Did you notice that the Alphabet Adventure Web site has two main areas: the Alphabet books and the class Web pages ?

The book pages are where your students will post their images and sounds files. And the class Web page is a reflection AND tool communication which you use to communicate with peers and with parents.

These areas may have different purposes, but you essentially create them in the same way, technically speaking. So now is the time to look into how you will be creating your book pages and your web pages.

PLEASE NOTE: I can’t make a URL link here directly to a page in the private teacher area of the site because you always need to login. So your starting point will always be the public teacher area where you enter your user name and password. Sorry ‘bout that.

Once logged in, go to the “Project Resources” and then into the “Instructions” folder. There are two documents under the heading “Publishing on the site”. Print them!

Your first task: Create a mascot for your Class Web Page

As part of the process of making your students aware that they are part of a GROUP that is contributing to an on-line book, discuss with them the idea of having their very own mascot, logo or visual identifier.

The children easily recognise logos such as MacDonald’s, Wendy’s or the Montreal Canadians (or any sports team they love for that matter!) They understand that these stand for something, that they carry meaning (pre-reading and pre-writing). You could suggest that they come up with a way to identify their class so that, when they or their parents go to the list of class web pages, the picture will stand for them and they will be able to recognise it.

This could be a drawing, a picture of the class mascot, or any other digital representation. The important thing is to make it part of the class discovery process.

You post this digital image through the side menu “Class Web page” (see instructions you just printed). It’s as simple as browsing to locate a file on your computer and then clicking on a “Submit Modifications” button.

This step is not technologically difficult and will help you become familiar with the project interface.

If you need instructions for creating the mascot picture, for example, putting an image on your computer from your digital camera, resizing an image, scanning and saving, using image creation software, email me and I will post the instructions for all to see.

Question: how do you think you will use the class Web page in your project process?
Christiane Dufour

To get started, you should log into the AAG web site using your user name and password. This will get you into the Private Teacher Area. There is a wealth of information and resources there, but right now start by going into the “Instructions” folder to get the document “Where to begin” It’s a check list.

It starts by suggesting you get together your book collection. There are incredibly beautiful books available. In the project resources, look at “Shared resources … ideas and books”. These are suggestions made by past teachers.

In this project, your students will draw a picture, write a word or a sentence on their picture and record their voice.

Using the comment box, could you please answer these two questions so we can share our strategies.

Question 1: How you do you plan to proceed with the drawing and the writing?

• Use software to create a digital image, and write directly on that image
• Draw and write on paper, then scan or take a digital photo
• Create a collage, a construction, collect objects then photograph them.

Question 2: What recording software do you plan to use (Mac or PC). (If you need help to decide, contact me)

OK! Here we go.

Christiane Dufour

You will find instructions and discussion questions for the project “Alphabet Adventure Gallery” under the category “Alphabet Adventure Gallery”…. where else! By posting ideas, instructions and discussions here, anyone coming into the project can view the entries and participate when they are ready. Remember newer posts are on top! Each entry gives you the possibility to respond or question by posting in the comment area. When you feel ready to become an active blogger in your own right and to initiate posts and discussions, please let us know and we’ll set you up.