Book Blogs
Interactive Journals for
Literature Circles
Matt Hardy
Grade 4 Teacher
Eden Prairie Schools
- Goals for This Session -
How To:
• Get students interacting in online discussions
• Use individual student blogs as a
communication tool
• Implement small- or whole-group book clubs
• Motivate your students using reading/writing
in an authentic context
This Session is Not About:
• Setting up a classroom webpage/teacher blog
– blogger.com wordpress.com typepad.com
– Custom district solution
• A full rationale for the benefits of blogging
– You already know many of the benefits, and
that’s why you’re here
My Background
• BA, Computer Science, U of M, Morris
• Web Development Business
• M. Ed, U of M, Twin Cities
• 4th Grade in Eden Prairie
Our Class Website
• mrhardy.org
Student Blogs
• Individual publishing space
– Ownership
– Accountability
• Read (Visit)
• Write (Publish)
• Comment (Discuss, Reflect)
Student Blogging Platforms
• kidblog.org
• edmodo.com
• 21classes.com
• edublogs.org
• gaggle.net
Cooperative Learning
http://www.co-operation.org/pages/cl.html
• Positive Interdependence
– “Sink or swim together”
• Promotive Interaction
– Helping, supporting, encouraging, and applauding
each other's efforts to achieve
Cooperative Learning
http://www.co-operation.org/pages/cl.html
• Individual and Group Accountability
– The group is accountable for achieving its goals
– Each member accountable for contributing his or
her share of the work
• Group Processing
– Group members discuss how well hey are
achieving their goals and maintaining effective
working relationships.
Book Club Model
• 4 - 5 Students per Group
• Each member has their own “Job” for
the week
– Question Captain
– Connection Maker
– Excerpt Expert
– Character Analyzer
– Image Illustrator
• Job Descriptions
Question Captain
• Write down 4-5 good questions that you think your group
would want to talk about. Questions should be thought-
provoking and open-ended (no simple, one-word answers).
• Try these starters:
– Why do you think…?
– What will happen…?
– If…?
– Who…?
– How…?
– Compare…?
• Example Post for Question Captain
Connection Maker
• Proficient readers make connections to the text as they read. Three
main types of connections are
– text-to-self,
– text-to-text
– text-to-world
• In your post, write about 3 connections you made to the book. The
connections can be about how the book reminds you of yourself or
an event in your life (text-to-self), how the book reminds you of
another book you’ve read (text-to-text), or how the book reminds
you of something happening in the world today or in the past (text-
to-world).
• Example Post for Connection Maker
Model on Teacher Blog
Title
Summary
Job-of-the-Week
Model on Teacher Blog
Model on Teacher Blog
Excerpt Expert
• Choose one or two important passages (1-3 sentences each)
from the story. Copy them down in your blog.
• These passages should help your group remember some
interesting, powerful, puzzling, or important sections of the
text. Justify your reasons for selecting these passages.
• Some reasons for choosing passages to share might include:
*Key events *Descriptive *Surprising *Scary *Funny
*Controversial *Confusing
• Example Post for Excerpt Expert
Character Analyzer
• Select 3 adjectives that describe the traits of some of the characters from
the novel, and support your selection with examples taken from your
reading assignment. Each time you write down an idea, be sure to include:
• - Character’s name
- Trait (Adjective)
- Specific Example of Behavior/Action
(with the page number where it happens in the book)
• Possible Character Adjectives: adventurous, artistic, athletic, active, beautiful, belligerent,
brave, bold, bossy, cheerful, curious, creative, courageous, considerate, daring, impulsive,
dainty, dangerous, exciting, entertaining, energetic, funny, friendly, fun-loving, gentle,
generous, happy, humble, hostile, honest, iconoclastic, intelligent, independent, inventive, a
leader, lazy, loyal, loud, messy, mischievous, mean, melancholy, mellow, neat, nasty, nice,
nosy, open, poor, proud, pretty, prudent, quiet, rich, respectful, sad, silly, sloppy, serious,
successful, shy, short, smart, studious, selfish, simple, tall, trustworthy, thoughtful, unselfish,
warm, witty, wild (or think of your own!)
• Example Post for Character Analyzer
Image Illustrator
• Create a graphical blog post! Do a Google image search for pictures that
relate to events or characters in the novel. (Remember to use “Strict Safe
Search.”)
• Copy and paste these images in your blog. Be sure to cite your source!
• Write a brief caption under each image that explains how it relates to your
reading. Your images may be about a character, the setting, a problem, an
exciting part, a surprise, or anything else about the chapters for this week.
• Directions for inserting images into your post (Internet Explorer)
• Directions for inserting images into your post (Mozilla Firefox)
• Example Post for Image Illustrator
Job Rotation
Example Blog Discussions
• Emilee
• Laurie
• Christian
• Crystal
• Michael
Blurring the Lines Between
Blogs and Discussion Boards
• Discussion Boards
– Topics
– Replies
– Linear
• Blogs
– Author’s space is paramount
– We visit authors, not topics.
– More cohesive
Response Model:
Single-Post, Single-Response
Comment
Response Model:
Mulit-Post, Multi-Response
Comment
Comment
Comment
Logistics
• Clubs Meet Wed/Thurs
• Reading done by Tuesday.
• Lab time (30 min) Tuesday
afternoon
• Respond to leader and do job
• Meeting day, comment on each
other, keep the discussion
going
Benefits
• Ownership
• Authenticity
• Indpendence
• Remote Participation!
Assessment
• Digital records
• Growth over time
• Timestamps
• Writing standards, traits
Strive For:
• Depth of thought
• Specificity
• Relevance
• Use of Conventions
Questions…?