The Power of Peer Review

Peer Review, point blank, just works. It’s a double check of things as simple as grammar, sentence structure, feedback on steps, and…you, name-its. In my middle school Computer Science class, we also have peers suggest ways to improve products, improved codes, and, in the end, suggest ways to make ‘it’ better.

I introduce the old concepts of T.A.G., but with a twist. TAG is simply: 

T - Tell your peer what you like. What has your peer done well. This is a time to bring out everything that is looking great in the project. Shower your peer with positive vibes here. 

A - Ask questions. When you look at your peer’s project, what are you curious about? What is tricky or unclear? Ask the question. Get more clarity or ask questions that may make your peer think of other aspects they may not have thought of. And….

G - Give suggestions. What can you suggest that would make the project better, more clear, or add that extra special elements to make the project pop? Brainstorm with your peer.

A cheery reminder before Tag-time to all students is to be kind, be constructive, be a helper. I typically have students submit the feedback they gave and the feedback they got as part of all project deliverables in class. 

It just works!

The Proper Email

Being a good digital citizen means knowing how to send a proper email. In my class, students are taught that email is a more formal means of communication, requiring these elements:

• Subject Line - briefly state the topic that the email is about.
• Greeting - (Dear Mrs. Moore)
• Several well-crafted sentences about the subject of the email. Proper grammar and punctuation is a must. Eamil is not the place for chat language and sarcasm should be avoided - it just doesn't translate well in the written form.
• Closing - a well-wish (Have a nice day, Thank you, Sincerely are most commonly used.)
• Signature - (Your name)

I reply with a proper email every time as a common courtesy. It is a way of building a respectful relationship.

Good Digital Citizens Cite Their Sources!

Being a good Digital Citizen means students cite their sources when using images and text. We work these requirements into most all of our activities, especially when we get into "Research Season". Below are the minimum requirements to proper source citation per grade. I use color coding when explaining it to students, to make it easier to understand each part of the citation

I like this video by easybib.com - "Citation for Beginners" - it goes step-by-step, discussing why, when, and how to properly cite sources. Easybib.com is also an excellent source to create the proper citation.

Safe Search for Young Ones Who Want to Search!

I get a little nervous when students tell me they have a YouTube account or they Google searched something. We talk about safe searching habits, but my stomach still rumbles for what they may see while 'out-there'.

These are some of my favorite safe search engines for kids - and most are powered by our friends at Google (thank you very much!)  Kiddle and KidRex are both safe search engines.

KidRex has a "Kids" and a "Parents" section. From the random searches for 'dogs', 'rainbows' and others, I've been happy with the top results of my searches.

I'm a bit happier with Kiddle as the results seem to be more 'kid-friendly' - with images, varying reading levels, a wiki section and more. When I surveyed students, they seemed to have been able to find what they were needing more in Kiddle.

Students want to be YouTubers, but you never know what they're going to view when they search for 'that' image. Enter YouTubeKids.  There is a YTKids app for Apple and Android devices and features kid profiles, watch history, blocking options, video reporting and my favorite, a timer option - so parents can set a limit on how much time is spent in the app - nice features.




My list will always include Wonderopolis - which offers so many interesting topics for everyone. I get a 'wonders' email everyday, which makes for a nice reading break during the day. These folks also offer online camps, wonder-jar challenges and more. Big Fan!


Cool videos? The Kid Should See This is the place to go! Videos about science, tech, music, art, dominos, robots - you name it...they have a cool video about it. This is a fun way to give a break during the day and see something cool....very cool!




When you need a word, a rhyme, antonyms or definitions, WordHippo works brilliantly. This site is a fun favorite!

Thanks to these sites for keeping the advertisement kid-friendly as well. Young students need places online that they can turn to for good kid-friendly information and good kid-friendly images, making being a good digital citizen a little easier.

Technical Readers + Technical Writers = A Perfect Combination

By trade, I'm a Technical Writer. I write user documents, update social media and create successful branding. There is more to it, but this is the basic gist of what I do. I chose this line of writing because I love technology - it's trends and uses in our daily life and I enjoy sharing all of this with others and making it easier for others to understand.

Elementary-aged students are the perfect age to start encouraging this craft.

Here's a few ways I get started:

BOARD GAMES: Depending on the age (I prefer 2nd through 5th Grades), will start by playing various board games. Before they can begin, they must first read the instructions out loud, talk about how the game is played, then play the game as instructed. After a time or two, they then agree on a few changes that would make the game better and play the game with those editions. The group will write the new instructions and share them with others in class. This is an incredibly easy way to introduce what a Technical Reader and Technical Writer actually do - but the best part is that it doesn't feel like work...we're playing!

LEGOS is always a winner in my book. We'll create shapes, houses, and more based on 'Challenge Card' instructions. Some of the cards are easy to follow, others might be riddled with issues. Students are to build these objects based on the exact detail of the instructions. They'll reflect on the final product and the ease of creating, then re-work and re-write the instructions to make it easier for anyone to pick up and create. Their words must include exact color, size and dimension of brick for clarity.

SCHOOL-WIDE EXPECTATIONS: We have expectations in our school for walking in the hallways, playing at recess, being in the cafeteria and more. Students will pick any of the areas they want to concentrate on and write proper procedures for being in that area. Those instructions are then shared on our morning broadcast of the news with the rest of the school.

ROBOTIC CHALLENGES: Teams of students will design their own robotic challenges by mapping out a plan, gathering details, materials, etc. They will test the game they created and write step-by-step instructions as to how the challenge is played. In 5th grade, the rest of the class will play the challenge and give constructive comments for making the challenge better or more engaging.

These are just a few ways to support reading and writing in the early grades. As well, these ideas encourage focus on what is becoming a well sought after skill in all industries. Technical Writers are those that communicate with the rest of the world the main focus of any business...a 'Superpower' of it's own!

As I look at our students, it's safe to say, we have a few strong Technical Writers coming up in the ranks!