Oral Communication:

OVERALL (OV) 1--listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for

a variety of purposes;

Reading:

OV 1--read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational

texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning;

OV 4--reflect on and identify their strengths as readers, areas for improvement, and the strategies

they found most helpful before, during, and after reading.

Writing: 

OV 1--generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose

and audience;

OV 2--draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms

and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;

OV 3--use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language

conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;

Ov 4--reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies

they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.

Media Literacy:

Ov 3--create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate

forms, conventions, and techniques;

OV 4--reflect on and identify their strengths as media interpreters and creators, areas for

improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful in understanding and creating

media texts.

This is an interdisciplinary unit between Language Arts and Science (Biodiversity).

How can participating in the Global Read Aloud increase students' global perspective? 

Students need to be exposed to 21 st century learning and competencies as well as the expectations for digital citizenship.

Students will learn how to asynchronously communicate with peers through Kidblog, and other web 2.0 tools such as Glogster and Wallwisher. Students do not have their own devices for the most part, so the virtual learning piece only happens in scheduled computer lab time. Few students have access to the Internet at home. Thus, collaboration beyond the class is limited. The limited technological environments, both home and school, impacted the communication platforms available. Nonetheless, it is time to begin an initial foray into global collaboration in spite of the limitations. 

This is not a global collaborative project. Students are not co-creating a product. This project's goal is to introduce social media as a tool in the classroom.

Introduction to digital citizenship expectations. 

Introduction to blogging. 

Introduction to Wallwisher.

Introduction to Glogster.

• How can we use 'flattened' learning modes and emerging technologies to connect with other classrooms globally?
• When we connect globally what can we do together that could make a difference to world as we know it?
• How can we use multimedia to effectively convey a message?
• What sort of products can be co-created via collaboration?
• How can we best share our learning to a wider audience?
• How can reading with peers from global classrooms help extend the students' perspectives and understand of connections between people?
• How can we use social media to support student reading and writing?

Individual blogging via Kidblog; responses in teams across-classrooms

Individual posting via Wallwisher.

Individual word cloud creation via Wordle.

Small group work via Voki.

Individual multimedia poster Glogster.

-blog entries,

-Wallwisher notes,

-Wordle

-Voki responses

-Glog poster

Global Taxonomy Level 3.

Required outcomes and Learning Experiences

Summative Product:

• Glogster

Learning Experiences:

• Expectations of digital citizenship
• Within class cooperation and collaboration
• Application of social media in learning context
• Responsible for maintaining ongoing blog responses
•  

--global handshake video via Animoto

--Wallwisher

Fixed time-frame: October 1, 2012 - October 31, 2012

Daily/weekly read alouds/think alouds & discussion

Daily/weekly posts & responses

Ongoing:  Other activities that emerge from class discussion and student interest.

--blog posts

--Wordle

--Voki

• Edmodo 
• Email 
• Kidblog
• Wallwisher
• No system blocks on above tools.
• Wifi in place in the classroom.
• One laptop per student group
• Computer lab available for whole group activities like Wordle creation. 

• No connection protocols required: All asynchronous communication. 

Teacher-teacher:  email and Edmodo

Teacher-student: face-to-face, Kidblog

Student-student: Kidblog, Wallwisher

Asynchronous communication.

Digital Citizen pledge lays out expectations for online behaviour and language. 

Explicit lessons on digital citizenship: Common Sense Media.

Class generated Digital Citizenship Pledge.

Working towards awareness of Copyright issues. Beginning with only student original work/photos or stock material e.g. stock music in Animoto, followed by explicit lessons in Copyright, Intellectual Property and fair use and creative commons. 

Establish a mechanism for equal and fair contribution opportunities and expectations
• Provide mechanisms for discussion between students while jointly researching, contributing and collaborating
• Determine methods for qualitative and quantitative collection of student contribution and collaboration

GRA project is currently not designed for inter-class collaboration. Students correspond with each other in terms of their responses to the novel and to each other's thinking about the novel. However, within the class there are opportunities for students to contribute and collaborate.

Some include:

• cooperative Vokis
• Reader's theatre
• Roll on the wall 

GlogsterEdu.com template

Specific elements establish by class and are included in Glog rubric.