4th graders in Mrs. Shanahan's class at Scobee Elementary have been learning all year using a Class Wiki (http://shanahan1.pbwiki.com/ ). One of the activities on the wiki has been an author study on Kate diCamillo. They have read and discussed 3 of her novels on the wiki. Ms. diCamillo sent them a postcard earlier in the year. In March, Kate diCamillo visited the wiki herself, read the students thoughts and original work, and commented! You can read her comment by following this link: http://shanahan1.pbwiki.com/Miraculous-Journey-of-Edward-Tulane

The students have learned that technology can help us connect with the world. They have also learned the techniques of great authors. Most importantly, the wiki has shown them that discussion can help deepen understanding and make things REAL.