Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, May 28, 2010

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The fifth-graders take turns at the touch-screen SMART Board as they lead their book discussion.

Veterans Park Elementary is pointing students toward the future by incorporating technology in their literature circles.

Fifth-graders now log into iSchool, an interactive Web space available throughout the district, to record their thoughts and share ideas about an assigned book.

“It’s a non-threatening way to get them started with some online learning,” said Principal Amy McVey, who leads one reading group in each three-week rotation. “It’s creating an avenue for them to be more excited about their reading.”

It’s a virtual classroom, too, since the kids can also access the forum from home. Student Naomi Lindsay said that’s a big plus if someone needs to catch up. “If you’re sick at home, you can look at everybody’s (work) and see what you missed,” she said.

While students in each literature circle complete the same exercises and reading activities, the ones on iSchool find another level of engagement in using the touch-screen SMART Board mounted in the library.

“They’re reading more and they’re excited because they want to be able to participate,” said McVey, whose group recently wrapped up “Here and Then,” a time-travel story from the Civil War era that falls under historical fiction.

The online work has benefited students in other ways, too.

Justin Smith found that his typing speed has improved, and he likes being able to see his test scores immediately. “It brings up our reading grade because of all the jobs we do,” Justin added.

With each book rotation, the students are assigned a different role to play.

For instance, one will be the discussion director, who comes up with five open-response questions such as “How did you react when Abby lied to her parents?” The children key in their answers individually and then go over them together.

Another student is charged with identifying new vocabulary words, noting the page number, supplying a definition and using each one in a sentence. Other kids will illustrate important scenes, analyze the main characters and summarize the plot. In addition, the teacher creates a multiple-choice quiz for extra credit.

“Sometimes you draw, sometimes you write. So it helps you with different skills,” Naomi said.

Her favorite job is that of the “travel tracer,” who illustrates and describes six key scenes. “In your head while you’re reading the book, you think, ‘Is this a main idea or just a small detail?’”

The pictures, as with the rest of the material, are projected in full color on the SMART Board.

As McVey’s group went over “Here and Then,” she reminded the kids to use complete sentences and proper punctuation when posting their answers online, just as if they were writing in class.

In iSchool, the students can also rate each other’s efforts and update a table of their scores from week to week. Another feature is a chat room. “If someone else is in the chat room, you can talk about (the book) together,” Justin explained.

McVey considers that a bonus lesson, noting, “They’re learning a very positive way to have social interaction with the computer.”

After all the reviewing, the students take a final online quiz, which counts for their grade.  

McVey got the idea for using iSchool in literature circles at a monthly meeting with fellow principals. She is training her teachers so they can lead it next year and hopes to expand it to third- and fourth-graders, too.