Classroom Activity:Final Draft
I really wanted to do an activity that required my students to globally interact with other students their age. So, for my activity, I decided to create a classroom blog and then arrange to work with another classroom from a foreign country, such as England. Each one of my students would have a partner from the other classroom.
Title: It's A Small World After All
Objective: Besides learning how to use a new technology (Blogger), my students would be able to share thoughts and ideas with peers that are used to different teaching environments and different customs, which would be extremely educational. Not only would the activity be new and exciting, but it would also help prepare my students for future relationships and make them more comfortable in such a large and diverse world. Since it involves reading and writing components, it would also help them to better develop their communication skills.
Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills: My students would probably have to have very basic computer skills, such as using the Internet. However, I would give short step-by-step lessons each day leading up to the project so that my students could easily learn what was expected.
Materials and/or Tools: They would need access to a computer (through the school) and a journal/notebook and pencil to write short reflections on the interactions between them and their blog partner. They would also need a signed consent form from their parents giving them permission to participate in the activity. The final project they would create at the end of the blogging experience would require construction paper, markers, glitter, stickers, etc., but the school would provide that.
Set Up/Context: This activity would be used in a 4th grade classroom. It would last from about the second month of the school year to the end of the school year. Hopefully the school I'd teach at would have a computer lab, so I could reserve the computer lab for a certain amount of time each day for my students to blog.
Process/Instructions: I would create a classroom blog to interact with the teacher from the school in New England as an example for the students. Each day, I would take a certain amount of time to show them some of the features of the blog and how to use it. Then, I would have the entire class help me develop the blog I created and make it our own. Every student would become a member and create a post from which they can begin correspondence with their blog pal. I would set aside a certain amount of time during each school day for my students to create a post or respond to a comment from their partner. Students could talk about what they learned in class that day, what they liked and didn’t like, books they read, what they did the weekend before, etc.
Outcome: At the end of the school year, my students would create a class book. Each student would have two adjoining pages in the book - one describing what they've learned in the blogging process and one containing a picture that captured one of the memorable interactions between them and their partner. After putting the book together, each student would go up to the front of the class, introduce their blogger pal, and briefly describe their pages in the book.
Evaluation and Feedback: I will look over their journals at the end of each week to assess what they've learned and to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do. I will make comments on their progress and offer suggestions at the bottom of each journal reflection. In addition, I will look through their daily interactions on the blog to make sure they are truly participating and getting as much as possible out of the activity.
Follow Up: As an out-of-class assignment, at the end of the project, students would be required to show at least one of their parents their blog and then teach them a few things about blogging. Parents would need to sign a contract saying that their child completed the homework assignment and include a short paragraph describing their experience and what they learned.
Image source: http://photos1.blogger.com
posted by Amanda @ 11/29/2005 05:18:00 PM
5 Comments:
Doug-
I did choose England because of the consistent language. I want my students to have experiences with all kinds of people, but this particular project would prove to be too difficult if we corresponded with a classroom of students that spoke a foreign language. If it were targeted for a high school Spanish class, it would be neat to blog with a class from Spain, for example, but that's too advanced for fourth graders.
I've changed my activity since you made your comment, so I think the technology issue is resolved! Let me know what you think as of now!
Kelsey-
I know that what we learned and what we did seemed like a lot of work, and it was, but I will make sure that my blogging project is designed for their level. I won't expect them to master manipulating the template or creating a spectacular blog! I want the focus to be on globally communicating with peers and the learning process involved, not necessarily how great their blogs are. But I know what you are saying. I will be much more hands-on involved with the process than Dr. Baylen was because of the age difference.
Thanks for your comments! They made me think more critically about the role I would have to play and how I would present the material when the time comes.
Doug-
Thank you so much for your input. As I was creating my classroom activity, I was definitely thinking about the comments you have made and the ideas you have shared. It has been great working with you.
I'm glad that you approve of my activity and see it has a practical, constructive way to integrate technology into the classroom. You are already a teacher and have had experience with creating classroom activities, so it's nice to know that I am on the right track! In the last comment you made, you discussed the language situation at your school and I found it extremely interesting. I guess I just always assumed that no matter how diverse our population will get, I will have that consistent class with students that speak fluent English. Having taken this class and communicating with you has truly opened my eyes to what I will be encountering as a teacher in the future.
Lindsay-
How do those language translator programs work? I have never heard of them before. I would be interested in finding out how they can be used and if it's something I should consider integrating into my classroom activity. Thanks for the idea!
Doug-
Thank you so much for your final comments on my activity. Based on your comments, I did make a few adjustments. I really liked your idea of having the students introduce their blogger pals to the rest of the class, so I decided to create a presentation aspect of the activity. I'm going to have the students present their book pages to the class and introduce their partners that way. In addition, I agree that I needed to add a specific goal, one which would be easy to identify and measure. Under objectives, I added learning how to use Blogger and I'll evaluate their progress based on their interactions on the classroom blog.
I decided I didn't want to make the students do any kind of quiz or test. If the principal wanted me to, I would, but personally, I am against standardized testing because I don't think it really shows how much a student has learned. I think the way I have the activity set up, students will learn a lot, I'll be able to evaluate just how much they've learned, and it'll be enjoyable for them. I don't think a quiz or test would be necessary.
I also don't think a language translation program will be necessary because the languages are so similar. Plus, I think part of the fun would be to look up unfamiliar words and phrases native to England as a class.
Thanks again for everything. It has been wonderful working with you!
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