Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

Lesson Idea Name: Opinions and KidPub!

Content Area: Writing
Grade Level(s): 4th
Content Standard Addressed:
ELAGSE4W1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
ELAGSE4W4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Technology Standard Addressed:
3 – Knowledge Constructor - Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to
construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for
themselves and others.

Selected Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity: KidPub – Publishing Opportunity

URL(s) to support the lesson: https://www.kidpub.com/

Describe how you would incorporate an Online Project/Collaboration Site/Publishing Opportunity in your
classroom:
Our class has been discussing what it means to express an opinion, and how it differs from stating a
fact. Our discussions have also included backing up our opinion statements with reasoning; so, if we state an
opinion about a topic, we should be able to give some background information on what makes us think/feel
that way. We have also talked about how a factual statement should be backed up with research or evidence,
which lets the reader know they are stating a fact. We have been practicing reading statements and
categorizing them as fact or opinion, and then discussing what words or phrases in the statement help us
determine our choice.
As a way to assess students’ progress related to this content standard, the students will be given
three prompts that involve writing an opinion and including supporting details and reasoning for the stated
opinion. They will choose one prompt to write about. We will work through the stages of writing –
brainstorming, drafting, editing, and publishing. For this specific piece of writing we will publish their final
products on the online publishing site, KidPub. Students will then review other pieces of writing, using the
website, and provide feedback for at least two classmates. They will have to get with a partner and determine
what pseudonyms were used to publish their work, so they can locate the piece of writing. The students will
also be given an opportunity to browse the website and read pieces of writing from students all over the
country, for entertainment purposes and reading development; they may even decide to leave feedback for
those pieces as well.

Prompts:
1. Which is the best animal to have as a pet? A cat or dog?
2. Which school subject is the most important to learn? Science or Social Studies?
3. Which of the four seasons is your favorite? Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall?
What technologies would be required to implement this proposed learning activity in a classroom?
Each student would need their own device to complete this task. We can use a class set of laptops or use a
computer lab with desktop computers. Students can work on their pieces of writing using Word Documents
on Microsoft 365 online, which gives them a spot to save their work and return to it later.
Describe how the following features are addressed in this learning experience (note: all of them may not be
addressed in the project, but most should be if you are reaching a high LoTi Level).
a. Collaboration with peers, near-peers, mentors outside their classroom and often beyond their
school: Students will collaborate with other students outside of our classroom and school, by reading
pieces of writing published on KidPub and providing commentary or feedback for those pieces.

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 Online Projects, Collaboration Sites and Publishing Opportunities

b. Student-centered learning and knowledge creation (creating original data and or producing original
products as a result of engaging in a project): Students are given the opportunity to select their
writing prompt from a list of three, so they are not tied down to one topic. They are to create a piece
of writing with their opinion and provide unique supporting details and reasoning for their response to
the prompt they selected.

c. Higher-order thinking: Students will be reading and reviewing pieces of writing by other students, in
which they will provide feedback. This promotes higher order thinking because they will consider what
they have learned about stating opinions and facts, in order to provide useful and appropriate
feedback.

d. Students publishing their original work to others who will use/care about their product: Students will
be posting their opinion pieces on the online publishing site, KidPub. This website allows other
students from different schools across the country to review their work for entertainment purposes or
to provide feedback. This website also offers writing contests, where specialists can review their
writing, which gives students the opportunity to win prizes if their writing is selected.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):
☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☐ Level 4: Integration
☒ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

 The teacher will prepare students to write this paper by having an in depth discussion related to fact
and opinion statements, which includes using appropriate vocabulary.
 Students will be given a choice in the topic of their writing, as opposed to being assigned something
specific.
 Students are participating in a four step writing process, so they can work to improve their writing,
instead of writing it once and submitting without confidence.
 The teacher will walk the students through the process of uploading to KidPub and how to reply to
other user’s writing.
 The teacher will provide examples of comments and feedback that would be useful to give on
someone else’s work.
Lesson idea implementation and Internet Safety Policies:
The teacher will lead a discussion reminding students of privacy and safety guidelines to follow when working
with online databases. Some of these guidelines include: neglecting to include the schools name or any
location relative to them, not using their real names or pictures, Students will be required to use avatar
photos and pseudonyms for their profile using this publishing site, to protect their privacy from users outside
the classroom.
Reflective Practice: I like this lesson because it reaches a higher LoTi level than the previous technology
integration lessons I have written, since the students are given the opportunity to publish their work. I also
really like that students are able to give and receive feedback on their work, to help improve their writing. I
think I could enhance the technological aspects of this lesson by having students create a short PowerPoint to
present their opinions with a brief explanation to other fourth grade classes in the school. We can even
encourage a peaceful debate, where students from both classes discuss opposing opinions.

Spring 2018_SJB