Thing 8: Wiki pages

This is wiki wiki cool!  The wiki page that WA third graders did on the Oregon Trail was absolutely amazing!  I had so many questions after reading through all the tabs.  I never knew there was so much research that could be done by third graders.  Did they create and expand upon these topics, like medicine and weapons, or did the teacher give them the broad range of topics?  This page is so impressive.  I really liked how the page was organized.  I recognized the template from wikispaces.  The coolest part was that the students used a variation of formats to bring their reporting to the wiki page.

I enjoyed the Primary math wiki.  There are some great ideas that get me thinking about our units of study and how the students could bring their learning and work to the public stage.  I need to play around with these and similar wki pages more so that I can absorb a wider spectrum of options.  As I play, I get more involved and find myself far from where I started, but that’s the fun of it!

I started a wikipage (www.wnsecondgrade.wikispaces.com) where my students are going to research spiders.  I have links, pictures, and instructions for constructing their reports.  Due dates and procedures are posted.  So far the students do not have access to edit this wiki.  The goal is that they each type their reports and, as completed, they will read them into a pocast that will be posted.  Pictures, clip art, etc. will be allowed.  I’m really open to any ideas.  This is my first experience with it, as well as my students, so we’re all learning and open to suggestions.

I already gathered some ideas for this project and, thinking ahead to future projects, I learned a lot from the Wiki Walkthrough.  There were ideas based on grade level and by subject area.  Ideas such as an author study will work across all grade levels.  I like virtual field trips and book reviews.

Thing 7a: Experiencing RSS

Searching for blog sites to add to my reader, I found this great site for second graders.  Its an ongoing list of websites that are age-appropriate, interactive, and engaging.  There is a wide range of subject areas and the games are easily followed and quick.  Most have different levels, which I like because students can learn to self-assess.  If they find something that’s too easy, they can move up a level, or if its too hard and didn’t receive a good score, they can try again.  This is so great for me and I can’t wait to share it with my colleagues.  This is the kind of thing that I have a hard time finding the time to research, but this blog has already done the work for second grade curriculum.

Thing 5- RSS

I found an article from Infinite Thinking Machine about the freedom to choose books.  It seems that banned books have taken on a genre of their own.  I have no previous knowledge of banned books.  Who is in charge of this list?  At what reading level do books start being banned?  Lots of questions for the virtue of ‘freedom to read‘ at an elementary level.  But what I really found interesting and ‘right up my alley’ was the second half of this blog, which was a list and summary of several different websites that students can use during reading time at school.  I have had this awkward struggle recently with the utilization of computers in my classroom.  I have 4 computers and 21 kids.  How do I manage fair share of these computers?  Equal time?  Equal opportunity?  I have limited time in the classroom and often pull kids in during recess to finish assignments or assessments on the computer.

We need literacy specialists offering professional development in schools to also include strategies that integrate reading digital media.

I hear this loud and clear and I am trying.  I have come to the conclusion that this will take time and I need to be patient.  I am excited to research these suggested websites.

Thing 4

• What do you notice about the genre of blog writing in general?

While reading a selection of these blogs, there is a great deal of ‘throwing ideas out there’ kind of writing.  Bloggers have ideas and opinions and are putting themselves and their ideas out there.  This vulnerability is risky.  There are agreements and disagreements and modifications and building and changing going on.  But isn’t that the big idea?  To exchange thoughts?  It brings me to the Bible verse “as iron sharpens iron, so does one man sharpen another.”  There is nothing to lose here- as a reader or a writer or a collaborator.  I didn’t 100% agree with an article questioning homework, but just exploring the idea of it makes me think.  And that is the big picture.

Reading blogs is sometimes getting a snapshot of an idea.  Some blog posts are not fully developed ideas.  there are essays, reports, narratives, opinions, etc.  Reading and writing go hand-in-hand.  It is hard to do one exclusively of the other.  Blogging is current.  Even if the topic is Oedipus and Greek mythology, the conversation, the connections life and learning are clearly modern.  Commenting encourages a forum of thought.  Expand and question and get direct response from the author of the original blog.  Bloggers create their own meaning as they converse (much of which is done without expecting a response, just an audience).  It is an outlet for self-talk, that innate desire to be heard without having to make a lot of noise.  Commenting is a quite, unobtrusive means to an end.
Most of the blogging I read here was well-stated and of appropriate length and depth for its intended audience.  With the ease and maneuverability of a mouse, I can scan for eye-catching words/paragraphs that get ‘to the point.’  I read faster and I find myself typing faster, too.

On that note, blogging has a well-deserved spot in our teaching and student learning, if only we could allow the time and access.  The criterion for learning is well-supported by blogging and its benefits, which far outweigh any risks.  Connectivity, ownership, recognition, etc. are the rewards.