"Chatting it Up Online" by Pamela Livingston

“Chatting it Up Online” by Pamela Livingston is an article about how a 3rd grade teacher decides to use technology in her classroom to spark interest in her students. The teacher decides to use web chatting to interview Mary Pope Osbourne, the author of the “Magic Tree House” series. She had her students come up with well thought out questions ahead of time to ask the author. By having her students come up with the questions the teacher exposed the students to interviewing. By chatting with the author the teacher was able to accomplish many things such as sparking interest in her students, exposing her students to the process of writing a book and demonstrating a new creative way to use technology to conduct research. As Livingston describes the process of setting up a web chat in a classroom she impresses me as she is careful to cover all the bases by coming up with a backup plan. She is also sure to advise teachers of not telling the students about the interview until far into the process. Livingston’s idea was brilliant because it provides a way to get all of your students’ attention and participation in a way that is fun.

Q1-Why should all teahers try the same approach as Livingston?

Every teacher should attempt this approach bc it is not everday that technology is used in elementary classrooms to conduct research. This fresh way of teaching will grab the attention of the students and get them excited about doing the reading. Also by letting the students come up with their own individual questions you are getting them to participate in the learning process of coming up with well developed questions as well as you let them see the advantages of technology as their personal questions are answered.

Q2- What is something that Livingston could have done better?

Livingston should plan the web chat at the beginning of the year so that before they read a book she can tell her students that when they are done they will interview the person who wrote it. By doing this the students are going to be more excited about reading something from someone they will get to talk to and it is more probable they will pay attention to the book.