The Wooly Newsletter
August 25, 2021
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Dear Friends,
There is lots to talk about, so let's get into it. Today I will share information about:
- An exciting new member of the Wooly Team
- The most content we have ever released in 1 day
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A New Member of the Wooly Team!
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Jamal Taylor is our new, senior front-end developer!
I knew it was meant to be when, during the first interview, he discussed wanting his 3 year old twin girls to acquire Japanese. He then said to me, "Jim, have you ever heard of a man named Stephen Krashen?"
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Jamal spent 4 years in the Navy stationed in Yokosuka, Japan. He loves working out, writing insanely clean code, and he spends his evenings teaching young adults how to become developers. He lives in upstate New York with his wife and two daughters.
Oh, and he's been hard at work on a MAJOR new Wooly upgrade that is going to make all of our lives much easier. I'll share more info in just a couple of weeks!
Welcome, Jamal!
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Last year, we published the 200-page Wooly graphic novel, Me llamo Víctor, Parte 2.
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It took 4 artists from 4 different countries over 2 years to complete this story about Víctor's youth.
And today?
Today, we release this entire book in your Wooly accounts for no additional charge!
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ORGANIZATION OF THE RELEASE
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Since the 2 Víctor books make for a lengthy story, we decided to reorganize them for digital release.
Last March and April, we released the first book as two separate, digital chapters.
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Today, we release the second book as an additional 3 digital chapters.
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If this seems needlessly complex, all you really need to know is this:
The entire Víctor story is in your Wooly account... RIGHT NOW.
We are talking over 300 pages of immaculate artwork, jaw-dropping twists, and truly accessible writing that even your Spanish 1 students will be able to comprehend.
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This graphic novel details the choices Víctor made as a teenager that ultimately drove him to become the narcissist from that first music video, Guapo.
The book is mysterious and filled with humor, and it follows a likable protagonist who struggles with relatable issues of self-identity. Thematically, there is a lot to unpack, and we anticipate some very lively classroom debates.
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Wait, this graphic novel is now included in the Pro subscription?!
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Yes! We have decided to include all of our best-selling graphic novels in the subscription at no extra cost. In addition to all 5 chapters of Me llamo Víctor, we have already released Billy y las botas and La casa de la dentista.
Psst! This won't be the only graphic novel released this year. More soon.
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How do I access the book?
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Log into your Wooly account, and you'll find multiple chapters of Me llamo Víctor right on your dashboard. Just click on Capítulo 1 and start reading!
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What level is Me llamo Víctor written at?
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All the levels!
We scaffolded the language at 4 different levels to meet the needs of all readers.
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- Novice Low - For Spanish 1
- Novice Mid - For Spanish 1 into 2
- Novice High - For Spanish 2 into 3
- Intermediate Low - For Spanish 4 up to and including heritage
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For example, here is a sample from Novice Low:
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And here's that same panel at Novice Mid:
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Finally, Intermediate Low:
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What if the book is too challenging for my students even at the lowest proficiency level?
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We think you'll be be amazed how accessible the book is even to inexperienced readers. Here's why:
First, we took great care to ensure that the Novice Low writing is very simple, repetitive, and filled with essential beginner language.
Second, this is a graphic novel. Even when the text is challenging, students use the detailed illustrations to gain contextual comprehension.
Finally, they have a 1-click glossary that gives them precise translations. It's so unbelievably easy to use that even your least-motivated students might occasionally use it!
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Is it appropriate for elementary students?
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The story doesn't have any sex, cursing or violence, and it's not scary. That said, the themes are probably most relevant to middle and high school students.
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If you want to use it at elementary, I advise you to read the entire 300-page story before you start unlocking any of the chapters for your students.
Frankly, I encourage everyone to read it. I assure you that it's an easy, breezy read, and you'll be glad you took the time.
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Do students need to be familiar with the 3 Víctor music videos before reading the book?
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Yes and no. The book will be very rewarding for those who are familiar with the three Víctor music videos (Guapo, La confesión de Víctor, Feo).
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That said, the graphic novel is a self-contained story. We have tested the story with many people who had no knowledge of the videos, and they found it to be engaging and understandable.
I'll also say that this story will DRASTICALLY change students' perspective of the music video, Guapo. Although the satire in Guapo is not exactly subtle, there are frequently still students who latch on to the most superficial aspects of that video.
If you have ever hesitated to use that video for fear that students would not understand its satire, I encourage you to read this book.
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Does Me llamo Víctor have audio recordings like the other graphic novels?
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Yes! We have recorded over 20 professional native speaker actors to bring every single line of dialogue in the book to life.
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Since we had to record 300 pages of dialogue, each written at 4 different proficiency levels, this was a monumental organizational challenge, but we know you'll agree it was worth it.
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If you're not a Wooly subscriber, join us!
We think you'll be blown away by how successful these digital graphic novels are. Countless teachers have told us that they've never seen their students have as much success reading.
Plus, at $150 a year for a single teacher, we remain one of the single most affordable teacher sites around. Most companies charge hundreds of dollars for class access to a single story (and even then it's often for only a limited period of time).
Our subscription gives access to all of the graphic novels, each written at four proficiency levels which means you can essentially use the same story with all of your classes (one prep!). And that's not even mentioning all of our music videos, resources, and the entire eLearning platform.
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This 365- subscription is valid for 1 teacher. It includes:
- Access to music videos
- Access to graphic novels
- 160 student accounts
- 4 proficiency levels
- 10,000+ eLearning activities
- Thousands of printable pages
- 10% off most items in Wooly store
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Yes, we accept purchase orders!
Whether you're purchasing subscriptions for your whole department or simply buying a graphic novel, we are happy to work with you.
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