Our #Read4Fun Reading Hero this week is the amazing Mari Venturino! From the start of #Read4Fun, Mari has brought her kind and positive spirit to the chat and always offers both excellent recommendations and support for new members of the #Read4Fun community. Mari moderates our #Read4Fun GoodReads Group which can be found HERE. Mari's Bookshelf there holds a whopping 1,507 books. She also lists her all-time favorite books as well! We are grateful and honored to have Mari be such an integral member of the #Read4Fun team of Reading Heroes! Read here as Mari tells us all about her life as a 7th grade science teacher and avid reader!
Tell Us About Yourself:
I am Mari Venturino, and I am a 7th grade science and AVID teacher, and blended learning specialist (technology resource teacher) in San Diego, CA. We are a 1:1 iPad district in grades 7-9, and I love working with other teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, baking, reading, running, and playing with Ollie, my miniature schnauzer puppy. My goal this year is to read at least 52 books, not including audiobooks!
What has been your favorite experience from participating in the #Read4Fun chat?
I have loved networking with people from all over the world, sharing my favorite books, and getting recommendations. I'm thrilled that there are people who love to #Read4Fun, just like me.
What four words describe your #Read4Fun reading identity?
Anything but scary / suspense.
What book or character from a book has most impacted you in your life?
This is a tough one! My favorite book is The Giver. I read this book in 4th grade, and it was the first book that made me look critically at the world and question the status quo. Additionally, Harry Potter was a huge part of growing up for me. I love being transported into the magical world of Hogwarts, and I feel like Harry, Ron, and Hermione are my childhood friends. We were roughly the same age as each book was released. More recently, Wonder is one of my top picks because of how gracefully RJ Palacio presents kindness.
How has #Read4Fun influenced you as an educator?
I have found myself more eager to share my favorite books with my students and staff members. If a student is reading or has a book on their desk that I haven't read or heard of, I'll pick it up and read the back cover/inside jacket. If it's a book I've read, I'll immediately start a conversation about the book. My students love chatting with me about books (I'm a science teacher, so it's a change of pace for them), and especially love giving me recommendations.
Who would you like to invite to take the #Read4Fun challenge?
I'd like to invite Erin Southam, a librarian at another middle school in my district -- @erinsoutham.
You can connect with Mari weekly during the #Read4Fun Twitter chat and on Twitter at @MsVenturino. Mari is also the co-host of the fantastic @EduRoadTrip Podcast and part of the inspiration behind #FlyHighFri.
Tell Us About Yourself:
I am Mari Venturino, and I am a 7th grade science and AVID teacher, and blended learning specialist (technology resource teacher) in San Diego, CA. We are a 1:1 iPad district in grades 7-9, and I love working with other teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, baking, reading, running, and playing with Ollie, my miniature schnauzer puppy. My goal this year is to read at least 52 books, not including audiobooks!
What has been your favorite experience from participating in the #Read4Fun chat?
I have loved networking with people from all over the world, sharing my favorite books, and getting recommendations. I'm thrilled that there are people who love to #Read4Fun, just like me.
What four words describe your #Read4Fun reading identity?
Anything but scary / suspense.
What book or character from a book has most impacted you in your life?
This is a tough one! My favorite book is The Giver. I read this book in 4th grade, and it was the first book that made me look critically at the world and question the status quo. Additionally, Harry Potter was a huge part of growing up for me. I love being transported into the magical world of Hogwarts, and I feel like Harry, Ron, and Hermione are my childhood friends. We were roughly the same age as each book was released. More recently, Wonder is one of my top picks because of how gracefully RJ Palacio presents kindness.
How has #Read4Fun influenced you as an educator?
I have found myself more eager to share my favorite books with my students and staff members. If a student is reading or has a book on their desk that I haven't read or heard of, I'll pick it up and read the back cover/inside jacket. If it's a book I've read, I'll immediately start a conversation about the book. My students love chatting with me about books (I'm a science teacher, so it's a change of pace for them), and especially love giving me recommendations.
Who would you like to invite to take the #Read4Fun challenge?
I'd like to invite Erin Southam, a librarian at another middle school in my district -- @erinsoutham.
You can connect with Mari weekly during the #Read4Fun Twitter chat and on Twitter at @MsVenturino. Mari is also the co-host of the fantastic @EduRoadTrip Podcast and part of the inspiration behind #FlyHighFri.