LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

Name: Tori Dycus

Directions:
Students will write a blog post as a book character from a book that they read expressing their thoughts and
feelings. The post must be 3-5 sentences and thoroughly express character response to their role in the book
they are from. Students must include a picture of their character and initial the bottom of the post so that I
will know who wrote the post.
Grade Level: 2nd
Content Area: English
Technology Used (check all that apply):

Blog

Wiki

Other Website Creation Tool (list):

Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed:

ELA CC2R13:
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Brief Description of Learning Experience: What learning standards will be addressed? What will
students and teachers do? What products will students create? How will the project be introduced? How
long will it take to complete? What audience will use/care about the product(s) students are creating? How
broad is this audience?
Students will read a book of their choosing and pick a character. They will then write a blog as that
character expressing them-selves and responding to the story that they were written in. Students will not
include their name or photo; just the name of their character and the story they are from. I may have the
students initial the blog post at the very end so that I can identify them. I will introduce this project in class
during our NBI time by reading aloud a text and modeling a written expression blog on the board in whole
group. It should take no longer than 30 minutes to hand write their characters response and type it up. Since
this will be published on the internet there is a very broad range of audience.
Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):
See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
Student Engagement: Which indicators of Engaged Learning area strong and why? (See Engaged
Learning and Authenticity handouts distributed earlier this semester.)
The engagement is standards-based, challenging, and authentic. Because the activity meets the standard yet
challenges the students to think and consider the feelings of another individual and authentic because their
work is being published and used and an extraordinary way.
Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi):
The LoTi level reaches as far as integration. Students are using the technology to complete a finished
product. Higher levels of blooms taxonomy are reached, and the learning activity has unpredictable results.
Importance of technology: Why is using a website-creation tool critical to the project? Could the project
be completed without this technology? What would be lost without using it? What other types of
technology, if any, are going to be used in the learning experience?
Using technology just gets students that more excited to really put a lot of effort into their work. This
project can be completed without technology, but the activity will lose LoTi level justifications and
engagement of students.
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LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

Inspiration (optional): If you used existing example as a model for your project (whether in part or
whole), include the URL(s) so we can visit. Explain what concepts you borrowed from others.
This is the URL for the sample I am providing for my students to follow online.
http://tdycus.edublogs.org/2014/12/01/flipped-classroom/
Internet Safety and Student Privacy:
Some possible internet safety and student privacy issues may arise when using the internet or making a blog
post involving a child. To minimize these issues I would first get parents to sign a permission form stating
the CIPA and FERPA laws and that their student has permission to use the internet. Secondly, I would
inform students that the only aspect about themselves that is allowed to be in the post is their initials.
Describe your personal learning goal for this activity.
I have not yet tried to have the students create a real world blog post. I hope they gain a new perspective
about character responses as an end result of this activity.
Other comments about your proposed activity: