Author Study

Technology in the classroom impacts every aspect of learning from the start to finish of this project. Students are naturally drawn to technology such as computers, digital cameras, and internet research. Technology acts as a tool for students to construct more comprehensive reports and explore subject matter in infinitely more ways than simply reading a text book. Using digital cameras, laptops, and other technology holds the students more responsible for producing outstanding products and allows them to more freely express their individuality within their work. Most importantly, by taking advantage of these tools during the author study, students learn how to use technology that can be applied to many other school as well as situations in their lives outside of the classroom! Every year, students express their excitement over using digital cameras to photograph storyboards and add artistic flare to their reports. Students also tell me they enjoy internet research because of the high levels of multi-media available on both their authors and texts. The majority of students find deeper meaning and themes within their texts due largely in part to extensive research and enthusiasm. The use of technology directly impacts student enthusiasm, content comprehension, and overall project quality.


How will the products included in the previously listed budget improve the existing program described in this application?*

Students will become engaged learners, increasing academic achievement in Language Arts, through the effective use of technology. Students will take more active roles in learning, with emphasis on engaged learning strategies. Students will see themselves as high-level problem solvers. Teachers and students together will develop innovative projects involving technology in engaged learning activities. Our purpose is to have students use technology as a regular part of researching information, sharing information with the class, creating timelines and mind maps in the language arts. We feel that an instructional framework that has students as discovers of knowledge, rather than getting all information from a teacher or textbook, promotes more responsible, capable, and engaged learners.

Students working in pairs will choose an author to study by a pre-selected group of authors chosen by the teachers. We will be using Newbery Medal winners initially.
Using the laptops and the class read aloud book, the teacher and class will co-create a timeline using school-licensed software of the important events in the author’s life, especially the titles and dates of his or her books. Using the laptops, they will use select Internet sites to research biographical information about selected author and the author’s books.

Students throughout the project will add information to their timeline from additional online sources such as biographies and encyclopedias. They can download pictures of the author’s books from Internet and add these to reports and timelines. Students will use digital cameras to add their own photography, digital video, and audio to their reports and presentations of the author study. Digital cameras will also be used to record student progress, document various activities and projects, as well as create slideshows at the end of the unit which will be posted online for family and community members to view.

The webcam will be used to capture and post online video and pictures. Students will use the laptops to develop websites for their author study. Reports, video, research bibliographies, timelines, and other information will be published to individual sites. The webcam will also allow students to communicate and video interview authors, illustrators, publishing company representatives, or any other individuals within the publishing industry.

Student creates, produces and presents ideas, stories and unique representations of thoughts through a variety of media by analyzing the task before him/her, the technology tools provided by the BestBuy grant, and appropriately selecting and using the most effective tools for the purpose and audience. This will not only be done with the fifth grade projects, but also when working with the second grade “buddy” teams.

Students will develop the confidence, competence, information management strategies and sufficient technical skills to use the technology provided by the grant. Students will become resident experts as they teach the second graders in using different technologies. They can also act as resources for other classrooms and teachers.

The student will understand the ethical implications of technology and develops a sense of responsibility regarding his/her use of technology. The teacher will specifically address plagiarism and copyright issues. Students will also work with the second graders on having them understand responsible citizenship in this.