Thanks for joining me for the ninth virtual fieldtrip.  While numerous of you have participated in virtual fieldtrips with me before, this virtual fieldtrip has some twists!  For those that haven't, here is a quick overview of the premise of my virtual fieldtrips.
     I will be physically traveling to Italy.  To get the students actively involved in this experience, students must read our biographies and itinerary Virtual Fieldtrip 2008 - Biographies.  This give students a better idea of what interests Dr. Novak and I.  WHY do they need this knowledge?  Students will be suggesting places for us to visit during the trip.  Knowledge of the itinerary is important since students can not suggest a place for us to visit IF we are no longer there! 
      How are students going to suggest places for us to visit?  I will be blogging the whole experience while I am in Italy.  Virtual Fieldtrip 2008 - Blogging with Mrs. Novak  explain what blogging is and Internet safety, they do not explain how you can actually manage the blogging experience with your students. 
      There are numerous ways for you to take advantage of this experience with your students. Here are a few.
Reading the blog:
1.) Do a group reading of the blog from your classroom computer sometime during your school day.
2.) Print out the daily blog entries and have them available for students to read.  The printing out of the daily blog entries can be assigned to a single student or group of students.  In the past, students have loved doing this.
3.) Group read the blog entries during your scheduled or  additional time in the computer lab or library. 
Blogging responses:
1.) Do a group classroom response to  my blog.  This is perhaps the simplest and quickest since you will be doing the typing.  You and your students can do a group edit it. 
2.) Set up several small groups of students that will work together as a team to create and edit a single blog response.  This is an excellent approach but takes a little more time and management.  Makes sure students understand that you should look at their blog entry before they press the submit button.  YES, I can take inappropriate blog entries off the blog.  
3.) Individual student respond to my blog.  Using this approach, I suggest each student have an assigned partner for peer reviewing.  Even with this step, you just might want to take a look at what students are posting before they press the submit button. 
     Please relax and enjoy doing this. Blogging can be GREAT fun!
      Below you will see my lesson plans, other teacher lesson plans, grading rubrics and other useful information to help you along with this project.  Yours, Claudia Novak