Feeling of Accomplishment

   Today I shared an unforgettable moment with my class- watching them view their very own Voicethread with writing,pictures and voice.  As each student's writing appeared on the screen, a huge smile would come across his/her face.  The rest of the class is cheering on each student about what a wonderful job they did on creating a descriptive sentence. 
    This isn't the first time we have shared our writing pieces in class. We share our journal writing everyday in class.  Yet, the attention that each student received today for his/her piece of the Voicethread was priceless!  Each student was truly proud to participate in a project that was sent out for the whole world to see.   Each child experienced a feeling of accomplishment.    I am so proud of them! 

Writing Resources

  

     As I have previously shared with you, Twitter has become the most amazing professional development tool for me.  Every Monday night there is a 4th grade chat on Twitter where all teachers come to share ideas on a particular topic.  Tonight's topic was something that has been on my mind ever since we received our MEAP scores- writing.   This year I have tried a variety of new tools using technology in our writing.  Two of our favorites tools in class have been Kidblogs and Edmodo.  There is something about writing to an audience and getting positive feedback!  They also love the connections they have made with other students.  My PLN on Twitter also had so many wonderful new ideas to share about writing that I simply just could not go without passing them along to you!  Thank you so much #4th chat!  If you are in need of some new ideas, or simply a "fresh approach" to a topic, please check these sites out!  You can also check out the #4th chat wiki for more ideas.
30 Ideas for Teaching Writing - A variety of ideas to approach writing topics
Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky  - My students love his poems!
Paragraph a Week      -Variety of topics to choose from
Empowering Writers - Resource for Struggling Writers
Writing Fun  -   Using Text Organizers- Great student examples on site!
ReadWriteThink-  So many ideas on all types of  writing!   This is an invaluable resource!

Skype In The Classroom

Many of you know that I have had the opportunity to connect with several classrooms and authors over the past few months via Skype. With each event, our learning community becomes more enriched! Students are engaged and involved in each moment! Our Skype visit is only the beginning of our relationship to the classroom or author. We continue to connect through blogging about our experiences and our curriculum. We are collaborating with others in ways that we simply could not do without the use of technology. Students are receiving positive comments and connections on student blogs from other authors, teachers, and students from around the world. For each connection we make, another connection opportunity appears. Our classroom community has gone from Lambertville, MI to Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, Alabama, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Delaware, California, Colorado, Missouri, Australia, Scotland, and China in just three months! I am still working on the possibilty to connect my classroom to China via Skype with the 12 hour time difference. I hope that each and every student has the opportunity to travel to each one of these locations in their future. However, the power of connecting to these students, teachers, and authors right now to extend the power of their learning experience is priceless! I hope every student gets the opportunity to connect with others around the world. I must warn you, it is very contagious! Once you start Skype in your classroom, you will find that the doors open to a world of possibilities. If you would like to learn more about Skype in the Classroom, Check out this great post by Steven Anderson. He has some great ideas to show you how you can get started today!

Blogging About The Web 2.0 Connected Classroom: Skype In The Classroom

Video Writing Prompts

Have you ever thought of using a video prompt for your writing? Teach Hub.com is a great site that provides video prompts along with suggestions on how to use them according to your grade level!  Spice things up and give it a try!