4th grade bloggers Justin and Jack write about FaceTime with Jordan Allen, author of a short story personal narrative, that was read by the class prior to connecting over the web:
We read a passage from one of Mr. Root's friends, Jordan Allen, the next day we had a FaceTime chat with him. During the FaceTime, he told us useful tips for writing. He also told us about the background information about what he wrote. Then he told us about the parts he didn't put in the book. He told us not to use every single detail. To paint a picture in the reader's mind. To use multiple drafts. It was easier meeting Jordan on FaceTime than reading from some worksheets. It was a great information and the story was thrilling. You should read it.
4th grade bloggers Ally, Jordan, and Gabrielle write about Learning Outside of the Textbook with Dr. Taliferro in Boston, MA:
So you want to know what life is like in Stratford, Texas? Well we know what it is like, we got to talk with Mr. Root's friend, Professor Taliaferro on FaceTime. We picked up a lot of cool facts.
Do you want to know about animals in Stratford, Texas? There are lots to learn about. Here we go! There are mostly prairie dogs, ground chipmunks, and snakes. There are a tiny amount of deer and coyotes. The weather in Stratford, Texas is very humid in the summer and very cold in the winter. It can reach down to seven degrees Fahrenheit, and can snow up to two to three feet.
Now for some stuff you cannot find in a textbook. We have to drive two minutes to get to a mall, but in Stratford you have to go to another city to get to a mall. You have to drive thirty to forty miles to get to the nearest red, green, and yellow stoplight. That is far!
Do you like living in the Hill Country? Well if you do, you would really notice a difference in Stratford, Texas. It is very flat with hardly any trees. Dust storms form all the time because there are no trees to block the wind.
Do you like huge schools? Well then, Stratford, Texas would be a huge change for you because only twenty six people are in one grade! That's small and they only have one water source, the Ogallala Aquifer.