This document provides information about setting up online literature circles using blogs. It discusses what literature circles are, examples of traditional and online literature circles, and considerations for creating a class blog for literature circles. Key steps are outlined, such as choosing a text, deciding on a blog structure, setting up accounts and pages, establishing categories and posts, and determining blog guidelines. Teachers are instructed to get training, moderate all blog activity, notify parents, and protect student privacy and safety online. Students will be assigned roles and use the blog to discuss their reading.

1. LITERATURE CIRCLES – PART 1

2. WHAT IS A LITERATURE CIRCLE?
 A literature circle is a
students' equivalent in
the classroom of an
adult book club. The
aim is to encourage
student-choice and a
love of reading ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li
terature_circle

3. INSTRUCTIONAL IMPACT OF
TRADITIONAL LITERATURE CIRCLES

4. CAN WE REALLY DO THIS ONLINE?
 http://mrsperrybfg.blogspot.c
om/2007/01/literature-circle-
bfg-vocabulary.html
 http://mrsperrycharlottesweb.
blogspot.com/
 http://annavhs5.edublogs.org/
2010/03/16/the-history-of-
love-reader-response-p14-
34-a-fathers-love-for-a-child/
 http://jeffvhs5.edublogs.org/2
010/02/24/chapters-10-11-
reader-response-unraveling-
of-the-golden-thread/
 http://www.readwritethink.org/
classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/thoughtful-threads-
sparking-rich-1165.html
 http://www.readwritethink.org/
classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/girls-read-online-
literature-970.html
 http://www.readwritethink.org/
classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/weaving-multigenre-
279.html
Example Blogs Example Lesson Plans

5. PROJECTS
 http://www.litcircles.org/
Extension/extension.ht
ml
 http://technotigerslitcircl
e.blogspot.com/
 http://goanimate.com/
 http://blabberize.com/
 http://www.fodey.com/g
enerators/newspaper/s
nippet.asp
 http://mywebspiration.c
om/
 http://voicethread.com/
#home

6. Picking a Text
Basal
Stories
Novels
Chapter
Books
Author
Study

7. BLOG APPLICATION AND PLAN
Making Choices for your Blog

8. STRUCTURE YOUR CIRCLE USING
STUDENT COMMENTS
 Teacher creates posts
with directions etc.
 Students respond via
comments
 Students can all
complete the same
assignment or have
roles
 Teacher moderates all
comments
 http://mrsperrybfg.blog
spot.com/2007/01/litera
ture-circle-bfg-
vocabulary.html
 http://mrsperrycharlotte
sweb.blogspot.com/
Student Comments Examples

9. STRUCTURE YOUR CIRCLE USING
STUDENT BLOG POSTS
 http://annavhs5.edublo
gs.org/2010/03/16/the-
history-of-love-reader-
response-p14-34-a-
fathers-love-for-a-child/
 http://jeffvhs5.edublogs
.org/2010/02/24/chapte
rs-10-11-reader-
response-unraveling-
of-the-golden-thread/
• Teacher sets up student
author accounts on the
class blog
• Students have roles and
complete their role
responses by posting
articles to the class blog
• Students comment on each
other’s posts
• Teacher moderates posts
and comments
Examples Student Blog Posts

10. BLOG PAGES
 About me
 Literature Circle -
Rules, Guidelines,
Documents
 Parent’s page
 Blog Guidelines
 http://ppsblogs.net/ruth
okoye/about-ruth/
 http://blogs.district279.
org/albrechtb/literature-
circle-block-2/
 http://tpfluger.edublogs.
org/parents/
 http://huzzah.edublogs.
org/commenting-
guidelines/
Pages you might want to
include Examples

11. BLOG CATEGORIES
Categories help your
students navigate
 Story/Text
 Author
 Role??

12. BLOG POSTS
 Introduction
 Roles/Responsibilities
 Team information
 Project information
 Role assignments
 Teacher posts
Starting Out Discussion prompts

13. BLOG GUIDELINES

14. ACCOUNTS
Teachers will be given permanent accounts after
receiving training. Training will be offered 2-3 times
a year. Accounts with no activity in any 9 week
period will be considered inactive and will be
archived.

15. MODERATION
The teacher with administrative responsibilities for
the product is required to moderate all activity on
school blogs and/or wikis.

16. PARENT NOTIFICATION
Parents should be informed that a blog/wiki/podcast
is published on the web as an extension of the
student’s class. The URL for the blog/wiki should
be provided to the parent at the time of notification.

17. STUDENT ACCOUNTS
Students may post on the classroom blog as
readers, writers, or editors. Students may post
wikis as writers or editors. Students may not post
as administrators. Student accounts may use their
first name and last initial or any other appropriate
pseudonym.

18. INTERNET SAFETY
At no time may a student be identified by first and
last name. Student photographs may not be
published without release from a parent/guardian.
Photos of students may combined with student
names and/or school name and/or school location
in any posts.

19. HOMEWORK

20. HOMEWORK
 Complete your Literature Circle Planning document
 Complete your Blog Plan document
 Fill out the Blog application