Integrating technology into the unit....

Teachers love to integrate some technology into the classroom. One great tool is blogging.

• Students enjoy blogging because it is a way for them to freely share ideas with one another and to get creative.
• You may have students who are incredibly talented at designing things on the computer and this is a way for them to integrate their talents into a blog.
• Sometimes in class students don't feel comfortable sharing their ideas or have enough time to craft a thoughtful response. Using a blog will enable them to share their ideas and think about what they want to say.
• Blogs are a way for everyone to share their opinons/thoughts and as a teacher it is your job to be the facilitator of conversation. Comment on students ideas or posts and post thought provoking questions. In time the students will be doing these things themselves.

Remember technology always has a place in the classroom and curriculum, but don't forget to get the parent's consent before allowing the students to start such a project. Also be sure to give the students a lesson on surfing the Internet safely.

Ideas:

Here are some ideas for types of blogs you can set up for your students.

• Personal response-ask a question to the class and have them respond
• Poetry-have students write poems about parts of the book
• Q&A-have half the students ask questions about the book and the other half answer
• Picture-have students create a collage of pictures that they feel represent the book the best

Get creative!