Activity Structure
We are using the "Internet as Audience for Writers" activity structure for our project. In this activity structure, students publish live to the web in order to share their work with others. This structure mirrors the design we have developed for our project. Our students will be communicating with others by use of a blog. They will require an audience that is capable of providing feedback to their work. The activity structure we have selected has several limitations that we have identified and made efforts to overcome. Building an audience can be a challenge related to this structure. In order to fulfill that need, our project deliberately pairs two classes so that both classes feel supported by an authentic audience that is equally invested in the project. This planning ahead of time creates a network of learners that sets a purpose for writing. The blogging tools available on the host we have selected provide students a mechanism for receiving and contributing feedback through comments. This is an important component of our project as it allows students to receive criticism, questions, or compliments relating to their writing, just as an author might receive reviews or notes from an editor. The blog platform also ensures that teachers can retain a certain degree of control over content by moderating the blog and screening comments, if necessary. The structure we have selected offers our students an authentic audience while promoting independent online publishing.
We will be using the online blog KidBlog.org as a host for our collaborative network and as a platform for discussion. Using this online blog, participating students will create and maintain a class blog wherein each student will have an account where they will post a series of personal narrative blog entries describing traditions that represent their cultures. As students develop their understanding of tradition, they will craft a detailed description of their identities, their favorite foods, and holidays/traditions that are important to them. Additional extension activities are suggested for enrichment or home assignments. A monthly timeline is suggested to participating teachers in order to propel the project and ensure that partnered classes are able to collaborate in a timely manner.
After the teacher has created a class blog, each student will receive a pre-assigned username and password that they will use as they contribute to their individual student blogs, which are housed within the class blog webpage.
Sample blogs are posted below:
We will be using the online blog KidBlog.org as a host for our collaborative network and as a platform for discussion. Using this online blog, participating students will create and maintain a class blog wherein each student will have an account where they will post a series of personal narrative blog entries describing traditions that represent their cultures. As students develop their understanding of tradition, they will craft a detailed description of their identities, their favorite foods, and holidays/traditions that are important to them. Additional extension activities are suggested for enrichment or home assignments. A monthly timeline is suggested to participating teachers in order to propel the project and ensure that partnered classes are able to collaborate in a timely manner.
After the teacher has created a class blog, each student will receive a pre-assigned username and password that they will use as they contribute to their individual student blogs, which are housed within the class blog webpage.
Sample blogs are posted below: