Daily Bookmarks 11/08/2007

eSchool News online – School laptop program begets writing gains  Annotated

• This 1-to-1 laptop program resulted in improvements in writing skills. 20% more of the 8th graders were rated proficient in writing than had been 5 years earlier. Quotes from page 2 of the article.
   – post by christyinsdesign

Laptops make it easier for students to edit their copy and make changes without getting writer’s cramp, he said. As a result, students are writing and revising their work more frequently, which leads to better results. And it’s important, Silvernail said, that those skills translated when the test was taken with pen and paper, too…

“It’s just a lot easier to edit, to self-critique. Our teachers engage students in a lot of peer editing. Not only are they helping themselves, but they’re helping each other as they get to their final projects,” Rebar said.

Kathy Schrock’s Home Page – Navigating Primary Source Materials on the Internet

• Collection of resources for online primary source materials. A number of resources are organized by subject matter. Links and titles are provided, but no description for the content other than grouping by subject.
   – post by christyinsdesign

The First Thanksgiving – You Are the Historian – Online Learning Center

• Investigate primary sources from Plimouth Plantation about the first Thanksgiving.
   – post by christyinsdesign