Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities

Name: Olivia Patterson

Grade Level: 4th
Content Area: ELA
Standards Addressed: ELAGSE4W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or

texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Giraffe

Heroes Project
URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity:
http://www.giraffe.org/
Describe how you would use the Online Project/Collaboration
Site/Publishing Opportunity in your classroom: Giraffe Heroes Project is
an online publishing site that allows students to write opinion pieces on
people they have seen who exhibit care for the common good. In the
classroom I would use this website to encourage students to write an
opinion piece about a person they know or have known that have stuck
their necks out for the common good. The pieces of work will include
reasons and details as to why this person is considered a hero. The hero
can be their mom, dad, friends, strangers, anyone they know whom they
consider a hero. When the first draft of the piece is created each student
will share with a partner and give/receive feedback. Feedback should
include correcting grammar, punctuation, and details. All students must
have a well-written paragraph consisting of five or more sentences. The
final draft will be typed, shared online, and printed out for the outside
classroom wall. Through this lesson students will be exhibiting higher
level thinking skills like creating and analyzing. They are responsible for
creating a piece of work based on experiences they have personally had
or have seen happens. Using the online project allows students to put
their work out there for others to see and comment on.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed
learning activity in a classroom? Each student will be required to have a
laptop.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning
experience (note: all of them may not be addressed in the project, but
most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level.):
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom
and often beyond their school: Students work with each other to
check and review grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, details,
etc. Students also place their own work out in the world through this
online website.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (collecting original
data and or producing original products as a result of engaging in the
project): Students here are producing their own original products.
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c. Higher-order thinking: The concept of creating is one of Blooms

higher order thinking skills. Allowing students to share and create
their own student classwork allows them to take on more adult rols.
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care
about their product: Each student determines their own hero and the
website will decide if that person is a true hero.
Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):
See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering
Understanding
Applying
Analyzing
Evaluating
Creating
What Level of Technology Implementation best describes this learning
activity and Why? Students are taking on the role of a professional. Their own
work is being published so I would determine that this lesson is on LoTi level
three. Teachers are being facilitators but students focus on content and process.
How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still
comply with your districts Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies?
Before going forward with the lesson it is important to ask parental and student
permission. Also, let the school know what I am doing.