Page+2-Toolshed-Application+of+the+Tools

 The next steps for me will be in getting this wiki up and running for my students. I will put a Wiki Badge on my Sandburg website to redirect people to this site, but I want to have the wiki fully set up and operational (even if only for one class) before I do that. I will move the Attic, Annex, and Toolshed (these 3 pages) to a private site as I don't think these pages would be of interest or helpful for either my students or my parents, but I want to make sure I have the information. As I build the other pages I need, I will need to revise the blueprint to provide both parents and students with some guidance to the site. I think I will pick one grade level to start with, probably 5th, and set up a language arts voicethread as one item on the site. I have already started talking with the learners about this. I have a couple with no home internet access, so there will be issues as to whether their only access will be during school.
 * Page 2: Application of the Tools-Next Steps**

The language arts project I want to do first is a melding of a novel project with a voicethread. We read a total of 4 novels (children choose from 8) centering around the cultural perspectives of Asian-Americans, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. Currently the students write 4 response paragraphs aound each novel and share their answers in literature circles. I would like to move some of the literature circle interaction onto a voicethread in my Learner's Loft area for the Black-American novels. I would also like to set up a blog there, and add some other tools for children to interact with. We do a lot of word work-stems in Latin and Greek. I was thinking about creating some Latin and Greek flashcard decks on Knowtes, but I discovered that there were already some existing decks for that topic. I tried to look at them, but had a problem viewing them yesterday. I want to set up an activity like that for my students to practice on in the Learner's Loft. I will also put up a link for Google Earth so my students can also look at the Journey to Topaz tour and explore some of the related information. I would like to set up another tour on Google Earth for Dragonwings, the other Asian-American novel. Then I would like to figure out and set up a different project for the Hispanic American novels. I might try to set up an RSS Feed for gathering information about that cultural group's issues, I'm not sure yet. For the book on Native Americans, perhaps the students could do podcasts of poetry they write themselves, or readings of some of the poetry in the text. I'm just trying to lay out a plan for revising the website, using different tools for different projects so things aren't the same all the time and so the tools enhance and differentiate either the process or the product. I also want to add some widgets which will help add interest and variety.

I may need help from either Dana or Randy with figuring out how to help students obtain wiki access; I think there may be a way to send wikispaces a list of students who don't have email access. I'm hoping there won't be a limit to the number of students you can allow to engage with the site. If I am to service all of my students (5 language arts groups and 2 math groups) plus meet the needs of the parents, I will need to add a lot of pages, and have a crystal clear plan for visitors. I've tried to attach the metaphor of the cottage to the site, as this is what the g/t program is called at Sandburg, and I want to take advantage of the branding. I have a lot of information available for parents that I need to figure out how to package and present. The changing information will go under News and Announcements. The Parent's Pantry will have hyperlinks to other sites for information, lists of books, journals, associations, etc. I'd like to set up an interactive site for parents in the Kitchen Nook. My concept is a coffee klatch group, where parents can share ahas, questions, concerns, etc., but I need to be realistic in the amount of time I have, so I am still debating how this will take shape. The Learner's Library will be a resource area for students, similar to the Parent's Pantry, but focused on the interests of students. I have quite an accumulation of links for various websites-such as Smithsonian, Louve in Paris, NASA, etc. which the children will enjoy, along with some widgets I have found for Suduko, Grammar Girls, and some other connections that children will enjoy.

So far, I've only spoken of one language arts group and my parents. I will need to have something for my two math groups and I'd love to set up some special areas for different grade levels for language arts. I have to be realistic and keep the whole thing manageable or it will fall apart. I don't know what the balance will be yet, or how I can direct students to just their area without making everything too confusing. I've even thought of setting up separate wikis by grade level, but my head swims at the prospect. I guess I will start with just one group, find out the bumps in the road, and fix some of the problems before I take on too much.