is a powerful media for learning and entertainment.
     4.  The term, “Epic,” is an adjective that describes an amazing, impressive accomplishment.

If you answered true for all four questions, wise reader, you are 100% correct and win a virtual cuppa of your choice!  

Each of these points hit home for me as I participated in the Word of the Week (WOW), a literacy initiative by Muhlenberg  School District Elementary Center (Pennsylvania, US) to develop vocabulary and literacy.

As its name implies, children's book authors and illustrators appear weekly in short videos, produced by the paw-some Stanley and Katrina, to introduce their word and demonstrate its meaning.  My WOW experience was an epic journey of personal discovery as I learned how to create this video.  

WOW Video on YouTube

While I experimented with video for personal use and wrote scripts for others to produce, I never created anything to support my writing, especially a video that included voice-over and music.  I had lots of ideas and could see how the content should flow, but I had no clue how to make everything come together.  

Word of the Week was a great way to start because I worked with the talented folk at Stanley and Katrina.  They did the hard part of editing, adding music and sandwiching my content with their intro and outro.  All I had to do was come up with 60-seconds of ‘the meat.’

I used Apple’s Garage Band software to record my narration; i-Movie to synch with my voice-over to add visuals and insert transitions.  I wanted a professional look I couldn't achieve through my rudimentary on-camera skills and production tools, so I didn’t appear live on camera.  Instead, I used photographs and graphic images created on Canva, a free online graphic design tool.  The Ken Burns effect of slowly panning images made  still shots come alive. 

I learned as I went along – hours of YouTube tutorials, a class at an Apple Store, lots of trial and error – so the video took twice as long to complete.  But I’ve got the process down and am confident about tackling more. 

You don't need complex software to produce a short video for home or school.  Shadow Puppet for IOS and Adobe Voice for iPad are both free, easy-to-use apps that help parents, teachers, and kids create videos with clips, photographs and their narration.   

The best part was imagining the impact of our effort on kids and learning.  But you don't have to imagine WOW's power for engaging kids.  You'll see the excitement in the outro as kids jumped up and down, chanting, "Word of the Week!"

WOW, indeed! 

Please join the conversation in the comment section.
How do use videos to help children learn?
What additional suggestions or video resources can you add?

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Driving Down to Dillon:
A Very Short Story of Love and New Beginnings.

Once upon a time, folks who were passionate about children’s books reached out to each other across the great seas through magical time-and-space portals called Facebook and Twitter.

Like the whoosh of a wizard's wand and with much mental elbow grease, their ideas whirled through cyberspace to beckon others.  Soon, more readers, authors and illustrators were caught in the magic, and the enchanting community Kid Literature soon began to glow and grow.

In just 12 months, Kid Lit zoomed to 3.4K Facebook fans, 17K Twitter followers and more than 800 on Pinterest.  
Readers, authors and illustrators connected. 
Scrumptious books found their way into the eager little hands.  

And now it's time for a party!

You’re invited to Kid Lit's first birthday celebration from 13-19 April. 
We’ll have prizes, fun and more on Facebook and Twitter!  
Read on details for details of how YOU can enter to win a drawing for prizes and learn how the magic of this community won my heart.

Discovering the Magic of Kid Lit's Community
When I was in college orchestera, the conductor asked if I would give up my first violin chair to learn the viola and move to that section.  I was concerned.  Had I done something wrong?  Didn’t he think I was up to the task of first violin?

“No,” the conductor explained.  “We don’t have enough viola players, and we need somebody with your energy to learn the instrument and lead that section.

As part of the Admin Team, I am like the viola in the vibrant, global orchestra that is Kid Literature.  Providing a steady rhythm in the background.  Coming up for solos every once in awhile.  Supporting the team with reliable cadence and forever trying new ways to engage, grow and inspire.

Kid Literature became a blip on my radar a month after its launch through mutual contacts on Goodreads.  Several months after publishing my first chapter book for beginning readers, this extrovert felt disconnected.  I left my 9-5 office friends to pursue writing full time. It was exciting and lovely…but also very lonely.  When I learned of Kid Lit’s goal to build community, it was a no-brainer for me to follow on Facebook.  After seeing a request for Admins, I submitted my lot and came on board in July 2014 to help with the Kid Literature Facebook page.

Supporting the Kid Lit Team
We have a crew of five Admins and about a dozen Contributors, who help manage the different social media platforms that keep the community vibrant.

Kid Lit founder Karen Emma Hall does amazing things everyday, everywhere, supported by Steve Conoboy.  She takes the lead on finding great reads for Mondays Blogs. Carolin Palmer spices up Art Tuesdays with her illustrations and art tips.  Carmela Dutra hosts Writer Wednesday and splits admin duties on weekends and Fridays with Karen.  Hilary Hawkes is our Tweet Guru, who keeps those smart 140 characters zooming through cyberspace @#KidLiterature,

Thursday is my day to manage More Good Stuff, eclectic Facebook posts about books for grown-ups, group writing prompts, new films, throwback Thursday, and the latest in the changing world of technology and social media, and more.  Like the other Admins, I am forever experimenting.  Still learning about my own writing journey and how I can partner with others to create books that children love. 

Peeking Behind the Scenes
There’s a lot that goes on in finding and offering content you value.  It’s especially challenging to do so virtually and across four different time zones.  And oh, those Tech Gremlins!  They always lurk, waiting to bedevil posts despite our best efforts. 

We communicate through instant messaging (IM), although we just started using Skype.  This winter, Carmela, Karen, and I met each other ‘live’ for the first time via Skype.  When our computer screens flashed on and the audio clicked in, we were like kids in our excitement.  I could've never imagined being part of such a creative, dynamic team. 

I recently scheduled a Skpye call with Karen Emma Hall in the UK, thinking we were six hours apart after the jump to Daylight Saving Time from my US Eastern Time zone; however, we were only four hours different.  Ooops! Karen graciously made time for our discussion two hours earlier than expected, and we had a giggle about my miscalculation.  

Gotta laugh it off, support each, and keep plugging --- that’s typical of how the Kid Lit community pulls together.

Labor of Love
Want to know the best part?  (That’s a given for anyone in children’s literature, don’t you think?)  I’m over the moon to know the work we do makes a difference in the lives of young readers.  Ditto for inspiring writers, artists, parents, teachers and others to get kids hooked on books.   

So, yes, it’s a ton of work, and mine is just a small piece to play in this literary orchestra.  But everyone pitches in to play their part and offer what time they can.

Although it takes time and energy, the friendships I discover make it all worthwhile. 

During my tenure with Kid Lit I’ve met and learned from so many awesome people, who are a pure delight.  That bond of friendship and support is the common thread that keeps our community fun and energizing.

I feel close to Kid Lit folk, even though we never connect beyond cyberspace.  We share ideas, celebrate successes, and offer a shoulder to lean on when we hit those confidence-shaking low patches. This business of writing and marketing is challenging, and it gets lonely and frustrating. I’ve come close to burnout more times than I care to remember.  But I know I can get encouragement or bypass roadblocks by just asking for help within the community.

It's been an exciting journey, hard work to be sure, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Happy birthday, Kit Literature!

And a BIG thanks to you for keeping us company on this journey, Lovely Followers.  

The magic continues because YOU make it all possible! 

XXX Cat

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April 13-19 2015
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 just for grown ups who are forever young at heart. 
Driving Down to Dillon:
A Very Short Story of Love and New Beginnings

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April 13-19, 2015

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We all need time away.  Turn off electronic devices.  Clock out of the office.  And just be playful.  

That’s exactly what I did the past few days by taking time to smell the tulips --- I shut down my laptop and logged off social media to spend time with family and friends over the long holiday weekend.  It’s always a treat to savor unscheduled time, doing whatever catches my fancy in the spur of the moment.  But spring is my favorite time of year to get away from it all.

I take long walks around the lake, always with a camera on hand.  You never know what unexpected delights Mother Nature will find for you along the way.

We celebrate Easter in our family.  It is a busy, thoughtful season, but it is also a time of joy and sharing.  

For me, it's always been a time for singing with the choir (alto 1) in its BIG Cantata on Easter Sunday after weeks of rehearsals,   shaking the rafters with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus to end the service.  

We crowd around the dining table for a multi-course meal afterward with family and friends that stretches over the afternoon.  There are informal 'intermissions' between courses, so we can digest and eat more.  Growing up, we picked at our fruit cocktail and sauced ourselves on the pasta dish, obligatory for an Italian family.  However, we slipped away to play during the main  course of Easter ham, but we always showed up for dessert.

We've also been guests at our neighbor's Passover seder, learning new ways to share friendships and experience traditions of a different culture.

Whether you enjoyed an Easter ham, Seder brisket, or nature's beauty, I hope the peace and joy of your celebrations stay with you in the weeks ahead.

Please join the conversation in the comment section.
What's your awesomest memory of spring and its special holidays?

Don’t miss a post.
Click below to receive this blog by RSS feed or email.

Subscribe to updates about my books and receive a free downloadable tale I penned that has very special meaning for me  -- just for grown ups who are forever young at heart. 
Driving Down to Dillon:
A Very Short Story of Love and New Beginnings.