VIRTUAL CHATS:
Virtual Speaking with Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith has been a featured virtual speaker to schools around the world and for such groups as:

  • Salisbury University Children's Literature Conference
  • Maine Library Association
  • New Hampshire Library Association
  • New England Library Association
  • Turtle Mountain Teacher's Association
  • Southwest Texas State University
  • Westlake (Texas) High School

Bring her virtually to your audience! Here's why and how:

Virtual Visits

Cyber Visits Connect Authors To Students To BooksBooks or technology? They don't have to compete! By bringing author Cynthia Leitich Smith to your audience via a virtual chat, you can underscore how books and technology can thrive together.

Plus, at a very economical cost, your local students or colleagues will enjoy an instantaneous cyber conversation with a speaker in Austin, Texas.

Cynthia Leitich Smith is a natural fit for such events because of her extensive online children's literature resources, enthusiasm, expertise, and the technology references that appear in her books.

Cost & Duration

The cost is $100 for a half hour or $150 for an hour, but please consider the attention span of the target audience. (Very young readers may not be able to focus as long as older ones.)

Invite Cynthia For A Virtual Visit

Simply contact Cynthia with: your name, the name and type of your organization; your snail and e-mail addresses and your phone number; the dates you're considering; the length of your proposed visit; and any other pertinent details.

Preparation & A Virtual Chat

  1. Schedule the Chat (see immediately above).
    Cyn Note: Cynthia will send to you via snail mail her bios, a set of autographed books to raffle, and giveaway bookmarks/postcards (approximately a $50 value included for the fee). These are to be used to promote the event, educate the audience about the speaker, for author studies, etc.
  2. Schedule a Practice Session.
  3. Order books for sale or audience use (optional).
  4. Prepare your audience. Hearing an author speak may have intrinsic appeal, but a presentation has more resonance when the audience is familiar with that author's work. Coordinators should plan to book talk Cynthia's titles in advance and read selections from them to the audience. Or, of course, the audience can read her books in advance on their own. Teachers seeking curriculum tie in ideas may want to consider the materials outlined below. It is also recommended that the audience be encouraged to surf Cynthia's Web site in advance.
    In addition, some coordinators prefer that their classrooms prepare questions for the author in advance of the event, sometimes working in groups.
  5. Download and Practice with AOL Messenger for an Instant Chat.
    Cyn NOTE:     If for whatever reason AOL Messenger is incompatible with your system but you have an easy-to-use bulletin board/chat, Cynthia has been known to adapt. Don't be afraid to ask, but try AOL Messenger first as it's really easy.
  6. The Main Event: distribute bios (if you haven't already), giveaways, hold the chat itself, raffle off the autographed copies.
  7. Pay the Author. $100 for a half hour; $150 for an hour.
  8. Keep in touch. Audience members are invited to write Cynthia directly online. Some school classroom groups may want to send snail-mail letters.

Any questions? Contact Cynthia for the answers you need.

Teacher Guides

Educator-designed multiple intelligence activities are provided for each of my titles (JINGLE DANCER (Morrow/HarperCollins, 200)(ages 4-up), (INDIAN SHOES, HarperCollins, 2002)(ages 7-up), and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (HarperCollins, 2001)(ages 10-up).

In addition, there are author-designed book talk questions and links to powwow video, a fry bread recipe, etc. for Jingle Dancer and an extensive Web activity for RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. See Teacher Guide: Children's and Young Adult Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith. The teacher guide includes links to lesson plan search engine sites.

How to Use AOL Messenger for an Instant Chat

  1. Download and install the free AOL Instant Messenger onto your hard drive. Visit: http://www.aim.com/index.adp
  2. Set up your own screen.
  3. Sign onto AOL Instant Messenger.
  4. At the Buddy List window, click on the two-person icon to “Send Buddy Invitation to Chat.”
  5. Invite Cynthia (and the screen names assigned to each of your computers) to join you in a chat. You'll be given a private chat room. No one else can enter it without an invitation.
  6. Chat.
  7. Before leaving the chat, you may print or save the transcript.
  8. REQUIREMENT REMINDER: Set up a practice session before the actual event chat to make sure all of the technology is working.
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Wonderful Results!

Endorsement From: Jennifer Battle; Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction; Texas State University; San Marcos, Texas:

"Cynthia Leitich Smith’s quick wit and humor, as well as her articulate responses to my Education graduate students’ own questions, made our cyber talk both entertaining and educational. My students felt privileged to 'talk' to a published children’s literature author.

"This experience afforded us a novel and powerful way to learn about multicultural literature in general, and Cynthia’s perspectives on writing from a Native American point of view in particular.

"Cynthia responded enthusiastically to a wide range of questions from, 'What is fry bread?', and 'Who gave you the love of writing?' to 'Do you consider culture as context, or culture as content?' to satisfy our curiosity!

"Cynthia carefully organizes the process for a cyber talk to make it easy for teachers to implement. A quick training ahead of the appointed hour to test equipment and practice went a long way towards settling any fears I had about major difficulties.

"What a great way to integrate technology for an authentic communicative purpose!"

Letter From Debi Bruner; Media Specialist; Foster Elementary; Gainesville, Florida:

"Cynthia, Thank you so very much! The students, their teachers, and I enjoyed our visit with you yesterday. You are so wonderful!!!! I found this out when taking a literature class a few years ago. I had posted on a listserv looking for authentic Native American literature. Your husband saw the message and you responded. I was so excited when I learned you do virtual visits. If you are ever in Florida I would love to know. I'd love to meet you have the opportunity to hear you speak. I wish I had video taped the children yesterday. They were so engaged and had so many questions.

"Is that really her answering our questions?

"Is she really doing the typing herself?

"Man, she can type good.

"Does she have a body guard?

"They were so cute and greatly enjoyed the experience. Every one of them are crossing their fingers for you and the students receiving the books will cherish them I know. We are doing Florida research projects presently and I was really impressed when one of the students asked about how much research you do and what sources you use.

"I am going to write another grant again next year and hope I am as fortunate as I was this year. It is so important for the children to realize that authors are real people, the fact that often stories are not accepted, there is a great amount of rewriting, and that they can also be writers. Just as important is for them to meet people from other cultures and learn more about their cultures. We could have done a whole visit just on the Seminole and Muscogee (Creek) people past and present.

"Your website has a wealth of information and I find something new every time I visit. Thank you so very much for everything. I especially thank you for your patience and making our first virtual visit a pleasant experience. "