book blogs - interactive online journals for literature circles
DESCRIPTION
Motivate students in grades 2-8 to actively communicate within literature circles and book clubs using blogs. Learn how to use blogs as a secure, interactive "discussion board" for book clubs, monitor comprehension and participation in cooperative groups, and use students' blogging records as a portfolio and assessment tool throughout the school year. Take your literature circles to the next level with book blogs!TRANSCRIPT
Book BlogsInteractive Online Journals for Lit. Circles
Presentation: http://tinyurl.com/book-club-blogsHandouts: http://tinyurl.com/book-club-handouts
Matt HardyGrade 5 Teacher
Eden Prairie [email protected]
My Background
• B.A., Computer Science, U of MN, Morris• Web Development• M. Ed., U of MN, Twin Cities• 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade in Eden Prairie, 8 years
Goals for This Session How To:
• Implement student-centered, technology-driven small-group/whole-group book clubs
• Use blogs to maximize student responses and discussion around texts
• Motivate your students using an authentic publishing context
• Use technology in a transformative way
This Session is Not About:
• Setting up a classroom webpage/teacher blog
– Blogger– Wordpress– Moodle– Custom district solution
• Full rationale for the benefits of social media
Our Class Website
Book Clubs/Literature Circles
• Facilitate students’ in-depth exploration of a novel
• Small group environment
• Everyone has a voice and ideas can be freely discussed
• Can be scaffolded by adult group leader
• 4 - 6 Students per Group• Each member has their own “Job” for
the week– Question Captain– Connection Maker– Excerpt Expert – Character Analyzer– Image Illustrator
Book Clubs/Literature Circles
Student Blogs as a Literature Response Log and Discussion Tool
• Read• Write• Discuss
• Access from anywhere (no forgotten/lost assignments)
• Monitor progress during the week
• Maintain a record of work throughout year
• Highly motivating and authentic
• Practice/apply keyboarding skills
• Incorporate different media (images, videos, links)
Benefits of Blogs Over Traditional Paper Journals
vs.
Benefits of Blogs Over Traditional Paper Journals• Asynchronous discussions • Discussion Priming
(facilitate conversation during meeting time)• Join discussion remotely when a student is
absent• Ownership• Accountability
vs.
Student Blogging Platforms
• kidblog.org• edmodo.com
• 21classes.com
• edublogs.org
• gaggle.net
Model on Teacher Blog
Title
Summary
Job-of-the-Week
Example Blog Discussions
• Hannah (Image Illustrator)• Adi (Question Captain)• Anna (Excerpt Expert)• Sylvia (Connection Maker)• Mack(Character Analyzer)
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…?
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).
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
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!)
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
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning http://www.co-operation.org/?page_id=65
• 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/?page_id=65
• 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.
Logistics• Choose books (interest, ability)
• Reading done by Tuesday
• Lab time (30-45 min) Tuesday afternoon: publish blog posts
• Clubs Meet Wednesday in lab (30 min): leave comments for each member
Job Rotation
Response Model: Single-Post, Single-Response
Comment
Response Model: Mulit-Post, Multi-Response
Comment
Comment
Comment
Blog Assignment Progression
• Build confidence, good habits1. Start with student comments on a teacher post2. Students publish their own, structured posts3. Student choice of topic, open-ended posts
Tips
• Emphasize comments(the engine of dynamic blogs)
• Look at posts/comments as a class– What did we do well?– Discuss ways to make better– Depth of thought, specificity, relevance
• Don’t stress over spelling
Assessment
• Digital portfolio• Growth over time• Timestamps• Writing standards, conventions, traits
Thank You!
Matt HardyGrade 5 Teacher
Eden Prairie [email protected]
Presentation: http://tinyurl.com/book-club-blogsHandouts: http://tinyurl.com/book-club-handouts