Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities
Lesson Idea Template
Name: Emily Casto
Grade Level: Fifth Grade Content Area: Language Arts Standards Addressed: ELAGSE5SL6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language Standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.) Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: ePals.com URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: http://www.epals.com/#/connections Describe how you would use the Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your classroom: I would use this site in my classroom for students to practice their communication skills, their proper use of grammar and conventions to the context in which they are communicating, maintain relationships, and also to experience new cultures and perspectives. What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom? : Technologies with access to the internet would be required in order to access the learning activity in the classroom. Laptops carts would need to be checked out from the learning commons once a week or a class set of iPads could be rotated on a weekly schedule. 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: The students would be communicating with other students beyond the classroom, possibly around the world. It will be through the pen-pal feature on the ePals website. b. Higher-order thinking: Students will be given new questions each week to discuss with their ePal. These questions will require higher-order thinking skills in order to discuss effectively. c. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Their letters to their ePals will be seen by the ePal as well as turned into the teacher.
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? This activity would be considered a LoTi 5 because the students are experiencing real-world application of letter-writing, they are assuming the professional role, the students will gain experiences that are meaningful to them, and they are having two-way collaboration with peers outside of the classroom and the school. How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still comply with your districts Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies? The site is very safe, and I would send out permission forms before implementing the project in my classroom.