https://padlet.com/everse/Topic2_2_18_2017 Made with fortitude en-us 2017-02-18 21:33:31 UTC 2017-02-18 22:17:38 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png everse https://padlet.com/everse/Topic2_2_18_2017/wish/154763038 The reading in our CLC text was very much connected to what I am experiencing and working on in my Third-grade classroom. My students have Chromebooks and I allow them to do what we call "free writing", where they can express themselves in any way they would like, whether that be on paper or using a platform available to them on their Chromebooks. I love the idea of having students blog and allowing other students to comment. What we do in my classroom varies, but many students either co-write stories for the class, create Google Slides presentations about whatever it is they want to share or teach their classmates, as well as my students' own version of our Third Grade Weekly News, in which the kids write up the important events that are going on in their lives, and then share out that newsletter with their classmates. 

I love the idea of using the blogging as a more interactive way for my students to communicate with each other. Interest-driven learning is so powerful and builds a love for learning that I always try and foster in my classroom, no matter whether it sets us back in the curriculum or not. I find that by allowing my students the freedom to pursue their independent passions, there are many instances in which the State Standards and their journey in inquiry cross and build upon one another. There is a lot of pressure from those more familiar with textbooks and worksheets, but the learning and the joy expressed by students when using an interested-based connected learning classroom, in which technology is used as a tool instead of a hinderance, is what drives me to want to continue to learn how to be the best facilitator of this learning as I can be. ]]> 2017-02-18 21:39:43 UTC https://padlet.com/everse/Topic2_2_18_2017/wish/154763038