Technology+Proj+(Meet+and+Skype)

__Today's Meet__ Using Today's Meet (laptops), Creative Writing students responded to several questions tied with the introduction of the poetry unit: 1) Do you like/dislike poetry? 2) Do you regularly write poetry? 3) Have you published any poems online? 4) Are lyrics the same as poetry (lines of poetry)?

Students responded to these questions in one of my three periods using Today's Meet. In another class period, students responded using their writing journals.

A class discussion followed, when students completed their responses. Both approaches resulted in a strong class discussion related to the questions, however using the laptops did required more time (logging on, etc.). A routine use of laptops or iPads for this activitiy would result in more productive use of time.

__Skype Project__ I investigated the possibility of using Skype with the Children's Book project. Following completion of the significant task (children's book project). WHS students spend 1-2 class periods reading their books with the second grade classrooms at Anne Sullivan. One of the periods (7th) is difficult to schedule because of the conflicting time between the high school and elementary school days. If possible to arrange with our IT staff, we will attempt to Skype between the two schools. (These original plans did not develop because of district restrictions on using Skype.)

My backup plan involved using Skype to talk with one Creative Writing student at SDSU (former WHS student, Spencer Halgerson) as he completed his final portfolio spring 2012. We discussed how best to prepare high school students for a college level Creative Writing course also, as well as some of his portfolio pieces that he was writing.