Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Narrative Writing

Content Area: Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 7
Content Standard Addressed: ELAGSE7W3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator
and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from
one time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the
action and convey experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Technology Standard Addressed: 6. Creative Communicator

Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the
platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. Students:
b. create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
d. publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: KidPub

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://www.kidpub.com/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
In my classroom students will have ample opportunity to create online projects/collaborations/publish work.
The online publishing opportunity of KidPub will allow students to post their original work as well as see their
peer’s work. This assignment will build off of the students reading The Giver. Students will create a narrative
where they are added into The Giver. Students will create a short chapter about their life in the world. They
will draw their jobs, families, and districts out of a hat and create a story based on them.

Once students have finished a final draft of their narrative, they will post their stories to KidPub so that their
classmates can read them and respond. Once stories are posted, students will be paired with one another to
combine their lives. Students will be asked to write a paragraph involving themselves in their peer’s stories
and then post them on KidPub. Using KidPub allows for students to publish their work anonymously (if
desired) as well as allowing them to view their peer’s work.

What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Computers (KidPub, The Giver audio book)

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 are able to collaborate with their peers via their KidPub page. Students will be
reviewing their peer’s work and creating a collaboration piece with their peers.

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students are creating an original narrative based off of a
book they are reading in class (The Giver).

c. Higher-order thinking: Students are using their highest level of Blooms Taxonomy (Creating) by
creating a narrative based off of a book they are reading.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students are
posting this narrative to their page on KidPub and their peers will have access to everyone’s to look at.

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):

Engagement: Students will be engaged creating their own version of the book they are reading. They will feel
as if they are working on a book of their very own and they will be able to engage with their classmates work
as well.
Representation: Students will be able to work on this assignment online as well as physically on paper.
Students will be given graphic organizers to work on by hand and will be asked to publish their final drafts on
their KidPub pages.
Action and Expression: Students will all be asked to publish a final narrative, however they can choose to
expand upon their project further if they want. Students will be given the choice of creating a presentation
(powerpoint, video, skit, etc.) or drawing/painting a representation of their narrative.

Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:

KidPub is a way for students to post their work without using any identifiable information. Students will
respond to their peer’s work via comments on their page or notes they take while reading. Students have to
have an account with KidPub to comment on any work and their page will not be personalized beside their
work.

Reflective Practice:
I believe that this activity is a great way students can publish their work and be proud of their work. Students
will be more likely to take pride in their work if they are publishing it on a page such as KidPub. To extend this
lesson, I would have students create an imovie with pictures/audio/video (2/3) outlining their narrative as
well as the life they created with their partner. Students would love to get even more creative by creating an
imovie of some kind.

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