Literature Circles Group Ponder Weblog Possibilities
Weblog Possibilities is one of the Departments we created in the Literature Circles EduBlog.
Weblog Possibilities
Use this role to suggest ways you can envision weblogs being used with students in any curriculum area. Those commenting will react to the suggestions.
The preservice teachers reading The View from Saturday have come up with a few suggestions.
Pamela shares this on her post Weblogging with the Souls.
This book is excellent for weblog use. It jumps from scene to scene without warning. This could be useful in reading groups. You could have students post each time the scene changes. This would also be helpful to those students who may be having some difficulty in following the story. It is not easy to jump from the present to the past and then back to the present. It would help them with sequencing the events of the story. This would help ensure that the students are fully aware of what is going on with the characters and the story. It is very important in The View from Saturday to be clear on what scene you are on because it determines which character is talking. If you are not clear as to which character is speaking, then you will be totally lost as to the meaning of the story. Students could also use the weblogs to look at each character and post when something new is found out about them. They could even post when the characters’ feelings change. You could also use this book to set up weblogs on science, involving the seaturtles. You could use it with math by having the students post each time a number is mentioned. For example, numbers were mentioned with the seaturtles, the number of chairs in the Sillington house, and number of dogs trying out for the play. You could also use social studies in posting about the many places Julian has traveled to. This book is just simply excellent and full of all types of weblogs possibilities.
Charlie’s post, Family Trees, poses these possibilities:
Now that we know how each member of the ’souls’ is connected. It would worthwhile for students using the weblog to make family trees of thier own families. In addition, they could write a paragraph or more about something unique they learned about their family by participating in this activity. Making their family tree would touch base on social studies because the students would be learning about heritage. It would also connect to langauage arts because the students would be involved in writing, expressing thier thoughs, and reflecting on what they learned. What do you think?
Erica posts about Possibilities of Reflection.
After reading chapter 3, I am now offically engrossed in the book. As I was reading about Ethan’s account of the invitation of the tea party and all the drama leading up to the purchase of the puzzle, I thought that students could use theWebLog for another use while reading the book. Because of the way that the book is structured, the numbered chapter at the Academic Bowl and the titled chapter about a character, the students could make a “journal” (for lack of a better word) department to respond to the character’s accounts of their stories and feelings. The teacher cold pose a question (kind of like a sponge activity) if more structure was needed. I think it would be interesting just to see how our group would respond to some of the personal accounts given in the book. I know everyone would have different personal experiences to relate to, but we could all relate in some way. For example, students could talk about a time that they bought a present for someone, and how they decided what to get them. I can think of some interesting purchases I’ve made for various reasons. I think that this would be a easy way to see how each student is viewing the book as they read, and to find out how they can really relate to the book. Any other suggestions?
To which Charlie responds with these comments:
I like your idea of a journal department. I think it would be a good idea for the students to select one character to relate to and write thier personal experiences that relate to that character’s life. In addition, I think it would be fun for the students to rewrite parts in the story that they find interesting in thier own words.
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