categorize, and store information for efficient retrieval.

II. Communication: Students will use technology to collaborate with peers and to receive

The students will formulate their response to a reading BCR in the program, Free Write, on their individual Palms. The students are very familiar with the standard format of a BCR, and this particular typed response will focus less on space constraints and more on the actual content of the response. Each student in my class saved his/her BCR assignment on his/her Palm. In addition the students beamed their responses to my Palm so that I could examine them more closely (all but 3 were successful in beaming). I would be happy to share one or more samples.

Ideally, it would be beneficial to have a hard copy of each student’s typed response so that it could be filed in each student’s BCR portfolio to travel with him/her to future teachers.

The purpose of typing this particular BCR is to give students another mode of recording a response to a BCR. This allows students to edit their work on the spot, and they seem to be more effective proofreaders by having access to the Palms. The students would then follow up their responses by beaming their response to a peer for an informal assessment (score a friend 1-3).

Poem titled, "Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog"

Class Chart with BCR Question Displayed

Class Chart of Reading BCR Rubric

Class Set of Palms

Free Write Software

Keyboards

Students should be able to locate keys on the keyboard with some degree of ease.

Students should be able to locate and open the program, Free Write.

Students should be able to activate and utilize the keyboard for the Palm.

Students should be able to beam a specific set of data (BCR) to another Palm.

General reminders about word processing (capitalization, spacing after punctuation when word processing)

Students should have some familiarity with Free Write since we have used it previously, however, I will remind students to proofread as they would with any other written pieces.

The objectives for this lesson are outlined as the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum Standards for Grade 4 – Reading. These standards are listed at the beginning of this lesson.

In General:

Students will be exploring poetry as another form of genre for reading.

Students will read the poem while having a goal in mind for follow-up.

Students will respond to the poem in the form of a BCR.

Sharing BCRs with one another will enable students to critically analyze one another’s writing.

1. Anticipatory Set – (note: This lesson was taught right before Mother’s Day) Begin by showing students the title of the poem to be read in class, "Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog." Ask students to share the different possible reasons a mother might give for not wanting a dog. Have them listen to the poem to find out if any of their shared reasons were revealed in the poem.

2. Read aloud the BCR question (on class chart template). "How does the mother in the poem feel about having a dog for a pet? Us details from the poem to support your response." Students will be asked to think about this question as they listen to the poem.

3. After listening to the poem, discuss any surprises that were in the poem. Share any other interesting points that the students noticed.

4. Revisit the BCR Question as well as the reading rubric that will be used to assess their responses. Explain to students that they will be responding to the BCR question on their Palms, and then discuss the technology checklist for the task.

5. Once Palms and keyboards have been distributed, students will be given independent work time to type their responses in Free Write.

6. Students should beam their finished product to a peer, and they should read each other’s responses. Each pair should discuss one another’s responses and share what score they think one another deserves, and why. Revisions may be made.

7. Products should be beamed to the teacher for assessment.

Now that students have read about a mother who doesn’ t want a dog, students will compose their own poem about something else that their mother or mothers in general might not want. These poems would then be composed in Free Write and shared with others.

Students could also generate their own question(s) based on their reading of "Mother Doesn’t Want a Dog."

Students who are especially skilled with using the Palms may go into Sketchy to draw an illustration that could go along with this poem or their original poem.

Students who are still adjusting to using the Palm as a keyboard may be given the option to write a response to the BCR question before actually typing their responses.

Fellow classmates may serve as assistants to those that may benefit from having a peer help with the word processing (or editing).

Students who benefit from extra practice with using the Palm as a word processor may practice by using Giraffe (with the keyboard) to enhance their familiarity with the location of keys on the keyboard.