The first tool I chose was to create a discussion forum from chapter 8, on ning. com. I used the rubric to see what level of computer skills were needed, the cost and how the tool could be used to collaborate with staff and students. I started the website with the intention of bringing back to life a book club at our school that died out quickly this year as school got going. I was hoping that not having the constraint of a physical meeting could bring people back on board and offer an alternative to respond to the ideas in the book.

As I set up the page and thought about school this week, I was able to come up with some possible ways to use it with the kids in class. I thought about offering a weekly challenge piece to reading that is completed on the Internet via the class discussion forum.  Following the theme and vocab. for this week, third graders would research two native Oregon plants or animals and then compare and contrast the two with a given sentence frame. They would also need to reference the web sites they used. The forum allows for pictures uploads, so they could include those. Then kids struggling could get ideas and help from the others.  They would also love to comment on each other’s work as well.

The TASC standards met are 9b, 9d, 9k, 9n (Professional Learning)

The OEST standards that this could help meet are 1b (Create/Express Self) and 2a, 2b (Interact and Collaborate)