New+lesson+plan

====In my new lesson plan, students use glogster in order to make an online poster, instead of making a more traditional poster-board poster (Question #2). I chose glogster (Questions #3 and #4) because it levels the playing field. If you're a student who doesn't print neatly or who can't draw very well, using glogster enables you to make a visual product that is just as appealing as your more artistically inclined peers'. In addition, using this type of technology transports this project from the past to the present.====

The glog has the same requirements as the poster:

 * ==== some biographical information on William Steig ====
 * ==== a short summary (without giving the ending away) that "sells" the book ====
 * ==== a character trait describing the main character using text evidence ====
 * ==== interesting vocabulary featured in the book ====
 * ==== appealing visuals ====

The Common Core standards I used to guide my lesson planning are (Question #5):

 * ====Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.====
 * ====Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.====
 * ====Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.====
 * ====By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.====

The NETS standards I used to guide my lesson planning are (Question #5):

 * ====Creativity and Innovation====

b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

 * ====Communication and Collaboration====

b. Communicate information and ideas effectivelyto multiple audiences using a variety of mediaand formats

 * ====Research and Information Fluency====

c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

 * ====Technology Operations and Concepts====

d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies
==== I feel that incorporating Web 2.0 tools into this author study will improve my teaching (Question #6). Having the screencast available for students throughout their reading gives them a new level of independence as learners. Instead of circulating the room answering questions about how to complete the strategy forms, I can direct students to the screencast instead. This frees me and the classroom teacher up to work with those students who are really having trouble understanding a book's content, instead of those having trouble remembering the teacher's directions! ====

==== I also feel that using Web 2.0 tools in this unit will enhance student learning (Question #7). Creating my first glog, I learned so much about ways students can now communicate information. I really enjoyed thinking up different methods of presenting the requirements: Did I want to write out important information about William Steig's life, or link my viewers to a website containing his biography? Did I simply want to list his interesting vocabulary in //Brave Irene//, or present these words using a recording tool that let others //hear// these words and their meanings? The options are endless using technology, and I think these exciting options will not only increase students' motivation and learning, but the pride they take in their work as well. ====