Welcome / Introductions

I recently came across an article about students in Oregon who researched the history of a local streetcar line that once ran past their school and created podcasts to share their learning with the community.  This got me thinking about how we as educators can harness technologies to help students connect with their immediate surroundings both in conducting research and in presenting information. 

As you join is group, feel free to share a little bit about yourself, any ways you have your students explore their community, and/or resources you have come across.

I am a middle school English / Language Arts teacher, and I have gravitated toward some place-based learning projects so that students can experience firsthand the place they will research and write about.  We wrapped up with a project on nearby Kezar Lake at the end of the last school year.  We used Voicethread to record our interviews with local experts and Google Docs and Sites to showcase student writing about what they learned.  I feel the students were enthusiastic about the project, and they particularly enjoyed conducting and commenting on the group interviews.  One regret is that I didn't work in enough time for students to analyze and prioritize the facts we learned from the interviews and articles provided by our local historical society. 

I look forward to gaining new insights and learning about new resources as we explore this topic together!