Materials:

Computer with an Internet connection is needed
Books used, but not limited to the following:
Olivia by Ian Falconer
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Harriet Tubman by Wil Mara
I Love You When by Leslie Jonath

Description:

I constructed a wiki to be attached to my school website at a later date. I added hyperlinks of myself reading stories aloud from Teacher Tube. This enables students to interact with technology and literacy. It allows children to always have access to me reading them stories, particularly if no one else is available to read to them. Students can vote on other books they’d like to see on the wiki. Children can evaluate the wiki to develop it further. Students can learn how to make their own wikis using Web 2.0 technology ethically and responsibly.

How it Works:

Students can go online to our school website once it is connected or go directly to https://readwithmrsg.wikispaces.com/ which is live and running. They can read along or be read to by their school librarian. We can evaluate the wiki together to see how user-friendly it is. Students can design a rubric of what a good wiki includes, and then develop wikis of their own.

Final Project/Product:

I will show students how quickly they can access an online read-aloud at https://readwithmrsg.wikispaces.com/. This will prompt a discussion of what types of books we like reading, hearing, and sharing, and the importance of literacy and being a lifelong learner. Then the students will use computers to go online and access the wiki. This hands-on approach shows them that they can also do this from home, away from school.  They can have story time anytime.

Overall Value:

This program allows students access to Web 2.0 technology. 
They can select the story or stories they want to listen to.
It is a motivation to read and to use technology.
It is a resource to evaluate a basic wiki and then develop new wikis.
It makes reading fun and offers choices.
It can be updated and improved with help from student contributions.
It lends itself to teaching and learning about Internet ethics and responsibility.
It lets students know that I am always available to read them a story or two if nobody else is available to do so.

Tips for the Teacher:

This can be used as an example of a very basic wiki. It can be a starting point to teach students how to create a wiki.  We can evaluate what they like or dislike about it: how would they improve upon the basic wiki?  We can develop or enhance it together. We can also create new wikis as a project.

https://readwithmrsg.wikispaces.com/

1. Students will access the Internet to share online read-alouds.
2. Students will evaluate a wiki to determine how user friendly it is.
3. Students will develop rubric criteria for a user-friendly wiki.
4. Students will use Web 2.0 technology ethically and responsibly.
5. Students will learn how to make a new wiki.
6. Students will learn that they are part of a literate learning community.
7. Students will choose new books to enhance the current wiki.
8. Students will learn to insert hyperlinks in web pages.
9. Students will develop a love of literacy.
10. Students will become lifelong learners.

https://readwithmrsg.wikispaces.com/
This is a site for children to go to anytime they want an adult to read to them. It is a place to connect with literacy and Web 2.0 technology. Students can select which books they wish to hear and share. They can also think about additional books they want to hear. This is a great resource to practice being a lifelong learner.

Standard 1: 
Students read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
Grade: K-12
Subject:  Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 2:
Students demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 3: 
Students demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 4:
Students follow ethical and legal guidelines in gathering and using information.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 5: 
Students use information and technology responsibly.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 6:
Students use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 7:
Students connect understanding to the real world.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 8: 
Students develop directions for future investigations.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 9: 
Students participate and collaborate as members of a social and intellectual network of learners.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 10: 
Students assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product. 
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 11: 
Students read, view, and listen for pleasure and personal growth.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

Standard 12: 
Students seek information for personal learning in a variety of formats and genres.
Grade: K-12
Subject: Library Science, Reading, Technology

1. Go to http://www.wikispaces.com/ and follow instructions to make an educational wiki, so that no advertisements will be posted on it.
2. Select short books to read aloud.
3. Upload (no more than 100 MB) videos onto Teacher Tube. 
4. Allow about 24 hours for their reviewers to accept and post your video.
5. Once each video is live, add the URL as a hyperlink to your wiki.
6. Add your wiki to your school website if applicable. 
7. Share your wiki with your school community.
8. A very basic wiki will lend itself to student evaluation, rubrics and further development (made by students).
9. Remind students to visit the wiki; let them write down the URL to keep.