Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects

Boling, Erica, and Castek, Jill. (2008). Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects. The Reading Teacher, 61, 6, 504-506.

Boling and Castek’s “Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects,” is about the ways that blogs and other Internet projects can impact a students’ writing. The authors state that such tools can capitalize on the strengths of authentic writing, show the power of the writing process, and engage students in collaborative writing. In one example, third graders wrote to their buddy, a stuffed bear (who is also the “host” of their blog). Students are motivated to write their responses to the questions being asked of them. The authors also completed a collaborative Internet project with their students, in which two classes from different parts of the country contributed to a group wiki, all while meeting their language arts and social studies standards. This article is incredibly relevant and useful. The authors provided the reader with concrete examples of how these methods of instruction have worked as well as how powerful they are. Both authors are professors, and they partnered with elementary school teachers to complete the projects mentioned in the article. They were incredibly thorough and realistic about the outcome. I really liked reading about the projects mentioned in the article. I especially enjoyed the section about the collaborative Internet project. Teaming one of my classes up with another class somewhere around the country would be an incredibly powerful learning tool.

Using Blogs to Improve Differentiated Instruction

Colombo, Micheala, and Colombo, Paul. (2007). Using Blogs to Improve Differentiated Instruction. Education Digest, 73,4, 10-14.

“Using Blogs to Improve Differentiated Instruction,” by Paul and Micheala Colombo, is an article that focuses on the ways blogs can improve science instruction. The authors begin by stating the fact that there is a shortage of science teachers in the United States. They feel that blogs are an effective way of extending the instructional impact of science teachers in the country. Teachers are able to differentiate instruction, extend instruction, and integrate technology using blogs. The authors go on to give instruction on setting up a blog as well as ways to find support. This article is quite useful, as it doesn’t just stop with describing the ways a blog can be helpful in your teaching. It goes on to instruct the reader in how to set up their own blog and how to find support, if needed. Although the article is meant for science teachers, the information is applicable to anyone. The authors both have a tremendous background in education. They are more than qualified to write this article, as they have both used blogs extensively in their instruction. I enjoyed reading this article, as using blogs in my own classroom is something I have just recently begun to think about. Being able to extend my instruction even further is something I’m excited to try out.

A Project-Based Approach to Professional Development

Kolk, Melinda, and Wagner, David. (2008). A Project-Based Approach to Professional Development. Creative Educator, 1, 4, 7-9.

“A Project-Based Approach to Professional Development,” by Kolk and Wagner, is about effective professional development. It promotes a project-based approach, which according to the authors, will improved teaching, learning, and technology skills. This project-based approach will accomplish this by modeling the teacher’s effective implementation in the classroom. Most people know what project-based learning looks like in the classroom, but as a staff development model it is something new. In this example, teachers participating in the technology staff development were first told about project based learning and then asked to choose a unit they currently teach, determine the essential questions, and write an authentic task related to technology that students could complete. This article is incredibly useful, as it provides educators with an alternative and more effective way to teach their peers new technology. It gives many options, discusses the benefits, and show how well the model works. The method can be used across all grade levels, without limitations. The authors of the article are the CEO and Director of Professional Development for Tech4Learning. They both have a lot of experience and expertise in their field. I loved this article and the model it shared. It is such a great alternative to teaching new technology to my peers. I am constantly sharing something new with other teachers at my site and see this as a much more effective way to get the point across.

The New Definition of Literacy

Jones-Kavalier, Barbara, and Flannigan, Suzanne. (2008). Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century. Teacher Librarian, 35, 13-16.

Jones and Flannigan’s article, “Connecting the Digital Dots,” is about the constantly changing definition of the term “literacy.” As stated in the article, literacy used to define a person’s ability to read and write. Today, however, this concept has changed and has taken on many different meanings. The article focuses on this new definition of literacy and just what it means for educators today. It mentions the common issue of a classroom full of technology-literate students and a technology-illiterate teacher. What needs to be done to solve this problem? How do we catch up to become literate in today’s technological society? These questions and more are raised by the authors. The article is incredibly useful for educators today. We are constantly introduced to new technologies and it is important to understand that our students will probably catch on to them far more quickly than we, their teachers, will. The article is relevant to all educators, without any limitations. Jones and Flannigan formulated their opinions in the article from numerous sources, making this article quite reliable. I enjoyed reading the article and learned a lot from it. As a Media Specialist, I often deal with teachers who struggle to keep up with technology today. It is important for them to understand all that is out there and that they need to continue to learn these new technologies along with their students.

Success Begins with Effective Design

“Success Begins with Effective Design”, written by Gene Bias, is a well-written article about developing engaging projects that meet curriculum standards and require higher-order thinking skills. The focus of the article is on project-based learning and its benefits. Although it is never mentioned in the article, much of what Bias’ writes about is quite similar to the backwards design process. Bias’ suggests that learning goals are established, followed by the writing of an essential question. Developing the assessment is step four, which is where Bias differs from UBD principles. From what I read, the article is not limited to any grade level or group of students. It is written in a manner that offers tips and suggestions to all groups of learners. The focus of the article is on well-designed technology lessons, although his process could easily be adapted to a broader audience. I found the article to be quite reliable. The journal it is printed in is put out by Tech4Learning, a software company with a great reputation. Mr. Bias is technology teacher who has spent many years refining the project-based learning process. I enjoyed reading the article and gaining a slightly different perspective to the UBD process, which I am quite familiar with. It offered some great ideas for planning an effective technology lesson, many of which I plan to implement.

Bias, Gene. (2007). Success Begins with Effective Design. Creative Educator, 1, 1, 7-9.