home

=Welcome to Ask the Author!=

Ask the author is a lesson plan redesign. The original lesson plan is an engaging activity that has students asking the author questions in response to their reading. This activity would be great for any short stories or nonfiction texts within a student newspaper or magazine. Questions students should think about asking the author may be about the features of the text such as illustrations or photographs that were selected, where did the inspiration to write the story come from, and what was their main purpose for writing this text. Students will role play as if they are meeting their author and record their questions and answers on paper. Students will be asked to write down any questions that may arise while they are reading; which is a great reading skill students should have. The redesign of this lesson gives the students a chance to use technology and record themselves asking the author questions and sending it to them.

=Why this lesson?=

I chose Ask the Author because I feel it is a fun and engaging activity that students will want to participate in. Asking the author questions is a great strategy to understanding what message(s) the author is trying to relay in his or her story. It is always important to have your students use metacognition, thinking about what you're reading, throughout a story they are reading. By using this strategy students can learn to comprehend and have questions answered they can't otherwise figure out.

=Original Lesson Plan=

The original lesson plan can be found on this [|website]. This lesson also suggests using [|Think-Aloud Lessons] as a helpful tool in getting the students started with this fun reading comprehension activity. Think-Aloud Lessons are fun and interactive. They not only help students in expanding their reading comprehensions, but also help teachers create an engaging learning environment.

Check out Think-Aloud Lessons for more ideas!
= =

=Revised Lesson Plan=

The new revised lesson plan for Ask the Author involves using an online technology tool called [|eyejot]. The original plan is made so that it covers grades Pre-K to 8th; the revised would be more appropriate for grades 3 and above. To be able to use this tool it is important to have previously contacted the author and approve the interview as well as the use of eyejot. The goal of this lesson is to have the students collaborate in groups and come up with appropriate and rational questions they would ask an author about a story he/she wrote to gain more insight and comprehension of the reading itself. To show how this may be done I created a lesson plan for a 3rd grade classroom. SL-3-3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. || Lesson || This reading comprehension lesson is presented to provide students with an opportunity to learn how to use comprehension skills to further their reading skills. This lesson will also provide students with the opportunity to ask important questions about a story to its author by using technology in the classroom. || Learn || All students in this homogenous group are included: Teacher will use verbal and visual directions. Multiple ways of engaging students include: clear directions, post it notes to mark places in the story that can pose as or create further discussion, and the interactive use of technology with supervision of the teacher. || Environment || At least one computer with a webcam and microphone. Classroom furniture is arranged in groups of 3 or 4 to facilitate working in small groups. || Instruction || Students will have the opportunity to respond to their reading by asking the author questions. Contact information can be found by the teacher by searching the internet so students may contact the author to conduct this lesson. || Procedures || **__Opening (10 minutes):__** “Today we are going to be reading stories from our school’s newspaper. You will be broken up into groups and will work together. Your group will decide together which story is most interesting to you and inform me of what you choose. Each group must have a different story. While you and your group read the story I want you to use post it notes to mark a spot in the story that you may have a question about or it is a topic you wish to discuss with your group. When you have finished reading, I want you to open your writing notebooks and write down the questions or points in the story that you marked with the post it note(s). The questions you are creating will be used so we can send a video message to the author. I have already spoken to the director of our newspaper and he/she has agreed to work with us in using this interactive online tool. Before we get ready to create the video message you will practice with your group asking questions and making sure they are appropriate.” Students may share with other groups what story they read and one question or discussion point they asked the author. || Appropriate behavior demonstrated while conducting the video message to the author. || = =
 * Grade/Content || 3rd grade reading comprehension ||
 * Title || Ask the Author ||
 * Standards || R-3-13 Uses comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading literary and informational text.
 * Context of the
 * Opportunities to
 * Materials || Copy of nonfiction story, Interactive Think-Aloud text (at least one per group), writing journals, pencils, computer with webcam and microphone, and post it notes ||
 * Classroom
 * Differentiated
 * Objectives || At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
 * 1) 1. Use metacognition to create appropriate questions or points of interest to ask an author about a text.
 * 2) 2. Use technology under the supervision of an adult/teacher. ||
 * Instructional
 * __Engagement (20 minutes):__**
 * 1) 1. Students are split into groups of 3 or 4 with their desks together.
 * 2) 2. Students will be handed out a copy of the school’s newspaper and asked to read through and pick a short story that interests them the most and inform the teacher of what they chose.
 * 3) 3. Students read the story and using the skill of metacognition they create questions or discussion points.
 * 4) 4. Students will write in their writing journals the questions/discussion points and share them with their group.
 * 5) 5. Groups will narrow down the questions and discussion points so they are appropriate and rational.
 * 6) 6. Groups will practice with one another as to how they want to ask the questions.
 * 7) 7. Teacher will provide a video example of how to use eyejot. Students are reminded to not use the internet without supervision from an adult.
 * 8) 8. Students will be called up one group at a time to use this technology tool and create a video message to send to their author. (Videos may be done on a later day depending upon time limit)
 * __Closing (5 minutes):__**
 * Assessment || Student’s use of reading strategies assessed during reading by using post it notes and the questions they created.

An Example of a School Newpaper
= = =What tool and why=

I chose to use [|eyejot] to incorporate into this lesson plan. I feel like this could improve the lesson because the students would have real interaction with an author rather than using their imagination and pretending what they author may or may not say. Instead of using a tool like Skype, students can learn what goes into a well detailed and suitable video email. = =

Eyejot is an easy to use interactive tool that allows you to create video messages you can send through video email. You may save contacts, save videos, embed them in blogs or social networking sites as well. Eyejot is also free to sign up and start using.

Eyejot
media type="custom" key="12570808"

=Standards and NETS=

When thinking about and writing this lesson plan I kept in mind which standards would be best. For GLE's I chose R-3-13 which is using comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading literary and informational text. The students must choose a story together in which they will talk about what they are going to read, think about what they are reading while they read which will be shown through the use of post its, then once they finish reading, they must come up with questions or discussion points to be used for the video message to the author. The Common Core Standard that I chose is SL-3-3 which is ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. Students must collaborate and answer one another's questions or discussion topics before they can move on to creating a video message. The collaboration is preparing them to ask appropriate and thoughtful questions to the author as well as posing insightful thoughts for discussion.

The NETS standard for teachers that I followed was NETS-1.a,d. 1.a states: teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teacher promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. 1.d states: teachers model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students,colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. This lesson allows teachers to engage their students in a creative way using technology. Students will experience a safe virtual environment provided by the teacher to be able to express their thinking and learning skills.

=Improving teaching...=

I believe this tool is a great way to improve teaching skills. It is unique and a new learning experience for both teacher and students. Bringing technology into the classroom is expanding and becoming more popular. Teaching students to use technology appropriately and under guidance of an adult is very important and something that teachers should always remind their students. It enhances the ability to become more creative and imaginative in creating lessons that will engage students in learning.

=Improving student learning...=

Using technology in the classroom teaches students the appropriate skills to use when accessing the internet. It can be hard to grab the attention of each of your students; adding something new and exciting to the mix where students can interact is a great way to ensure that your students are paying attention. Students may not realize that they are learning and expanding different skills as they use technology. As for eyejot, students can interact with almost anyone. This gives them a chance to learn a new culture, question an author or begin discussions with another class. Video messaging allows students to have to think about what they are going to do or say, rehearse, and the process of recording. The process starts with a story and to be able to reach the end product of creating a video message they must know, or will learn, reading comprehension skills that they can grow and expand upon.