MFISD elementary students ‘hack’ a book, meet with author

By Emily Hilley-Sierzchula
In a culmination of a month-long project that began before Thanksgiving, around 30 gifted and talented (GT) students, from all four Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) elementary campuses, met Wednesday, Feb. 25, with the author of a book they “hacked.”
After reading The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires, students cut the book apart and used the pieces to make something they considered to be “the most magnificent thing.”
Spires made a purse out of her own book, and has invited students nationwide to embark on similar projects using her book’s pages, which are illustrated with an assortment of diverse images.
Creations spanned students’ imaginations, leading to a wide variety of projects.
“No student had the same idea, not even close,” said Marcy Mueller, instructional technologist at Highland Lakes and Marble Falls elementary schools.
Colt Elementary students made a flying envelope, a love time machine and a double swing, to name a few. Students at Marble Falls Elementary (MFE) created a castle, a book with a secret message, a robot, butterfly, and, from an animal-loving student, a safe place for critters to run. Three Highland Lakes Elementary students managed to make hot air balloons out of the book.
For most students, the joy of the project was a combination of creation and meeting a published author.
“I’ve never met an author before; that was amazing,” said Kennedy Proctor, 8, 3rd-grader at MFE. She made a robot out of the pages of Spires’ book.
Proctor said the project has given her confidence because during the process she struggled with cutting the parts of her robot to the right length.
“But I kept going,” Proctor said. “I learned that if you really want to do something, don’t give up on it. Do it.”
For the full story, see the Highlander Tuesday, March 10.