Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: My Imaginary Friend.

Content Area: writing
Grade Level(s): 1st grade
Content Standard Addressed:
ELACC1W6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of tools to produce and publish writing,
including digital tools and collaboration with peers.

Technology Standard Addressed:

Standard 4: Collaborator

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity:

Kidpub
URL(s) to support the lesson:
https://www.kidpub.com/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
I will start off the lesson by asking the class if they have ever had an imaginary friend. I will tell the class about
my imaginary friend and describe to them what he looks like. “My imaginary friend is purple with green hair
and blue eyes”. Then I will tell the students today we are going to write our very own books about our
imaginary friends but first we must create a cover to this book. I will then tell the students to go back to their
desk and draw a picture of what they think their imaginary friend looks like. The students will use this picture
to help write their story.
Each students’ stories will have must describe what their imaginary friend looks like, and something fun the
two of them did together. The students should be a creative as possible when writing their stories. Once
students are done and we have revised and come to our finished products, I will then introduce the class to
kidpub.com. I will show them how to publish their books on the website by submitting my own. The students
will then submit their stories to kidpub and have their very own published books.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Technologies that would be needed for this activity would be computers, iPads, or smart phones. Computers
would be the best option for the use of kidpub.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of them may not be
addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level).
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: Using Kidpub allows for all of these forms of collaborations to be possible.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students will create original stories by describing their
imaginary friends and a fun adventure they went on.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students more create an order of events from beginning to end.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students
will publish their work on Kidpub.com. This is a publishing website with books and stories by kid, for
kids.

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating
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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This website is great for grades k-5. Students are free to be as free and creative as they want when creating
stories to publish to Kidpub.com. I will take students to computer lab for writing and collaborating with peers.
The class will also use these computers for publishing their stories to Kidpub on.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

Students may only publish anything to the internet under my supervision and if they have written permission
from their parents or guardians that they are allowed to make such submissions to Kidpub.com.

Reflective Practice:
A way I could further enhance this lesson would be by letting my students submit their work in a writing
contest on kidpub if they felt comfortable enough to. Students could compete with kids their age around the
world comparing ideas and sharing thoughts.

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