"I think it was pretty good," the Whittemore fifth-grader says about his recent Web endeavor. "I got to learn a little more about blogging, which I didn't know that much about."
Last month, Dung and a group of five other fifth-graders at Whittemore Elementary School discussed Robert Kimmel Smith novel, "Chocolate Fever" through a Web-based journal or, blog, created by instructional technology specialist Sandra Malec, reading specialist Sabina Steede, and librarian Alice Pederson.
While many of the city's school Web sites have interactive resources and tools, such as tutorials and lesson plans, to help students with their course work, Whittemore's site displays a link for the blog.
"It's an educational tool and it's also teaching a technological skill," Pederson said.
Pederson said the idea came from a speech held on the citywide professional day last fall, which discussed the topic of emerging technology in the 21st century.
"We felt that this was something that was becoming more and more prevalent," Pederson said. "These students should have a bit of exposure to it, and we figured definitely in an educational setting. We thought it would be a good way for students to discuss and present what they were learning and reading."
Pederson and Malec approached Steede with the idea of starting the blog with a group of fifth-graders she sees three times a week. Normally, they read a book and have a "literature circle," where they discuss the book, and write about it in a notebook.
Steede said the change in the circle came with positive feedback from students.
"We integrated the blogging along with the literature circle," Steede said. "The students were very eager and very excited. I think the students who have difficulty putting thoughts down on pen and paper, it's a different medium."
Dung said when he heard his group would be using the computer, he was very pleased.
"I was thinking at first we were going to do it on notebooks," he said, "but then we were going to do it on the computer, so it was pretty surprising and exciting."
For discussion on "Chocolate Fever," Pederson said the first comment was done with her, Steede, and Malec, eventually reaching the students' homes.
"They were even using it during the weekends under their parents' supervision," Pederson said.
"The students eventually gained some skill and were able to reply on what someone else might have commented," she said.
"It's definitely opened their eyes to the technology," said Steede.
And Internet safety for the students is stressed, as the blog was strictly monitored by the three school specialists, who asked students to post comments and ideas either anonymously or with a fake name.
"We have very strict manner in which students could use this," Pederson said.
Although the blog for "Chocolate Fever" is now finished, it is still available for public view at chocfever.blogspot.com. Steede said a blog for a fourth-grade group is now being discussed, and while it's in the beginning stages, the students seem eager to embrace it.
Whittemore Assistant Principal Jane Gately said she hopes to see blogging for reading groups expand as "kids nowadays are so computer-savvy" and technology in the classroom can be a very positive experience.
"It's a great thing," Gately said. "Hopefully it'll get them to read more, and that's our goal."
Matt Perkins can be reached at 781-398-8009 or at mperkins@cnc.com.
