Penny

__**Student Expression:**__ I chose to focus on student expression for my project. My students are limited in the amount of computer access they get and tend to only use the computer for basic research and typing already complete writing assignments. I would like to move the entire writing process onto the computer. This would allow them to research, plan, write and edit using technology.

I began by linking my [|glog] to Voicethread.com. Here I explained the assignment that my fifth graders will be completing and the different free software that can help them. The directions are presented on the recording, which they can listen to at any time, and they will also receive a handout for those who would rather have them on paper.

Each picture of a planet is linked to my wiki where there are 6 different research websites. These can be used with Mac's text to speech function, and one of them, Starchild 1, has the text recorded to be read aloud already on the site. Students will also have the opportunity to do print research with books and encyclopedias.

The students will then begin taking notes on the planets. In the past, we have done this on index cards, but I wanted to give them an electronic way to take notes, and so found ubernote. This needs a sign-in and an email, so that might be a little tricky, but it seems like a good program and the students can tag the cards based on the different topics they are required to cover. As they go along, the students can keep track of where they are doing their research with bibme.org, a free website that creates a bibliography for you. This program can be used whether or not the students use ubernote.

Once that is done, they can go to bubbl.us to create a graphic organizer based on their research and write the research paper in any number of word processing programs.

Finally, the students can use the editing checklist and check their writing.

This glog and the links attached to it, allow students to use technology for the entire writing process. It is beneficial for some students to have that option whether because of physical disabilities, organizing or writing difficulties.