Most Monday evenings,  I have been participating in Twitter chats with other 4th grade teachers from across the country.  We hold these #4thchats on Mondays from seven to eight PM (central time.)  A few weeks ago we talked about teaching writing. 

Over the years, I’ve always felt that teaching writing is one of my greatest strengths.  I am a writer myself, and I believe my love of writing inspires kids to be better writers.  As I was listening to the 4thchat discussion, and the great things that people are doing in their classrooms,  I realized that lately, my class and I  haven’t been having much fun with our writing.

I think it started in early March with all our test preparation for Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.  In addition to the ITBS test prep, this year we have been required to do more testing in reading, math and writing than in any of the previous 23 years I’ve been teaching. 

Along with the testing, our district has taken on two seperate initiatives in writing.  Writing to Learn for non-fiction writing across the curriculum, and Being a Writer which is  a newly purchased curriculum in both fiction and non-fiction writing.  I wrote earlier this year that I was concerned that the creative projects that I like to do with students would be squeezed out, and it almost happened.

All year I have wanted to learn how to create Glogs on Glogster EDU.  A Glog is an on-line posters.  I decided now is the time!  In our current unit of Being a Writer, we were beginning a project to read and learn about countries around the world.  After choosing a country to study, students were to research and write about it. 

Before I could teach the kids how to do it, first I had to learn how to make a Glog myself, .  Several members of my Twitter PLN shared resources with me, including some YouTube videos.  Once I got the hang of it, I discovered it’s really fun!

Each student is making their own Glog, but we started out working as partners to help one another.  Some of my students have a lot more experience with technology than others.  They have done a great job teaching each other how to create a Glog.

We’re hoping to be done by next week, and then we will embed them on our Kidblogs.  Core Knowledge Night is next Thursday night.  We want to be able to show all our parents what we have been doing.

I’m glad my #4thchat PLN reminded me that there are more important things than taking tests.The fun is back in our classroom, and we are having a great time sharing our writing in a new way.