Marcia


 * March 3**--I've updated my Google pages and am exploring how I might use a wiki as an online word bank for reading. As soon as I've set it up, I'll post the address to it. My goal is to have students actively increase their vocabulary and provide a place to document new additions to their vocabulary. (1.5 hours)


 * March 6**---We met as a group and discussed the difference between a blog and a wiki. I realized that if I want students to do more discussions, a blog might be a good format to use, although the discussion place on the wiki might work also. I am still exploring wikis and how they might be used in reading. I also explored onenote and I can see that it can be very useful for students as well as teachers. Right now it is a PC program and is not available on a Mac. I plan to try it out though. (3.5 hours)


 * March 13**---I am also exploring some of the resources that Cheryl posted. I am also interested in some guidelines for students as they begin posting information on their wikis. I feel as though I'm learning along with the students as we explore wikis. I was impressed with the following website http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/wiki/ which had some great ideas on how to incorporate wikis in your classroom. The wiki format might also be a great place to put together a middle school newspaper. (1.5 hours)

7th Grade Reading Wiki 8th Grade Reading Wiki We also learned about social bookmarking where you put together lists of favorite bookmarks. I use Filamentality in which he can create hotlists. Delicious is also another website where you can collect websites.
 * March 20**--I continue to finetune my wikis that I am using with my reading classes. Here are the wikis that I have created:

We also viewed what program is used for the yearbook. A site that can be used to make a book is [|Blurb.com]. (3.5 hours)


 * March 27**---I have read several of the articles on Web 2.0 and I also responded to several of the teacher wikis. I am impressed with some of the uses of wikis with students. It provides a new type of forum for students and I like the idea that I can access it from home. (1 hour)


 * April 4**I updated my 8th grade Reading wiki and read and graded the entries/assignments that the students created. (1.5 hours)


 * April 8**---I've updated my wiki and explored some more aspects of wikis. In my 8th grade class, we are creating character Inspiration maps for Samurai's Tale. Because the character's names are Japanese and seem so different from our own, it is easy to mix them up. In the book, many of the character's first names are the same and there last names are different. (This is opposite of what we do in our country.) I just found out they could attach their Inspiration maps to their webpages. We will attach them on Monday next week. (1.5 hours)


 * April 16**---I explored the ToonDoo website and I might use this cartoon making website in the classroom. We also explored how to create a cartoon and place it on the wiki. (1.5 hours)

I have been working with wikis with both of my 7th and 8th grade Reading classes.
 * Student Applications:**
 * The 7th grade are creating individual OWBs-- Online Word Banks. We have used word of the day sites as well as Visual Thesaurus to add new words. The students have been creating stories using their words and have also added on to other students' stories. The stories have been fun to read! (3 hours 45 minutes)
 * The 8th grade is working on a novel study with The Samurai Tale. I have posted assignments and word lists on this page. The students have also posted their assignments on this page. What has been fun to read are the questions, quotes, and reflections that the students have. They have responded to each other's work on the Discussion pages. (3 hours 45 minutes)
 * I have 2 students who are spearheading a Big Horn Middle School newspaper. They have published 2 editions this year and are now in the process of creating a Big Horn Middle School Wiki newspaper. They have set it up and have begun adding to it. Our goal is to have other students request to join and have a more comprehensive, interesting, and interactive page. You can reach this wiki at Big Horn Middle School Wiki Newspaper. (3 hours).

The 7th grade also completed a treasure hunt on the history of Alcatraz in conjunction with the book, //Al Capone Does My Shirts//.