Thing 6: Using Google Reader

Wow! Google Reader is amazing. At first, I felt overwhelmed at the amount of information I was receiving, but I am able to go through the feeds quickly to “star” items of interest.

I particularly enjoyed reading “Blogging: A Day in the Life of” by Mr. Martin. Since I have had the pleasure of starting a blog with my students, I eagerly look for new ways for them to use this great tool. Recently, I collaborated on a project with Nneka in which my students created Vokis and used them to give one minute book “teasers.” The kids loved this activity, and (even with spring break and lazy days in the sun looming) they asked if they could do another one on Friday. Isn’t it great when the kids are begging to work and learn?

Back to my original topic — it is activities such as these that I’m seeking in order to make the blog even more appealing for the children. On Mr. Martin’s blog, I discovered some great ideas for expanding my class blog. He mentions that students may assume the identities of famous people, and they may write and answer questions on the blog. Coincidentally, not long after reading his article, our wonderful instructional technology geniuses approached the third grade teachers about a project similar to this one. I usually have each student assume the role of a Titanic passenger or crew member during our study of the Titanic disaster. They create journals in which they document their time on the ship and details of that fateful night. I was thrilled about their idea of making this a blog activity. This would give the children the opportunity to respond to one another and ask questions.

Another great idea Mr. Martin had was for the teacher to play James Lipton (from The Actor’s Studio). A small group of students would assume the role of a famous person, and they would answer broad questions asked by the teacher. The children could also ask one another questions, opening up a discussion of topics they have studied. This activity would be great for expanding a biography project.

I loved Mr. Martin’s idea of having the students create a “class character.” Students would take turns writing posts as the character, providing a “Day in the Life” journal of the school year. What a clever way to create a time line of events within a classroom! I have a class teddy bear named Nomad. Children take him on trips, write in his journal, and bring back photos of his journeys. I am thinking of using Nomad as the class character next year, asking students to take turns writing from Nomad’s perspective. He could give clever commentary on how things are going in our energetic third grade class.

All of these ideas have my head spinning! I can’t wait to get started on the Titanic collaboration, and I am looking forward to incorporating some new ideas in order to expand our blog even more. I love Google Reader! Now, I can keep up with the great ideas out there!