It is hard to believe the holidays are here and the New Year is just around the corner. In another three weeks the semester will be over.

We have begun reading “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck. It is a classic tale about a fisherman who found a priceless pearl and how his life changed as a result of it. Please ask your student to share their thoughts and feelings about the novel with you.

As an introduction to the unit, the students completed a webquest in the computer lab to learn about pearl diving and the author. They also had a chance to try out a new site, Yacapaca, which will allow the students to take tests online and receive immediate feedback. They seem to be enjoying the look and feel of it.

Technology students are learning all about the web 2.0 technologies. They created their own online bookmarks and have begun looking at news aggregators. This week we hope to be looking at photosharing and using the images to create iMovies based on a Robert Frost poem. In addition, we will be creating websites at Learnerblogs.org.