RM Winter 2017 FINAL

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Reading Matters
Research Matters
| 32| Reading Matters | Volume 16 • Winter 2016 |
along Big Stuff (Winthrop University’s mascot), which was a
highlight for many of the third graders. See Figure 4 for a picture.
Figure 4. Photo of participants.
Perspectives of the Project Participants
At the end of the book study, we administered questionnaires
to the classroom teacher, all of the third graders (via in-person
interviews), and preservice teachers (see Figures 5a and 5b). In
the sections below we will share each perspective. We organized
these reflections by some of the key concepts that emerged from
their responses: working with pen pals, using technology, creating
responses, and the benefits of participating in this project.
Figure 5a. Teacher questionnaire.
ClassroomTeacher
When I (Mrs. White) was approached about participating in a
book study with my students, I was instantly hooked and excited
to begin. I spent time in the classroom activating my students’
prior knowledge about book studies, working with pen pals, and
the types of interactions you have during these experiences. This
definitely sparked an interest in my students. They were visibly
excited, especially when they learned their partners were going
Figure 5b. Pre-service teacher questionnaire.
to be college students. This excitement was motivating for my
students and remained consistent across all aspects of the project.
Using technology.As noted earlier, we used Microsoft OneNote
for the book study. This required some professional development
on my part. I had to become acquainted with the organization of
the notebook and learn how to access/add content. To prepare
for the project, not only did my students need to know what the
project was and what was expected of them each day, but they also
needed to understand how they would use technology. Therefore, I
conducted a series of mini-lessons on (1) how the individual folders
would serve as the means of communicating with their pen pal, (2)
classroom procedures on how they would access and interact with
the technology, and (3) the classroom schedule (approximately
20 minutes per day) for completing and submitting responses.
Consistency was an important element established right from
the start. I have five classroom iPads. Therefore, it was critical
to have a system in place for my students that allowed them all
access when needed. In other words, the time I spent delivering
the mini-lessons I outlined above was time well spent! After
two weeks, my students did not need any guidance other than
technical support. This allowed them to become independent
in their work with their pen pal, giving them autonomy.
Creating responses. To start the project and set clear
expectations, I read the first chapter of Toys Go Out (Jenkins,
2006) aloud while my students followed along in their own
books. Afterwards, I put students into small groups to discuss
the chapter and share their ideas and predictions. At this point,
my students were almost ready to write their first chapter
responses. I designed another mini-lesson to review the friendly
letter format and brainstorm ideas that could be used when
creating responses (this included the use of illustrations). For
the first entry, I found the majority of my students created
responses based on basic story elements including plot, setting
Pen pal book study figures 6
Figure 5.
Questionnaire for the Classroom Teacher
Pen Pal Project
not at all a little very much
1) Overall, did you like the pen pal project? 1 2 3 4 5
Why or why not?
2) Would you want to have pen pals again? 1 2 3 4 5
Why or why not?
3) Was the pen pal project provide valuable for your students? 1 2 3 4 5
Why or why not?
4) What did your students learn about reading?
5) What did you learn about writing?
6) What were some of the challenges you faced?
7) What were some of the benefits of this project?
8) What did you think about using technology?
9) Do you have any other observations or reflections on this project?
Pen pal book study figures 8
Questionnaire for Preservice Teachers
Pen Pal Project
not at all a little very much
1) Did you like writing your pen pals about this book? 1 2 3 4 5
Why or why not?
2) Would you want to have pen pals again? 1 2 3 4 5
Why or why not?
3) Do you think other preservice teachers should 1 2 3 4 5
have this experience?
Why or why not?
4) What did you learn about reading when corresponding with your pen pal?
5) What did you learn about writing when corresponding with your pen pal?
6) What were some of the challenges you faced when corresponding with your pen pal?
7) What were some of the benefits of communicating with your 3rd grader about this novel?
8) What did you think about using technology to “talk” to your pen pal?
9) Do you have any other observations or reflections on this project?