Book Blogs

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Book Blogs

• Interactive Journals for Literature Circles

Matt Hardy Grade 4 Teacher Eden Prairie Schools
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- Goals for This Session - How To

• Get students interacting in online discussions
• Use individual student blogs as a communication
  tool
• Implement small- or whole-group book clubs
• Motivate your students using reading/writing in
  an authentic context

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This Session is Not About

• Setting up a classroom webpage/teacher blog
• blogger.com wordpress.com typepad.com
• Custom district solution
• A full rationale for the benefits of blogging
• You already know many of the benefits, andthats
  why youre here

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My Background

• BA, Computer Science, U of M, Morris
• Web Development Business
• M. Ed, U of M, Twin Cities
• 4th Grade in Eden Prairie

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Our Class Website

• mrhardy.org

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Student Blogs

• Individual publishing space
• Ownership
• Accountability
• Read (Visit)
• Write (Publish)
• Comment (Discuss, Reflect)

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Student Blogging Platforms

• kidblog.org
• edmodo.com
• 21classes.com
• edublogs.org
• gaggle.net

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Cooperative Learninghttp//www.co-operation.org/p
ages/cl.html

• Positive Interdependence
• Sink or swim together
• Promotive Interaction
• Helping, supporting, encouraging, and applauding
  each other's efforts to achieve

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Cooperative Learninghttp//www.co-operation.org/p
ages/cl.html

• 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.

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Book Club Model

• 4 - 5 Students per Group
• Each member has their own Job for the week
• Question Captain
• Connection Maker
• Excerpt Expert
• Character Analyzer
• Image Illustrator
• Job Descriptions

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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?
• Example Post for Question Captain

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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 youve read (text-to-text), or how
  the book reminds you of something happening in
  the world today or in the past (text-to-world).
• Example Post for Connection Maker

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Model on Teacher Blog
Title
Summary
Job-of-the-Week
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Model on Teacher Blog
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Model on Teacher Blog
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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
• Example Post for Excerpt Expert

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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
• - Characters 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!)
• Example Post for Character Analyzer

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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.
• Directions for inserting images into your post
  (Internet Explorer)
• Directions for inserting images into your post
  (Mozilla Firefox)
• Example Post for Image Illustrator

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Job Rotation
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Example Blog Discussions

• Emilee
• Laurie
• Christian
• Crystal
• Michael

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Blurring the Lines Between Blogs and Discussion
Boards

• Discussion Boards
• Topics
• Replies
• Linear
• Blogs
• Authors space is paramount
• We visit authors, not topics.
• More cohesive

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Response Model Single-Post, Single-Response
Comment
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Response Model Mulit-Post, Multi-Response
Comment
Comment
Comment
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Logistics

• Clubs Meet Wed/Thurs
• Reading done by Tuesday.
• Lab time (30 min) Tuesday afternoon
• Respond to leader and do job
• Meeting day, comment on each other, keep the
  discussion going

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Benefits

• Ownership
• Authenticity
• Indpendence
• Remote Participation!

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Assessment

• Digital records
• Growth over time
• Timestamps
• Writing standards, traits

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Strive For

• Depth of thought
• Specificity
• Relevance
• Use of Conventions

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Questions?