Online Projects, Collaboration Sites, and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Template

Name: Lisa Petsko
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Content Area: Language Arts: Writing
Standards Addressed: ELAGSE7W2
Title of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: Publishing
Opportunity
URL of Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: www.myhero.com
Describe how you would Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity
in your classroom: The lesson plan will be presented to students as part of a
writing unit. Students will be encouraged to look around their community or their
home country (ESOL students) to find a hero that they want to write about. Next
they will write an essay on that what they think makes that person a hero. In
addition to the essay, they will be encouraged to videotape an interview with that
person and ask them questions they think their classmates would want to learn
more about. This will be optional since all the kids may not have the ability to
videotape an interview.
Ultimately they will be posting the information at the myhero.com web site. After
they post their story, I will ask them to read at least one other students hero
story and be prepared to share them with the rest of the class. We will have a
discussion in class about their stories and the ones they read about. My goal is to
get students excited about writing since they will be able to write about their own
choice of topic and something that is personal to them a hero. I hope that it will
be exciting for them to have their writing published on the site and then to read
stories from other students around the world.
I anticipate giving the students about 2 weeks to complete this assignment. If
they are struggling to come up with a hero, I will offer to give them some ideas. I
will schedule time in the computer lab so that students can type their essays and
submit them to myhero.com. They will also have time in the computer lab to do
research at myhero.com.
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity
in a classroom? A computer, & Internet connectivity
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: On the myhero.com web site, they will
read stories from other students.
b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (collecting original
data and or producing original products as a result of engaging in the
project): Students will create their own hero stories and videos
c. Higher-order thinking: Students will have to figure out their hero and
1

then create their essay on what make them a hero.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care
about their product: Their work will be published on myhero.com

Blooms 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? Medium level of technology implementation since it requires a computer
and Internet connectivity.
How could you implement this proposed learning experience and still comply with
your districts Internet Safety and Student Privacy policies? Before starting the
project, I will get approval from my principal and from the students parents. I will
review Internet safety rules with my students prior to starting the project
including only using their first names and never giving out their location, etc.I will
follow any other established rules for Internet safety.