LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

Name: Lisa Petsko

Directions: Using the template below, describe how students could use a blog, wiki, or other website-creation tool to learn required learning standards
in your content area: For an A grade provide an idea that reaches a Level of Technology Implementation of 4 or above. Remember higher levels (4-6)
require that students assume adult/professional roles; engage in higher-order thinking; and use technology create/publish original content for their
classmates and/or others beyond their school/classroom. The learning activities and products should be engaging and meaningful to the students and
to others who will view/use/benefit from students work. Review your handouts on Engaged Learning, Authenticity, and LoTi.
Grade Level: 7
Content Area: Language Arts
Technology Used (check all that apply):
Blog
Wiki
Other Website Creation Tool (list):
Content Area/Grade/Standards/Topics Addressed: ELACC7W3
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? (Overview should be approximately 1-2 paragraphs) This project will be part of the Flipped Classroom on my
blog and will involve 2 different writing assignments for the students. For one, I will give them several ideas for them to write an essay about such as
the following: what has been your worst mistake so far, what are the qualities that make a friend your best friend, if you had a $100,000 to spend,
what would you spend it on, what is something that you like about yourself, or they can come up with their own idea that I have to approve. Next,
they have to write a 2-page essay on the topic using the writing techniques they have been learning in class. This would be done after a unit of study
on different writing techniques.
The other writing assignment will occur right on my blog and will involve the kids writing posts. I will post a question about one of the assigned
books they have read that year for class. For example, if all the kids have read The Lord of the Rings, I might post the question, What does the ring
symbolize and why is it so important? and ask all the students to post an answer and respond to one other students post. That way, the students can
collaborate with each other on the posts and discuss the topic. I would plan to review that topic in class after a few days of the discussion. I would
also encourage parents to view the posts and see what their kids are thinking about the book. My idea would be to do something like this with each of
the books the students read to keep them interesting. This also helps ESOL students improve their writing and language skills.
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 learning tasks for writing are student directed with little help from the teacher. There is social interaction with the posts.
The learning tasks are also student directed and authentic. I am asking them about real-life questions.
Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi): What LoTi would this lesson be and Why? (See Engaged Learning handout distributed earlier this
semester.) Level 5 Expansion - the students will publish their work on the classroom blog and then submit their original writing to a website that
publishes writing.

LESSON IDEA: WEBSITE-CREATION TOOLS

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 the classroom
blog for the activity allows for the students to collaborate with each other and to see each others comments. It also allows me to see how they think
and to see potential topics of conversation for the classroom that may not have come up another way. It also encourages shy students to speak up and
have their say.
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.
I borrowed my Suggested Topics from the following blog: http://engten.edublogs.org/suggested-topics/
Internet Safety and Student Privacy: Briefly discuss some possible issues surrounding Internet safety and student privacy that could arise while
implementing this learning experience and explain how you would (1) minimize risks to students/yourself; (2) alleviate any fears by
parents/administrators, and (3) follow common Internet Safety/Acceptable Use Policies. Rules for Blog use would be posted such as never using their
last names or posting information about their address, etc. I would also post information about proper blog etiquette and have the blog set-up so that I
have to review any comment before it is actually posted to the site. I would spend class time training the students on the expectations that I have
regarding the blog and how their comments and actions on it will affect their grades. I might consider having the blog password protected if parents
were really concerned.
Describe your personal learning goal for this activity. What are you trying that you have not tried before? What do you hope to learn from this
activity? How do you hope it will help students learn? My personal goal is to have the students excited about writing original work and having it
published and also sharing ideas with each other. I believe it is exciting to have your work published and that parents will be excited to see their kids
work out on the Internet. I also think it is a good idea to have students share ideas with each other on a topic. When it is done online all students
have the chance to participate. Sometimes in class, shy students will not speak up. I would also like parents to get involved in the blog and view what
their kids are posting.
Other comments about your proposed activity: