Data+and+Artifacts

= = = **Data and Artifacts:** =

** Wikis: **
Ms. Ogden's class used wikis as a sort of digital writing portfolio. Each student had his or her own wiki, and students would pages when a new writing opportunity came along. The wikis provided a consistency to their writing. Their writing was always in the same place, and they had the opportunity to return to it at anytime to edit or revise. The wikis also made their writing public to one another. This provided students with the opportunity to read one another's writing. As a teacher, this helped immensely. If I had a student who needed additional support, I could offer the suggestion for that student to read another student's essay. This provided learning experiences and examples from another student which is often the most effective resource for students. In addition, these wikis provided a common place of collaboration. Students could work together and revise group essay. Students began to develop an understanding of what good writing "sounds like." They would read one another's version in the search for creating the best possible essay. Overall, the wikis became an essential part of their writing success.

Ms. Post's students also wrote their essays on their wikis. To add to Ms. Ogden's reflections on wikis, it might be worthwhile to maintain just one Blackboard page for all classes. In having one Blackboard page for all classes, standard and honors students can read one another's essays. Often, the higher-level essays produced in honors classes can serve as excellent models for struggling writers.



Discussion Boards
Ms. Post's class used discussion boards to respond to literature questions. Students were expected to post a response to the posted question(s) and they were expected to comment on one another's answers. Occasionally, they were even asked to rate the quality of each other's posts by using the star rating feature. Students were encouraged to provide constructive criticism when critiquing one another's answers. Examples of peer feedback include the following:
 * "That is a really good point. You need to stop spelling like you're texting, but you have a really good point."
 * "That's really good. Do you think there are any other themes in the story?"
 * "But what did they (the characters) learn from what happened? You should have put that in your answer."
 * "I think you should provide evidence from the story of what you wrote."

Students find it empowering to have a voice when it comes to critiquing one another's work. Often, they are more responsive to feedback from their peers than from their teachers. Discussion boards allow students to interact with their peers in a digital context while critically thinking about material they read in class.

Journals
Ms. Ogden and Ms. Post's students used journals to write reflections on literature they read in class. One benefit to using the journal feature is that teachers are able to differentiate the types of questions they ask students. While one student might require extra support with a comprehension question, another student might be ready to tackle a more thought provoking question about the very same text. Also, because journals are private, struggling writers might feel more comfortable in the beginning of the school year publishing their writing using this feature.

Voice Thread
Ms. Post's class used Voice Thread for a variety of projects. Her honors class created character based scrapbook pages for the novels //Fever 1793// and //Chains//. Photos of these projects were then uploaded to Voice Thread. Kyle Dunbar reached out to historians from the Philadelphia History Museum and Brown University who contributed to the online discussion. Students explained their scrapbook pages and commented on one another's projects using the Voice Thread technology. Students were extremely engaged in this assignment. They took pride in publishing and explaining their work online and they enjoyed giving and receiving feedback to and from their peers.

[] (//Fever 1793//)

[] (//Chains//)



**eLanguages**
Ms. Post's class twinned with a class of six and seven year old students in Southwater, England. Teachers exchanged student letters, illustrations and PowerPoint slides through the website eLanguages.

Kyle Dunbar also created and taught a lesson for Ms. Post's class on Voice Thread that enabled Hammond students to teach their British peers about Alexandria.

[] (Voice Thread) [] (eLanguages)