Learning with the Internet Project

By Sandy Moore

I began my LWI Project with the intended users and purpose of the project for
reviewers to more clearly understand the class for which I will be implementing this
plan and to further realize the ultimate purpose of this project.

Intended Users and Project Purpose

The intended users of this project are 7th and 8th grade students in the Publications
class at Fisk Middle School. These students create the middle school newsletter
once or twice a month. Once the newsletter is created the intended users also
become all of middle school students at Fisk Middle School who wish to read the
newsletter. The purpose of this project is to have students work collaboratively to
improve their editing and proofreading skills, apply correct layout and structure, and
use PrintShop PressWriter to create the newsletter, The Royal Scroll.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Standards for Users

Learning Outcomes: Students learn how to write articles of interest for an intended
audience of middle school students (grades 5-8). Students work together to learn
how to proofread, edit, and make suggestions to other students’ written articles.
Students learn how to successfully use Google Docs. Students learn that writings
may go thru several revisions before the writings are ready for publication.

Objectives:
Students will:
• use correct grammar and spelling in articles
• use proper English in articles
• use correct structure and layout of article in PrintShop PressWriter
• produce and publish written work, using appropriate technology (PrintShop
PressWriter)
• analyze and assess information and ideas
• develop and improve keyboarding skills
• develop and improve peer editing and proof reading skills
• correctly site sources if applicable to their article
• work collaboratively to publish the December Issue of The Royal Scroll
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Learning Outcomes/Objectives/Standards for Users (Continued)

Standards:
NETS-S

1a. Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or

processes.
1b. Students create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2a. Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others
employing a variety of digital environments and media.
2b. Students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences
using a variety of media and formats.
2d. Students contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems.
4b. Students plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a
project.
5a. Students advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of
information and technology.
5b. Students exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports
collaboration, learning, and productivity.
6a. Students understand and use technology systems.
6b. Students select and use applications effectively and productively.
6d. Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Grade Level Expectations – Communication Arts

2B. Grade 7 – Use conventions of capitalization in written text.

2C. Grade 7 – In composing text, use comma rules for punctuating various
sentence structures.
2D. Grade 7 – Use parts of speech correctly in written text.
2E. Grade 7 – In writing, use dictionary, spell-check and other resources to spell
correctly.
2F. Grade 7 – In composing text, use complex sentences, precise and vivid
language, and editing to eliminate run-on sentences.

Methods of Assessing Learning Outcomes-Objectives-Standards

I will use informative assessment of students by reviewing their articles and the
editing done by classmates. I will also use a rubric to assess students.
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Publications Newsletter Articles Rubric Points

5 4 3 2 1
Article Article Article Article
Grammar Article had no contained only contained 2 contained 3 contained 4 or
and grammar or 1 grammar or grammar or grammar or more grammar ____
Spelling spelling errors spelling error spelling errors spelling errors or spelling
errors
Student used Student’s Student’s Student’s Student’s article
Structure
correct article article had 1 articles had 2 article had 3 had 4 or more
and ____
structure and structure or structure or structure or structure or
Layout
layout layout error layout errors layout errors layout errors
Student used Student used Student used Student used Student used
Publish in PressWriter PressWriter PressWriter PressWriter PressWriter
PrintShop with no with little with some with much with continuous ____
PressWriter assistance to assistance to assistance to assistance to assistance to
publish article publish article publish article publish article publish article

x x
Student edited Student edited Student edited
Peer Editing at least 3 2 classmate’s only 1
____
classmate’s articles classmate’s
articles articles

Student found Student found Student found Student found 1

Student found at
4 errors and/or 3 errors and/or 2 errors and/or error and/or
least 5 errors
made 4 made 3 made 1 made 1
Proofreading and/or made 5 ____
suggestions to suggestions to suggestion to suggestion to
suggestions to
improve improve improve improve
improve article
article article article article

x x x
Cite Sources
Correctly cited
(if applicable) Student did not
source(s)
cite source(s)
Student did not
Student worked
work
collaboratively
collaboratively
Cooperation to publish The ____
to publish The
Royal Scroll for
Royal Scroll for
December 08
December 08
Total-- ____

Teacher Comments:
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Meaningful Learning Criteria

Meaningful learning will take place in this lesson. Students will be active learners by
writing their articles, proofreading and editing their classmates’ articles, and providing
feedback for their classmates to improve their writing and reduce grammatical errors.
Using Google docs allows the students to work on-line on any computer at any time
to access the articles and make revisions and provide feedback. Students will be
constructive learners by reviewing the comments their classmates wrote about their
articles. The students use the suggestions to improve their writing. Using Google
docs allows the revisions to be in an organized manner in one place. Learners can
integrate the revisions by their classmates with their own prior knowledge to improve
their writing and eliminate grammatical errors. Furthermore, with using Google docs,
students do not have to keep up with several pieces of paper that have corrections
written all over which can cause confusion to the writer. Students will experience
intentional learning because they know the articles they are writing are put together
to produce the school newsletter that will be read by the middle schools students.
They desire to write effectively and grammatically free because of the audience that
will be reading the newsletter. The students of the Publications class who produces
the school newsletter are chosen by the Publications teacher, core teachers, and the
school counselor. The students are hand-picked. They are aware of the high-
standards required to be retained in this class. Students experience authentic
learning through this lesson by editing and proofreading their classmates’ articles.
Furthermore, students experience authentic learning by observing the suggestions
that their classmates have made to them after proofreading and editing their work.
Students then apply those suggestions in re-writing their articles sometimes several
times before publishing the newsletter. By proofreading and editing others’ articles
and having their articles proofread and edited, students learn ways to improve their
writing skills and eliminate grammatical skills. With this continuous process, students
are constantly experiencing meaningful learning. In this lesson, I think that
cooperative learning is the most important. Students are learning to work together
to help their classmates and which in turns helps themselves. I think that cooperative
learning is one of the most important meaningful learning attributes for children.
While I understand students must be able to do some things independently, students
can learn very much from each other. As adults, if we are unsure of how to do
something or need assistance in completing a task we ask someone. We are using
cooperative learning to accomplish a goal. Teachers should allow students to learn
from each other because in life there will always be situations when assistance is
needed. Learning at a young age to be cooperative can enhance the learning of all
that are involved. Using Google docs in this lesson helps students to work
cooperatively. Students can see the suggestions and comments made by other
students and use that information to add additional comments or agree with the prior
editor. Students can also learn from the suggestions on other articles written by their
classmates. For example, students may observe suggestion to someone else’s
article that could be helpful to them. Using Google docs to post suggestions is
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promoting conversation among the learners and conversation is the most natural way
of meaning making.
Learning Activity

Students in Publications class will use Google Docs to write their articles for the
middle school newsletter for the December 2008 issue. Students will work in groups
of 2 or 3 to write their drafts using Google Docs. The students will share their articles
with other students in the class to review their work and make suggestions. Once the
teacher has posted her comments/suggestions to the article, the article is finalized by
the students and they write FINAL at the top of the page so the editors know that the
article is ready for publication. Next, the editors open up the document and place the
article in the newsletter.

URL

This URL is to the Google docs that the students used to write and save their articles.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddrk2cqg_0cvt6j2cj&hl=en

Reflection of LWI Project

My LWI Project was a success. Students used Google Docs to write and post their
initial article. Students chose their own partner for this assignment. They also chose
the topic for their article for the December Newsletter. Students signed in under my
Google account and I made a Publications folder for them to save their articles.
After posting their initial article, I required students to make positive comments and
post corrections to grammatical errors and suggestions to the writings. The students
were very enthused about using Google Docs. They commented that it was much
easier to read the comments, corrections, and suggestions that students had made
as opposed to me writing corrections in red ink and then having to re-write or re-type
the articles several times. Furthermore, students commented that after editing
someone else’s article, they actually learned about different ways to improve their
own articles through the comments posted on each person’s article. Not only were
students learning from the comments classmates had written, but were learning
when they posted comments and suggestions. As a result, students were taking
ownership of their own learning which promotes more meaningful and authentic
learning. Since using Google Docs was a success with my 7th and 8th grade
Publications’ students, I will continue to use it in their class and may find ways to
implement it into other classes I teach.