Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Stick Out Your Neck

Content Area: Literacy and Service
Grade Level(s): 1st
Content Standard Addressed: ELAGSE1SL1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners
about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Giraffe Heroes project

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://www.giraffe.org/for-teachers-families

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom: Online projects, collaboration sites, and student publishing opportunities all have great potential
to support higher levels of technology in classrooms today. These websites and projects give students a way
to engage themselves in technology in a different way than just playing educational games. These provide
students with a way to create and share what they have learned with peers and mentors beyond just school. I
think using these sites in classrooms can be a positive way to keep students attention while giving them a
little more free rein with their learning. Personalized learning is becoming more and more popular in schools
and these sites are another way to allow students to engage in a task on their own.
In classrooms all across the United States and in English-speaking schools abroad, Giraffe K-12 programs
help students build lives as courageous and compassionate citizens, while teaching academic and life skills. In
launching its K-12 programs, beginning in 1991, the Project was a pioneer in creating the concept and Best
Practices of what came to be called “Service Learning”. Voices of Hope is a unique two-part curriculum that
includes an anthology of heroes' stories that inspire kids, and a service-learning guide that shows kids how to
be heroic themselves by getting engaged in solving civic problems, creating and carrying out projects that
benefit their communities.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
The Kids link on the site Giraffe Heroes Project would be the only source the students use.
https://www.giraffe.org/for-kids

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 will go home and write down or record a story from a hero in their own family. This
can be their parents, grandparents, siblings, or any other hero of theirs they can receive a story from.

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): After students bring their heroes stories in and we have
a presentation on them I will have students create their own heroic story, something they hope to
achieve or do someday. This could be helping someone, starting a company, or anything that inspires
them.

c. Higher-order thinking: By giving your students open ended tasks to complete on their own or at home
allows them the freedom to produce what they are capable of. Sending them home with a simple task
to complete can mean many different things to different students.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Presenting
their heroes story in class in a way to get the students used to presenting their projects to a group of
people. Once they create their own stories I will have them present those as well.

Spring 2018_SJB
 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☐ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☒ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Multiple means of representation refers to how students take in
information. An example would be providing students with multiple modalities for input. It’s easy to do this
with reading in particular. For example, are students reading large print books, listening to audiobooks,
reading Braille, or using some combination of these text types. It is not as easy with video lessons but it can
be done. Using different physical materials that match the video, raising or lowering the sound, and having a
transcript can all provide for those who might face difficulties. Multiple means of engagement references
how students learn, and includes interest level, effort and persistence, and self-regulation. The simplest way
to increase student interest is to provide them with choices. This project allows students the option to write
or record their heroes stories. Since this is open ended it allows the students flexibility in their learning styles.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies: For this lesson plan I will be the only one in
contact with the website and this is the biggest part of safety. Since I am only asking the students to write or
record their heroes stories this takes majority of the liability away. I will be presenting the kids portion of the
website them the and reading different stories online.

Reflective Practice: This lesson not only promotes community and service but it also enhances literacy.
Hearing stories told by people from different races and ethnicities is a great way to bring language into a
classroom. This lesson can be a kick starter for many language lessons as well as more service projects to get
students involved outside of the classroom.

Spring 2018_SJB