Choice Post

Your final To Kill a Mockingbird post must include two specific examples and at least one quote from the novel.

Choose from one of the following three topics:

1. Harper Lee had a specific message to send her readers. As a reader, what did you glean from reading To Kill a Mockingbird? What specific events in the novel probed your thought?

2. Choose a dynamic character. How has this person changed? What prompted this person to change? Was the change positive or negative? How did the change affect other characters?

3. What kind of father is Atticus? What are good elements of his parenting? What could be improved? What values does he possess?

Skype

Jan!
Hope you have a better day soon!!!

I have been utilizing Skype for book talks with students who cannot fit it into their school day. I would also like to use Skype to help students with their writing from home. If they share their screen with me, I could write directly on their papers. This would be a mini conference from home between the student and myself.

Thanks!
Heather

Wiki

http://mckinney-rewa.wikispaces.com/

This Wiki was quick to set up, but I am not sure it is easy to make visiually appealing. I am not sure how I would utilize this wiki. It seems like it would be a duplicate to Moodle. I have not started using Moodle with my class. However, I am VERY happy with my google website.

Google Docs

Hello good friend!

How to use google docs...
--survey students about classroom activities
--students survey each other's learning
--students share docs for group work
etc.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/gform?key=tUGVcEdrha4jPUqtdibFjHg&hl=en#edit

Thanks

Heather and Mike

Ning

Below is the address of my new ning!

http://mckinney-rewa.ning.com/

I could use this with students to answer discussion questions rather than handing out paper copies. Another way I could use this site is to have them discuss themes or symbols in the plot. Students could also post questions about the text and anticipate conclusions.

Where I would use blogging

Utilizing blogging is a great professional development tool. As we witnessed at the David Worlick conference, there are numerous blogs utilized by professionals to share their learning. If these blogs were read even once a month, then we, as teachers, could learn from others' success and stumbles. Previously, my colleagues from college utilized Blackboard to discuss throughout our first year of teaching. We shared trials and tribulations. I found this very helpful.

Students in my class actually stated they were not interested in blogging. On the second day of school, I had them list one or two types of technology they would like to access throughout the year. However, I think students could benefit from blogging about any of their reading. They could pose questions to each other regarding the reading or answer my questions on-line rather than a on a sheet of paper.