Tool #7 Reaching Outside your Classroom: Online Digital Projects

I absolutely LOVE using Skype! I used Skype to keep in touch with my sister while she was in grad school and teaching 4th grade in Round Rock, Texas. I had great intentions of using Skype as a way of communication between our classes as well... lets just say we both got VERY busy during the school year. This year I would love to figure out a way to communicate with published authors using Skype. When we do our author study on Jan Brett the kids get really in to learning about her and her life and how she gets her ideas for her writing. If they had to opportunity to actually connect one on one with a "real live" author using Skype... I think the kids would really make leaps and bounds in their writing. Last Spring, a grandmother of a student in Meredith Ramey's class who is a published author came in and spoke to the children about writing. I feel that the children really took off in their writing after her visit. They were very confident in their writing and did not hesitate to elaborate on their ideas.
Content objective:
The learner will engage in online conversations with published authors to discuss the writing process.
Implementation:
I would begin the process at the beginning of the year and continue through the end of the year. We cover many different genres and units in first grade.