Of course there’s digital storytelling, and beyond? Blogging, Podcasting lots of tools to get us to write and read and collaborate with educators from everywhere on this new flat medium, where we can create multidimensional work: writing, voice, photos, video music. A playground for the new pioneers.

Last year it was all about creating a community within the classroom first, writing together, sharing revisions, reflections, creating that open, supportive environment and then creating 3 DS pieces. I would have liked to send more time moving the pieces to the web, experiementing with new tools, sharing articles, but I had the group of mostly PCer’s working in an Apple lab. Maybe that was too selfish. I had them purchase headset mics and that was frustrating. Not all were right with macs. So, this time around I will move into a PC lab where there will be headsets and software for PC’s.

So their first project will be a DS based on a poem or short piece of text, original or published work. And then the last piece/project will be a reflection about their literacy lives and the web, suggested recently by Troy. I usually have them write a reflection about this experience but a DS will be more powerful and timely.

In between the two DS pieces, they will enjoy working with 4 or 5 of the HVWP tech team and their classroom work in blogging, wikis, DS and moos. Tracey, Trace, Elyse, Julie and Steve. What a team!

On our class blogs: edublog and Classroom 2.0 they will write and reflect. They will read literacy articles and select a few for our class article anthology. They will experiment with online tools, some with the group: Voicethread and some they will demo and share.

What was very powerful for the group last summer was the classroom community sessions and that of course can be supported online. They will also read and follow blogs and report back.

I feel like I’m just beginning.

What texts? David Warlick? Will Richardson? A DS text?