Our #Read4Fun Reading Hero this week is the amazing Judy Arzt! Judy is a Professor at the University of Saint Joseph in Connecticut, and she primarily teaches graduate education courses in the areas of educational technology and education research. Occasionally, she teaches an English course, such as The Art of the Effective Writing, 20th Century American Literature, or The Art of the Short Story. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Connecticut and BA and MA degrees from University of Albany, NY. Judy spent a semester studying 20th Century Literature at York University, England, while an undergraduate junior, which she said sparked an interest in world traveling. Can you believe Judy has visited more than 50 countries, and she has been to 48 states? Amazing! As a former marathon runner, Judy now runs for pleasure and tries to work out at the gym a few times a week.
As our #Read4Fun archivist, Judy joins and archives our chats on Storify each week. She brings thoughtful recommendations of both fiction and non-fiction to the chat, Voxer group, and #ShelfieWednesday! As a positive and supportive force on Twitter, she uplifts many and offers guidance and insight on a variety topics in education. She is a moderator of the popular #teacheredchat Twitter Chat and is an organizer for #EdCampCT. This year, Judy's presence on Periscope has helped bring the world to us all through her travels and journey as an educator. Judy is a true reading hero, and we are honored to have her bringing joy to our community each day! Here Judy shares more about her reading identity and #Read4Fun:
What has been your favorite experience from participating in the #Read4Fun chat?
Meeting a variety of people online with common interests and learning of books I might not have otherwise considered. The weekly short chats on Sunday are quick paced, lively, and informative. The frequent Twitter reminders are helpful and keep me updated. The organizers of #Read4Fun are animated, creative, and persistent with tweets and keeping up in the Voxer group.
What four words describe your #Read4Fun reading identity?
For the Twitter hashtag
1) Contributor
2) Tweeter
3) Sharer
4) Joiner
Reading Identity
1) Speed reader
2) Variety
3) Late-night reader
4) Finishing books quickly to grasp the book as a whole
What book or character from a book has most impacted you in your life?
The Great Gatsby. Started college as a chemistry major. As a second-semester first-year student, I wrote a paper for an English course on the color symbolism motif of the book and received high praise. I loved the process of writing the paper, and after that, I switched majors, and that has made all the difference, as Frost would say in his poem "The Road Not Taken."
How has #Read4Fun influenced you as an educator?
It has given me an opportunity to share with the teachers in my courses the hashtag and helped them to see the variety of ways Twitter helps them connect globally. It has also helped me to make book recommendations to others. As one of the courses I teach enrolls primarily elementary school teachers and many of the books mentioned with the hashtag are for students in elementary school, the hashtag has helped me to keep up with current selections for children of this age group and to speak about the selections with friends, colleagues, and students in my courses.
Connect with Judy at @JudyArzt on Twitter.
As our #Read4Fun archivist, Judy joins and archives our chats on Storify each week. She brings thoughtful recommendations of both fiction and non-fiction to the chat, Voxer group, and #ShelfieWednesday! As a positive and supportive force on Twitter, she uplifts many and offers guidance and insight on a variety topics in education. She is a moderator of the popular #teacheredchat Twitter Chat and is an organizer for #EdCampCT. This year, Judy's presence on Periscope has helped bring the world to us all through her travels and journey as an educator. Judy is a true reading hero, and we are honored to have her bringing joy to our community each day! Here Judy shares more about her reading identity and #Read4Fun:
What has been your favorite experience from participating in the #Read4Fun chat?
Meeting a variety of people online with common interests and learning of books I might not have otherwise considered. The weekly short chats on Sunday are quick paced, lively, and informative. The frequent Twitter reminders are helpful and keep me updated. The organizers of #Read4Fun are animated, creative, and persistent with tweets and keeping up in the Voxer group.
What four words describe your #Read4Fun reading identity?
For the Twitter hashtag
1) Contributor
2) Tweeter
3) Sharer
4) Joiner
Reading Identity
1) Speed reader
2) Variety
3) Late-night reader
4) Finishing books quickly to grasp the book as a whole
What book or character from a book has most impacted you in your life?
The Great Gatsby. Started college as a chemistry major. As a second-semester first-year student, I wrote a paper for an English course on the color symbolism motif of the book and received high praise. I loved the process of writing the paper, and after that, I switched majors, and that has made all the difference, as Frost would say in his poem "The Road Not Taken."
How has #Read4Fun influenced you as an educator?
It has given me an opportunity to share with the teachers in my courses the hashtag and helped them to see the variety of ways Twitter helps them connect globally. It has also helped me to make book recommendations to others. As one of the courses I teach enrolls primarily elementary school teachers and many of the books mentioned with the hashtag are for students in elementary school, the hashtag has helped me to keep up with current selections for children of this age group and to speak about the selections with friends, colleagues, and students in my courses.
Connect with Judy at @JudyArzt on Twitter.