I have two small group book clubs made up of students from all three 5th grade classes who meet for 25 minutes each day. We are currently reading Missing on Superstition Mountain together. The students are having a lot of fun with this book, which involves a big mystery, skeletons, and treasure! One tool we use during our time together is a blog I created for these book clubs. Both groups use the same one, which makes it easier to manage plus they are able to see what students outside of their group are thinking.
The way I use the blog has evolved since the beginning of book clubs, from asking students general reading skills questions to questions that focus more on the story itself. I have really enjoyed using the blog for discussion questions and am able to use it as another way to check understanding. My favorite part is when the students reply to each other, especially when I don't specifically ask them to! I have included a link below.
http://petersbookclubs.blogspot.com/
Follow the Park Hill 5th grade FLiP teachers as they share their experiences integrating technology into the curriculum in order to shift traditional classroom instruction to student-centered learning environments which focus on 21st century skills, project-based learning, student-driven inquiry, and student voice and choice.
What a great way to use a blog! This shows the versatility of a blog since you are using the blog to post questions and promote student response/collaboration. Can you share the pros and cons of using a blog as a discussion board? Have you used Edmodo? How would you compare Blogger as a discussion board to Edmodo? I would love to hear your insight and opinions!
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