Pirates Readings

The two readings that were assigned this week were really helpful and full of great ideas. I loved the idea of combining fiction and nonfictional texts to help students gain further knowledge of the lives of pirates. One interesting aspect of the study was the use of a glossary of historic terms to help students understand words that they may not have had previous contact with. When I read The Not So Jolly RogerI know that I came across terms that I had never encountered. Also, the data retrieval chart is such a great tool to help students know what kind of information they are looking for in their research and what is relevant.

Another part of the study that is important is the use of technology for research and presentation. Computers and the internet are such a large part of our world and that is not going to change. Students often turn to computers first to do research. I think that when teachers choose to do an intensive study of a subject or unit it is of utmost importance that they are in control of the information that the students will be viewing. This is why it is so critical to find and comb through the sites that students will be using to find their data. Also by creating a page of hyperlinks for the students use and with close monitoring I believe a teacher can prevent students from viewing inappropriate sites or those that are irrelevant to their purpose. Finally, blogs are a great way to post student assignments and display student work. However, I would definitely want the pages to be password protected. I know that we can use another name or give the students an assigned number but I just have a bit of mistrust within me and would want to protect these children as much as possible. With that being said what a great way to show off what they have learned and to encourage them to write with more depth. I can imagine a student’s parent seeing their work and bragging on their child; what a great confidence boost!

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