Link to Coile Reads Wiki

Plan for the Coile Reads wiki

Abstract
The Coile Reads wiki will promote reading with a focus on the Georgia Children's Book Award Nominees and READ 25 at Coile Middle School. The Georgia Children's Book Award (GCBA) Nominees, http://www.coe.uga.edu/gcba/award/about.html, are an important part of the media center's program. With the Coile Reads wiki, students, teachers, and parents will be able to see and review the current Georgia Children's Book Award Nominees. They will also be able to have a dialog about the books by posting comments. READ 25 is a Georgia Department of Education program requiring students to read 25 books during the school year. The wiki will allow the Coile community to have a forum to discuss the books they are reading. To help promote the GCBA and READ 25, eighth grade students will make Voice Thread book talks that will be posted on the Coile Reads wiki. The books talks will be part of Unit 1 - Reading and Writing Narratives in the language arts curriculum. The eight grade classes will be provided with a lesson on Voice Thread, and students will be guided as they create their own Voice Thread book talks in computer labs.

Rationale for Project
Creating a Coile Reads wiki on wikispaces accessed from the Coile Media Center Homepage will allow students, teacher, and parents to read about books and discuss books that are promoted at the school. The media center promotes The Georgia Children's Book Award Nominees. These nominees are a selection of 20 books chosen by a committee of media specialists and teachers chaired by a member of the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia. Throughout the year students are encouraged to read the GCBA Nominees, and in March they are able to vote for their favorite. Having the Coile Reads wiki, will give students access to GCBA Nominees' book reviews, author sites, and book talks.

The book talks will be created by eighth grade students as a part of the Language Arts Unit 1 curriculum. Students will be using Voice Thread , a digital storytelling program, to produce the book talks. Voice Thread will allow students to create original works using their images and voices. It will also allow students and teachers to collaborate by commenting, questioning, and changing the book talks creating an organic work. The book talks will be available for the entire school to view, but only the class making the talks will be able to comment through Voice Thread.

The discussion thread enables all students, teachers, and parents to post questions, thoughts, and comments on the GCBA nominees or any book they are reading. The wiki will allow the Coile community to discuss any reading related topic, and others can reply. Students can communicate with the media center and others about books. They can discuss what they are currently reading, and see what others are reading. They can even request new books for the media center. Hopefully, the Coile Reads wiki will get students excited about books and encourage them to meet their READ 25 goal.

Web 2.0
There continues to be a demand for technology integration in the K-12 curriculum. Web 2.0 technologies meet this demand and also contribute to collaboration between students, teachers, and parents. Learning happens when people actively participate and become involved in the learning process. Web 2.0 tools enable learners to take an active role. The school media center can promote Web 2.0 tools by integrating the technologies in the media center program. Introducing a wiki that promotes the reading programs will let the Coile community become familiar with Web 2.0 tools. Also, using the online media album, Voice Thread, for students to create book talks will allow for collaboration between students and teachers. With the Coile Reads wiki, https://coilereads.wikispaces.com, and the Voice Thread book talks accessed on the Coile Media Center webpage, the school community can share information about books, and develop conversations that will enhance their learning.

Furthers Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
The wiki with Voice Thread book talks will further the curriculum, instruction, and assessment needs by promoting reading with new technologies that allow for collaboration. Promoting reading in this format allows students to become an essential part of the process. The wiki and book talks will enhance the curriculum by meeting the technology requirements that are embedded in the instructional guides. Instruction will be more meaningful when students can share and create work that is dynamic. Web 2.0 tools like Voice Thread let students and teachers work together during the process. This gives students an opportunity to make comments, get feedback, and edit the work. With the Voice Thread students can create works that are an integral part of the reading program. Using the wiki and Voice Thread, allow students and teachers to comment and assess the books and book talks.

Red Clay's Philosophical Lenses
The Red Clay Philosophical Lens being utilized with the Coile Reads wiki is the first lens that takes an inquiry stance. The school community can contribute to the process of learning by taking an active role. The wiki with Voice Thread book talks will allow students, teachers, and parents to inquire about books and the reading programs at Coile. The inquiry will contribute to further exploration and experimentation with Voice Thread book talks. As students learn about Voice Thread, and other digital storytelling tools, they will transfer this knowledge into other projects across the curriculum and into their private lives.

Coile Reads Wiki Timeline
July 21 Coile Reads Wiki Linked to RCWP AI wiki
August 11-29 Media Center Orientation with Smart Board Presentation of Coile Reads Wiki
August 18-29 Eight Grade Classes Check-Out Assigned GCBA Nominees
September 15-30 Eight Grade Classes Presented with Smart Board Lesson on Voice Thread
September 15 thru October 9 Eight Grade Classes Schedule Computer Labs to Work on Book Talks
October 10 Final Submission for Voice Thread Book Talks
October 13 Eight Grade Voice Thread Book Talks Linked to Coile Reads Wiki

RCWP AI influence on project
The RCWP AI helped me to better understand Web 2.0 technologies. Many of the tools introduced during the workshop are programs I am familiar with, but I did not fully realize the potential of social networking. The important thing I learned about the different Web 2.0 tools is the organic (yes, organic) nature of the tools. The workshop provided me not only with the guidance in using the tools, but it also gave me the time to implement them. I have created a wiki that will be connected to the Coile media center homepage that can be accessed by the entire school to discuss books and provide feedback. During the first semester of school, I will be working with eighth grade language arts classes to create Voice Thread book talks that can be accessed on the wiki. I have worked with Photo Story in the past, but Voice Thread is a better choice for this project because it can be edited. Voice Thread is one of the tools I have focused on, but I plan on using and sharing other tools at my school such as some of the social bookmarking sites like del.icio.us and scribd. I enjoyed the workshop and will enjoy teaching and exploring the new Web 2.0 tools during the school year