Book Blogs

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 – Custom district solution typepad.com • 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 thoughtprovoking 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 (textto-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…?