11 Tools-Tool #7

Tool #7 is about creating on-line communities so that students & teachers & classrooms around the world can communicate with each other. I looked at Class2Class Math projects and was impressed with the ideas I found. I like the idea of the hands across America project and the paper airplane project. I think my students would be interested in participating. The M&M project is an old idea but I’m thinking I could make it even more interdisciplinary by having student then write a persuasive letter to the Mars Company requesting more of a certain color M&M in the packages.

I also looked at Taking It Global, but felt that website had project better suited for middle and high school students. I will have to get to know my students first to determine if they are ready for a global project.

I have used SKYPE in other situations and have found it to be very helpful. I looked at the ‘framing a lesson using SKYPE’ and love that idea. I think this is where I will go with my collaborative lesson.

LESSON PLAN:

a. Objective: TSW understand the writing process-prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

b. I plan to implement this project in the fall semester.

c. I plan to use SKYPE in the classroom. I am hoping I can get Kate DiCamillo to do a SKYPE session with my class. I am also thinking we could use Today’s Meet to include Kate in a book club discussion of one of her books. And, perhaps, I could include another 4^th grade class at another school by using Today’s Meet or a blog to respond.

d. My thinking right now is two-fold. I would like for my students to have a conversation with a published author, Kate DiCamillo, to ask her about her writing process. Does she engage in each step of the process? How do the steps work for her? Does she have help from outside people as she writes? Where do the ideas for stories start and what happens next?

My second thought is to engage in book club discussions with Kate about her books. I have several of her titles in sets for book clubs and I think it might be interesting for her to hear what kids think about the characters and the stories she wrote. Also, I would like to find another class that could also read Kate’s books and we could have an on-line book club discussion.

e. I have an idea of another class at another SBISD school that might like to participate in this project with me. I also have a friend who teaches in Michigan who might also like to participate. I’ll work on this and see what business I drum up!

Ok, this is it for Tool #7-I very much like the idea of using SKYPE for classrooms and I think that will work great-especially with Activeboards in the classrooms. And, the Class2class projects are something that I would definitely like to try. Again, I am disappointed in the EdModo website. I cannot log-on because I need a code from SBISD. 11 tools is supposed to be able to be done without needing anyone’s help-it’s a holiday and I have time today to work on this project, but cannot get into the website. I am hoping that next weekend-when I come back to work on 11 tools, I can get into the EdModo website.