Process

=**Goals **=  =Selected Robert Frost Poems =
 * Improved Convenience (across-grade level interaction without travel)
 * Students are thinking and communicating about class topics beyond the school day
 * Older students have opportunity to practice leadership and demonstrate a deep understanding of concepts by directing conversation, analyzing student responses, and teaching relevant objectives
 * Younger students have the opportunity to learn from multiple non-teacher resources
 * All students have opportunities to practice and refine intellectual discussion techniques
 * As educators, we have the opportunity to look for discussion trends, evidence of engagement, and levels of understanding which we could then use to determine instructional decisions

(source: [])
= = //Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening Birches Out, out- After Apple Picking Bond and Free Mending Wall Carpe Diem//

=Blog Categories = = =
 * Commentary on six of Robert Frost’s poems (separate thread for each poem)
 * Students were separated into six small groups
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">17 students per group, about ½ sixth graders and ½ ninth graders
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Original student poems by ninth graders (separate thread for each poem)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Student poets were matched in groups with sixth graders for conferencing

=<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">In-Class Preparation = =<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> = <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Students were asked to consider the following:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">What is the theme of the poem?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">What poetic devices did you notice?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">How is the style similar or different from other Frost poems you've read?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">How do Frost's life experiences seem to have influenced the poem?

=<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Process = =<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> =
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Sixth graders were taught basic background of Robert Frost, then all students read “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” reflected on the poem and responded to questions about theme, structure and poetic devices. This gave us a baseline of our students’ general understanding about poetry and the depth of discussion to later compare to blog discussion.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Students were placed in small groups and assigned a particular poem to read and analyze.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Ninth graders were given extensive in-depth information about Frost’s life and were also given literary critical analyses to read about their assigned poems.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">The small groups were divided into subgroups for writing conferences. Ninth graders posted an original poem and their sixth grade partners conferenced with them as part of the writing process.

=<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Expectations = =<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;"> =
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Connections between poet’s life and work
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Deeper meanings of poems
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Stylistic choices
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Number of students who become interested in “above grade level TEKS” aspects of poetry.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Deciding when poetry is the best form to convey an idea and the emotion the writer wants to elicit from the audience.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Survey all students to get their feedback on how much the blog conversations regarding Robert Frost and the peer editing/revising affected their own poetry.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Considerations

 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Find a partner teacher to work with
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Determine times during the year's curriculum where online posting is mutually beneficial for both age groups
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Select an online venue for posting (example: Moodle forums, VoiceThread, Blogger, Blogspot, etc.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Privacy protocols should be established to protect students
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Netiquette (Digital Citizenship) is an important academic skill for students to know and practice, so establish rules for discussion before students post (do an in-class blog first to establish good blogging practices before partnering with another class)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Findings

 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">More kids are more honest about their true personal feelings about the poem; less of the in-class “telling the teacher what she wants to hear”
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Kids talk about how they interpret the poem they read
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Motivated to reread poem to check on the validity of what each other is saying- authentic learning
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Text evidence for both grade levels has been there since the get-go; they know that they have a wider audience
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">6th graders emulate how 9th graders communicate ideas, writing structure
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">9th graders introduced vocabulary and poetic concepts to 6th graders
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Many students posted more than was required; students who rarely speak in class were responsible from some of the more profound and lengthy posts
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">The engagement level reached an all-time high when 9th graders posted their original poetry online for the 6th graders to evaluate and critique because they were publishing to a wider audience than just themselves and their teacher

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Adjustments

 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Students need a bit more guidance on using font choices and emoticons appropriately, especially sixth graders!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Older students need to exercise their patience with younger learners; their job is to encourage and motivate, not squelch their ideas or enthusiasm
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">The activities students are to complete online, take more time than you think- be flexible and willing to adjust
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">On a consistent basis allow class time to view blog postings with the students and discuss effective and ineffective posting strategies
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Discussion strands should be limited to a very few topics; help kids determine where their ideas would fit best (Teachers can create strands or students and teachers can collaborate together to create strands)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Help students learn the difference between a general response and a response to a particular comment and how to apply this understanding
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">With your teacher-partner, establish how to respond to off-topic posts, inappropriate posts, etc.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Encourage/monitor that students are posting to the other grade level as well as their peers

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">Wordle using students' blog postings
<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, serif;">[]