Elizabethtown College Assistant Professor of PK-12 New Literacies Kathryn Caprino and Early Childhood Education major Erin Knauer ’23 recently worked together to craft a blog post about the importance of virtual book tours in early childhood education.
Their post, “The Art of the Virtual Book Tour,” was featured in the Children’s Literature Assembly blog in October. The post discusses what a virtual book tour is, why it’s a useful tool, and how educators can create their own.
Both Caprino and Knauer believe virtual book tours are an important way to engage students during virtual learning.
“Educators are frequently looking for ways to increase student engagement, especially in today’s digital society,” said Knauer. “The virtual book tour enables an educator to review a book while asking pre-, during-, and post-questions that confirm student understanding. Students can also creatively engage with the book by exploring drawings, predictions, or connections to real-life.”
Knauer is grateful to have had this opportunity to collaborate with one of her professors and says the experience has better prepared her for her future career.
“The opportunity to assist and explore blog writing with Dr. Caprino has enabled me to engage in the literature and research the topics that may assist peers or other professionals in the educational field,” said Knauer.
Caprino enjoyed getting to work with one of her students, and she is appreciative that Etown provides students with the ability to expand their learning with opportunities like this.
“I love when undergraduates have an opportunity to publish their work,” said Caprino. “Etown is unique in that way; our undergraduates have opportunities to publish and present with their professors.”
