Thursday, April 9, 2015

Roses are Red, Laptops are Blue...

Poetry, Teresa Grau Ros, Flickr
April is Poetry Month, an annual reminder of the need to expose students to poetry as a form of literature. No longer is teaching specific types of poetry found in the standards, but reading with comprehension is (grades 1 and up). In fact, for each grade level numerous classic poems are included in Appendix B of the CCSS.  


Poetry is also a genre students can use to express their thoughts, compare themes, understand figurative language, etc., as part of the writing process. Teaching students how to write a haiku for a science lesson on weather, for example, is a fun way to blend science with ELA. An ode to geometric shapes gives students the opportunity to show what they know about polygons in a lyrical way.   


Poetry becomes more meaningful when it has a visual element. Meaning comes to life and gives substance to the creator’s intent. Using technology can add both a creative and the collaborative dimension to the writing process.


A favorite illustration of the use of poetry, science and technology is this VoiceThread created by Mrs. Mattson’s 3rd grade class a couple years ago. Not only did the students have an opportunity to write and draw, but also reflect on their learning, and share their work with a more global audience. The students received supportive feedback from not only their teacher, but classmates, friends and family too.


Here are some other ideas on how to integrate technology with poetry:
  • Illustrate poems with Haiku Deck, Adobe Voice or Tellagami
  • Make “comic strips” using Google Slides  
  • Put together books of poems with Book Creator, Shutterfly Photo Story or Storybird
  • Video student recitations and post to class Twitter account or blog

Share your ideas, we always want to know!

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