Book Review Podcast

I was trying to think of a way to use podcasts in my classroom. We do a lot of listening to books on tape, reading aloud, and individual reading. We could use the podcast as a way to review a book that we have read. I think my students would react really well and engage in this activity quickly.

Students often choose books to read based on the recommendation of their peers. A book talk is a brief overview of a book designed to raise the interest of potential readers. In many ways, it is a sales pitch for the book given by someone who has read it.

I would model a book share by creating a brief presentation that includes the title, author and a brief summary. Use language to persuade others to read the book. State why you like the book and why others should read it.

For the first book talk I would probably provide a fill-in-the-blank script for students to use to create their book talk. I would record each student delivering their book talk and each one would become an episode in a series.

Students could then go back and listen to other book recommendations when deciding which book to read next.

Wiki Wiki What?

Thinking of using Wikis in your classroom? Here is a sampling of sites available to help you get started.

Wiki's in Plain English - YouTube Video - very simple explanation of how to start and use Wikis.

Classroom 20.com: "The social networking site for those interested in Web 2.0 and collaborative technologies in education." Lots of great stuff here, including news, forums, resources, groups and the Classroom 2.0 Wiki.

Educational Wikis (EduWikis): This site aims to answer one question: "How can I use wikis in education?" Explore their vast list of existing educational wikis, the general discussion on wikis, or articles and resources related to wikis.

Kathy Schrock introduces "Jottit": Educator Kathy Schrock's blog includes a link to the wiki site Jottit. This wiki site allows teachers to have a classroom wiki that is only accessible to students who have the password and students do not need an email address to sign-up.

How I use wikis in the classroom: Teacher Vicki Davis's site has lots of interesting sections and articles. This is linked to her blog post all about wikis and how she uses them in her "wiki-centric classroom."

Tips on developing wikis: Great information even if you're not creating a wiki but just using one regularly.

I Can...

In my classroom we talk a lot about what the students CAN DO throughout the day. We call it our I Can... lists so here is my I Can... list about blogging.

• I Can...share my thoughts on a particular topic.
• I Can...take photos and video to upload to my blog.
• I Can...look at other blogs for inspiration.
• I Can...comment on other blogs.
• I Can...share random findings or ideas.
• I Can...discover new things.
• I Can...become part of a network of bloggers.
• I Can...become designer of my own domain.

It's all about what I CAN do in the world of blogging!

I'm Baaaaaack...

...for one final semester! Phew! Nearly there. Here's my motto for the next 4 months.