Tacky the Penguin Internet-Based Literature Lesson

Please respond to three of the following questions in a comment below.

1. In what ways was Tacky different from the other penguins?  Explain at least two differences.

2. What was Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect's reaction to the hunters?  How was Tacky's reaction different?

3. Why didn't the hunters think they were in the land of pretty penguins after all?

4. How did Tacky save the day?

**Don't forget to add in your definition or "TACKY" to your comment.**

Book Reviews

Writing and publishing a book review can be a really neat experience for a student.  It gives that child the chance to give his/her own opinion and thoughts on a favorite book or article.  I think it's also an opportunity to make a recommendation on whether the text is worth reading or not.  This sort of activity can give a child a sense of ownership.  Most book reviews are done by adults so letting students write them is a way of giving those students some say in their own learning.  In my classroom, we have daily book clubs where the students meet.  They are run like literature circles.  They read the same book, discuss it, give thoughts, ask questions, and then can give opinions on what they liked or disliked about the book.  I haven't tried it yet, but a great idea would be to have each of them write a book review on the book and post it on the classroom blog or website.  That way, other students in the class can read the reviews and make a decision on whether or not to read that particular book.  They could even ask questions or make comments.  Each book club could write their own reviews of their books.  By the end of the year, the blog would be filled with great book reviews.  This is another great way to utilize a classroom blog.  The blog could be solely dedicated to book reviews.  When students are reading what other students are posting, they are reading a different type of text than what they normally would read.  They are reading something that was created by a person of the same age.  They may think: "If he can write a review, I can write a review."  It's a confidence builder.  Parents could also read the reviews as well as other teachers for their own classrooms.  A great article/website for learning how to set up a blog or ideas for student blogging is Ideas For Student Bloggings From….How Do You Do What You Do!

A few examples of kids' book reviews: Planet Book Club, Spaghetti Book Club,DogEared Book Club.

Internet Pen Pals~~Times have changed...

In the article "I Learned That There's a State Called Victoria and He Has Six Blue-Tongued Lizards!" there is a great way to use technology in the classroom that could definitely enhance writing skills.  The article talks about Internet Pen Pals!  What a FUN idea!  I wish someone would have thought about this when I was in school.  We had pen pals, but we had to write them actual letters and mail them when I was in the fifth grade.  Internet Pen Pals is a great way to not only understand how to compose a letter, but also how to use technology to do it.  The article give some websites for a teacher to get on and find another classroom from around the world.  Imagine what our children could learn from another child across the globe.
Each child could set up a free email account and a classroom blog could be set up as well.  The blog could be used by both the students and the teachers of the two classrooms for so many things...interesting facts about your country, teaching ideas, websites to share, students "sharings," etc.  The students and teachers can see all comments and add their own comments others' thoughts.  It's a nice way to keep in touch without sending out a lengthy email.  Parents could also get on the blog and see what's going on in the classroom.  Most parents are interested in knowing what's happening and a blog could be an easy way for them to stay connected and even make a comment or two.  Many classroom teachers already have blogs set up for their classrooms for parents to see and keep in touch.  Not sure what a blog even is?  Check out this short article for a great overview of blogs. 7 Things You Should Know About Blogs
To extent the writing portion of the pen pal activities, the students could also learn how to do research on the internet about the area their pen pal is from.  I think students would love doing this.  They could compose a report on their findings and publish them on the blog for their pen pals to see.  I would definitely do my homework on publishing on the internet, however.  Some parents might not like the idea of having their child's work on for the world to see.  Parental permission is a must.  I plan on trying it out next school year it at all possible.

Enough with the Tips!....Let's Talk About Writing!

I am switching up my topic for a few blogs...writing in the classroom.
Technology is a wonderful thing when it comes to writing.  I personally love using the computer to type my emails, papers, assignments for school, etc.  I probably could not live without Spell Check because I am a horrible speller. Having access to a computer can really entice a child's interest in writing.  I know that my students love to be able to publish their written pieces on the computer instead of handwriting them.  They are also able to use Clip Art to enhance their title pages which is a lot of fun for them as well.  They, too, like the idea of Spell Check.  What child wouldn't want to be told how to spell every word correctly?  The downside is that they come to rely on it too much.  There are instances where they might stop trying to spell correctly because they know it will be done for them.