Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools

Lesson Idea Name: Location, Location, Location

Content Area: Social Studies
Grade Level(s): 3rd
Content Standard Addressed: SS3G3: Describe how physical systems affect human systems.

Technology Standard Addressed: Creative Communicator

Selected Technology Tool:

☒ Blog ☐ Wiki ☐ Other: Website Creation Tool (list):

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): http://esandhag.edublogs.org/flipped-classroom/

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):

Engagement: Optimize relevance, value, and authenticity
Representation: Offer alternatives for auditory and visual information
Action and Expression: Facilitate managing information and resources

Lesson idea implementation:

The lesson will be introduced with the flipped classroom assignment the day before. The students will be
assigned to interviewing their parents individually about the reasons as to why they chose to live where they
live. The lesson will only take a day in that they will interview their parents and post their findings to the
discussion board on the class blog page. In class the next day, the students will have access to laptops to look
at the other postings to find common characteristics that other parents said. There will be a class discussion
about common threads that they noticed and will apply this knowledge to the next step.
We will use this information to look at the formation of cities and locations of Native American settlements.
They will be given a packet with different cities and settlements on it and will determine what are the pros
of settling here and the cons. They can use the laptops to look at different maps, or approved websites that
could help them. This packet will be turned in to for assessment. The students learning will be extended to a
higher level by using the blog to promote communication outside of the classroom.
Importance of technology:
The tool is critical for the project because it gets them thinking about the assignment before we even begin.
Using the class blog gives the students the opportunity to learn and work outside of the classroom and using
the technology in the classroom gives them access to different types of maps to use to complete the packet.
This could be done without technology in that they could write their answers and bring them to class, or they
could just use their textbook for the packet portion, but the technology adds another level to the lesson.
They’d be losing the experience of using the blog and browsing the web to find different information they
need.
Inspiration (optional): None

Internet Safety and Student Privacy:

Summer 2017_SJB
 Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools
There are not a lot of issues surrounding the potential internet safety of the students. Because it is a
classroom blog, it will be locked down to just students posting without the threat of outside people being able
to interact with the students. The blogs also are not allowed to display the student’s current location, or
personal information in accordance to the Cobb County Internet Safety laws.
Reflective Practice:
I have designed this lesson as an introductory activity to the unit we would be studying which is SS3G3. I could
further extend this lesson by having them record what their parents say and posting the recording to the blog
as well. Another technology tool I could use would be a type of online graphic organizer and having them post
their findings to the blog.

Summer 2017_SJB