1. Blogs
What is it?
A blog is a website similar to a journal where information is added on a regular basis by users. Blog authors post "entries" that are usually presented in reverse chronological order. There is typically a main focus for the blog, and visitors to the site are able to leave comments in designated places.
What does the research say?
Zawilinski (2009) researched ways that blogs can support literacy programs, specifically to develop higher order thinking (HOT) skills through reading and writing. Blogs develop communication skills and provide students with an authentic audience for their writing. Zawilinski (2009) described four common types of blogs used in elementary classrooms: classroom news blogs, mirror blogs, showcase blogs, and literature response blogs. According to Zawilinski (2009), “HOT blogging develops HOT around the new literacies of online reading comprehension” (p. 655). HOT blogging also gives students a chance to build HOT skills such as questioning text and thinking critically about the author’s message (Zawilinski, 2009).
Lesson Example
Grade Level: K-5 (can be adapted for any classroom)
Activity: Students will respond to a text by evaluating, interpreting, summarizing, synthesizing, and posting their responses and questions on a literature response blog.
Equipment/Materials Needed:
Resources for Creating Blogs:
Related Common Core Standards (click here to read each standard):
*There are many different standards that can apply to writing lessons for the blog, depending on what the skill and writing task are. Therefore, as an example, I am only including standards related to one lesson activity listed below, which requires students to respond to a prompt on the blog by expressing their point of view and perspective on a topic.*
K-2
W.K.1
W.K.5
W.K.6
W.1.1
W.1.5
W.1.6
W.2.1
W.2.5
W.2.6
3-5
W.3.1
W.3.4
W.3.5
W.3.6
W.4.1
W.4.4
W.4.5
W.4.6
W.5.1
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
More information can be found in Zawilinski's article here about different types of classroom blogs, such as Mirror Blogs and Showcase Blogs.
1. Select a blog provider and set up the blog. A literature response blog is the type of blog used for this lesson plan.
2. Select a text to use for the literature response blog. This text will be the focus of the blog.
2. Bolster the Background: Build background knowledge by posting activities and questions on the blog for students. They will read to find information and "evaluate, synthesize information, and communicate their ideas" on the blog. Students should be encouraged to comment on others' findings. Zawilinski (2009) gave the example of students preparing to read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Before reading, students could find books or websites that might help their peers prepare for reading.
3. Prime the Pump. After reading the beginning chapter(s) of the selected text, students will post initial interpretations and any other thoughts, including connections they made while reading, confusions they have, or thoughts so far about the characters and what is happening in the story.
4. Continue the Conversation. Students will summarize and synthesize understanding by considering others' thoughts that have been posted on the blog and also whole-group conversations about the text. Pairs of students can work together to synthesize and post their syntheses to the blog for peer and teacher review.
5. Make Multiplicity Explicit. Provide a prompt or a previously posted comment on the blog that is related to the text and have students address the topic by using evaluation and interpretation. Students will hear and read multiple perspectives through their peers' responses, as well as use personal experiences and the text to support their points of view expressed on the blog. They will explore how their comments and perspectives are the same as or different as their classmates'.
There are several different ways for students to participate on literature response blogs. In addition to the teacher posing prompts for students, they may want to post their own questions to the blog for their peers to answer. You can provide a specific place on the blog for groups of students to develop and ask higher order thinking questions related to the text that the class is reading. You can also allow students to share their responses to books they are reading outside of school, as well.
A blog is a website similar to a journal where information is added on a regular basis by users. Blog authors post "entries" that are usually presented in reverse chronological order. There is typically a main focus for the blog, and visitors to the site are able to leave comments in designated places.
What does the research say?
Zawilinski (2009) researched ways that blogs can support literacy programs, specifically to develop higher order thinking (HOT) skills through reading and writing. Blogs develop communication skills and provide students with an authentic audience for their writing. Zawilinski (2009) described four common types of blogs used in elementary classrooms: classroom news blogs, mirror blogs, showcase blogs, and literature response blogs. According to Zawilinski (2009), “HOT blogging develops HOT around the new literacies of online reading comprehension” (p. 655). HOT blogging also gives students a chance to build HOT skills such as questioning text and thinking critically about the author’s message (Zawilinski, 2009).
Lesson Example
Grade Level: K-5 (can be adapted for any classroom)
Activity: Students will respond to a text by evaluating, interpreting, summarizing, synthesizing, and posting their responses and questions on a literature response blog.
Equipment/Materials Needed:
- computer(s)
- Internet access
- a text for students to read, study, and respond to on the blog
Resources for Creating Blogs:
Related Common Core Standards (click here to read each standard):
*There are many different standards that can apply to writing lessons for the blog, depending on what the skill and writing task are. Therefore, as an example, I am only including standards related to one lesson activity listed below, which requires students to respond to a prompt on the blog by expressing their point of view and perspective on a topic.*
K-2
W.K.1
W.K.5
W.K.6
W.1.1
W.1.5
W.1.6
W.2.1
W.2.5
W.2.6
3-5
W.3.1
W.3.4
W.3.5
W.3.6
W.4.1
W.4.4
W.4.5
W.4.6
W.5.1
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
More information can be found in Zawilinski's article here about different types of classroom blogs, such as Mirror Blogs and Showcase Blogs.
1. Select a blog provider and set up the blog. A literature response blog is the type of blog used for this lesson plan.
2. Select a text to use for the literature response blog. This text will be the focus of the blog.
2. Bolster the Background: Build background knowledge by posting activities and questions on the blog for students. They will read to find information and "evaluate, synthesize information, and communicate their ideas" on the blog. Students should be encouraged to comment on others' findings. Zawilinski (2009) gave the example of students preparing to read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Before reading, students could find books or websites that might help their peers prepare for reading.
3. Prime the Pump. After reading the beginning chapter(s) of the selected text, students will post initial interpretations and any other thoughts, including connections they made while reading, confusions they have, or thoughts so far about the characters and what is happening in the story.
4. Continue the Conversation. Students will summarize and synthesize understanding by considering others' thoughts that have been posted on the blog and also whole-group conversations about the text. Pairs of students can work together to synthesize and post their syntheses to the blog for peer and teacher review.
5. Make Multiplicity Explicit. Provide a prompt or a previously posted comment on the blog that is related to the text and have students address the topic by using evaluation and interpretation. Students will hear and read multiple perspectives through their peers' responses, as well as use personal experiences and the text to support their points of view expressed on the blog. They will explore how their comments and perspectives are the same as or different as their classmates'.
There are several different ways for students to participate on literature response blogs. In addition to the teacher posing prompts for students, they may want to post their own questions to the blog for their peers to answer. You can provide a specific place on the blog for groups of students to develop and ask higher order thinking questions related to the text that the class is reading. You can also allow students to share their responses to books they are reading outside of school, as well.
2. Wikis
What is it?
A wiki is a shared online space that invites collaboration from users. While it is initially developed by one person or a group of people, anyone is able to add, modify, or delete the website's content. Text, sound, movies, and pictures can be posted on a wiki.
What does the research say?
Andes and Claggett (2011) researched another way that writing and technology can be integrated in the elementary classroom. In the study, a school-wide program was designed by teachers in order to develop language skills in special education students (Andes & Claggett, 2011). The writing project, called “A Writing Community,” focused on increasing the writing skills of second grade special education and Title I students. Students partnered with graduate education students at a local university; they published and shared projects on a wiki and the graduate students were “conversation partners” (Andes & Claggett, 2011, p. 345). Over a period of months, the elementary students learned to write by using many technology applications such as digital video recorders, PowerPoint, and PhotoStory. Although the writing project was implemented with special education and Title I students, wikis can be incorporated in a regular education classroom, as well.
Lesson Example
Grade Level:K-5 (can be adapted for any classroom)
Activity: Students will use technology to create various writing projects that will be featured on a wiki for peers, teachers, parents, and penpals to view and give feedback on.
Equipment/Materials Needed:
Resources for Creating Wikis:
Related Common Core Standards (click here to read each standard):
*There are many different standards that can apply to writing lessons for the wiki, depending on what the skill and writing task are. Therefore, as an example, I am only including standards related to one of the lesson suggestions listed below, which requires students to create PowerPoint slides about their families.*
K-2
W.K.1
W.K.5
W.K.6
W.1.1
W.1.5
W.1.6
W.2.1
W.2.5
W.2.6
3-5
W.3.1
W.3.4
W.3.5
W.3.6
W.4.1
W.4.4
W.4.5
W.4.6
W.5.1
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
These are brief instructions from a lesson plan found here in The Reading Teacher. There are several ideas of technology-integrated writing projects for the wiki.
1. Form a collaborative team to be involved with the project that will discuss what types of technology could enhance the determined writing goals. The team may include classroom teachers, the school library media specialist, or a technology teacher.
2. Decide which students will participate in the project. It could be implemented with a small group of students or the whole class. You may select students based on assessment data if you are forming a small group. If using pre- and post-assessments, decide what those will be.
3. Ask for parental consent to use students' work, including writing, artwork, and first names (or pseudonyms) on the wiki.
4. Set up a wiki using a free site (like one of the suggestions listed above) or a wiki that is supported by your school district.
5. Find penpals for your students. Penpals can be students at other schools in your district, local college or university students, or on a website like http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/ that promotes international collaboration.
6. Over a period of weeks or months, teach writing lessons using various technology applications. For example, one month the students might work together to create a PowerPoint presentation where each student creates a slide telling about their families through writing and illustrations. A winter project could involve students writing poems about the season and then recording and reading aloud the poems by using using an avatar at www.blabberize.com
7. Penpals will give feedback and suggestions to students' writing projects via the wiki. You can also set up a discussion page on the wiki where discussions can take place among students of the writing projects, penpals, parents, and teachers who use the wiki.
A wiki is a shared online space that invites collaboration from users. While it is initially developed by one person or a group of people, anyone is able to add, modify, or delete the website's content. Text, sound, movies, and pictures can be posted on a wiki.
What does the research say?
Andes and Claggett (2011) researched another way that writing and technology can be integrated in the elementary classroom. In the study, a school-wide program was designed by teachers in order to develop language skills in special education students (Andes & Claggett, 2011). The writing project, called “A Writing Community,” focused on increasing the writing skills of second grade special education and Title I students. Students partnered with graduate education students at a local university; they published and shared projects on a wiki and the graduate students were “conversation partners” (Andes & Claggett, 2011, p. 345). Over a period of months, the elementary students learned to write by using many technology applications such as digital video recorders, PowerPoint, and PhotoStory. Although the writing project was implemented with special education and Title I students, wikis can be incorporated in a regular education classroom, as well.
Lesson Example
Grade Level:K-5 (can be adapted for any classroom)
Activity: Students will use technology to create various writing projects that will be featured on a wiki for peers, teachers, parents, and penpals to view and give feedback on.
Equipment/Materials Needed:
- computer(s)
- Internet access
- PowerPoint
Resources for Creating Wikis:
Related Common Core Standards (click here to read each standard):
*There are many different standards that can apply to writing lessons for the wiki, depending on what the skill and writing task are. Therefore, as an example, I am only including standards related to one of the lesson suggestions listed below, which requires students to create PowerPoint slides about their families.*
K-2
W.K.1
W.K.5
W.K.6
W.1.1
W.1.5
W.1.6
W.2.1
W.2.5
W.2.6
3-5
W.3.1
W.3.4
W.3.5
W.3.6
W.4.1
W.4.4
W.4.5
W.4.6
W.5.1
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
These are brief instructions from a lesson plan found here in The Reading Teacher. There are several ideas of technology-integrated writing projects for the wiki.
1. Form a collaborative team to be involved with the project that will discuss what types of technology could enhance the determined writing goals. The team may include classroom teachers, the school library media specialist, or a technology teacher.
2. Decide which students will participate in the project. It could be implemented with a small group of students or the whole class. You may select students based on assessment data if you are forming a small group. If using pre- and post-assessments, decide what those will be.
3. Ask for parental consent to use students' work, including writing, artwork, and first names (or pseudonyms) on the wiki.
4. Set up a wiki using a free site (like one of the suggestions listed above) or a wiki that is supported by your school district.
5. Find penpals for your students. Penpals can be students at other schools in your district, local college or university students, or on a website like http://www.studentsoftheworld.info/ that promotes international collaboration.
6. Over a period of weeks or months, teach writing lessons using various technology applications. For example, one month the students might work together to create a PowerPoint presentation where each student creates a slide telling about their families through writing and illustrations. A winter project could involve students writing poems about the season and then recording and reading aloud the poems by using using an avatar at www.blabberize.com
7. Penpals will give feedback and suggestions to students' writing projects via the wiki. You can also set up a discussion page on the wiki where discussions can take place among students of the writing projects, penpals, parents, and teachers who use the wiki.