Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Template

Name: Published Creative Writing

Grade Level: 4th Grade
Content Area: English Language Arts
Standards Addressed: ELAGSE4W1:
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: KidPub

URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity:
https://www.kidpub.com/
Describe how you would use the Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing
Opportunity in your classroom: This site could be used following a creative writing
assignment, where students are given a topic to write about. After writing said paper, the
students can go ahead and publish their work onto KidPub for other students to see and make
comments on. This is a great opportunity for students to gain confidence in and improve upon
their writing skills. For many students, the only person to ever see their work is their teacher;
this way they can be proud of their work and put it out there publicly for other people to see
their hard work.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a
classroom? KidPub could be used on most technology’s. Preferably, you would use a computer
or laptop where the paper is saved, but you could use tablets or phones to publish if you are able
to access the writing from there as well.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of
them may not be addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high
LoTi Level.):
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and
often beyond their school: KidPub provides an opportunity for students to
publish their writings for other students/members to read and comment on.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (collecting original data
and or producing original products as a result of engaging in the project): The
students are creating their own works based on a certain topic, and publishing the
original work.
c. Higher-order thinking:
d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about
their product: Only other members (who pay to be a member) of KidPub are able
to make commentary on their published works. The purpose of using KidPub is to
express creativity through writing, and it’s not likely that anyone using KidPub for
those purposes will have any callous feelings toward these students.

Bloom’s Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):

See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating
What Level of Technology Implementation best describes this learning activity and Why?

1
I would describe this activity as meeting a LoTi level 5. The students are publishing their own
personal works that can be accessed by other students in the community, which qualifies as
“two-way collaboration with community”.
How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still comply with your
district’s Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies?
KidPub offers a safe site for kids to publish their works. In order to use KidPub, you need to have
a login. Non-members are able to read stories that have been published, but cannot comment or
publish anything of their own.