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Today I will present a website created as an internet reading environment that is replacing the anthology as the sourcebook for our American Studies course. I will demonstrate how experimenting with the World Wide Web, e-mail, virtual reality, and other types of educational software and multimedia programs has expanded my student's ability to explore American literature and culture. I will demonstrate how other web intensive courses have structured their assignments, and I will provide guidelines on resources and pedagogy.

I. The WWW is replacing the anthology as the sourcebook for our American Studies course.
http://www.umsl.edu/~gryan/amer.studies/amstudies.home.html

A.	Students have already been creating their own textbooks, by adding to the existing anthology with outside texts and their own independent research and writing, contributing to a "living discourse community."
B.	Textbook publishers have been taking advantage of this process by adding Web site support for their published texts, which take advantage of extra resources ("just-in-time") including communication (e. g. chat rooms and email).
C.	Two assignments, The Civil War Journals and Literary Journals, show how we have experimenting with the World Wide Web, e-mail, virtual reality, and other types of educational software and multimedia programs has expanded my student's ability to explore American literature and culture.

II. Other web intensive courses have structured their assignments to view the web as a reading and writing environment.

A.	Dawn Rodriguez argues that students should be co-creators of these anthologies, active makers of the Class Web Text (book).
B.	The Web as a Reading Space: The computer makes visual the associative links of the structure of literature. Instead of sending students to the library armed with "starter bibliographies," we can send our students out into a directed system of Net inquiry and research, surrounding a little net of resources and some primary essential ideas. 1. Web texts and texts from online databases can form the primary texts for an online course anthology. 2. Students can add text selections to the anthology as the course progresses and as they conduct research for their group and individual course projects.
C.	The Web as a Writing Text 1. Web texts often invite readers to contribute comments, reactions, and reviews. 2. Book Reviews (e. g. Amazon.com, Booknook, and Sparknotes) 3. Ezines and Blogs (e.g. Fanfiction.net)
D.	Teachers can use Web-based lessons to teach Information Literacy and critical thinking, making sense of the overwhelming amounts of information, and understanding how to collaborate.
E.	Teachers can use a Web-based Start-up Anthology to teach their students Communication Literacy, and give them a global voice.

Profile: Dawn Rodrigues:

"My Reading and Writing in an OnlineWorld (Prentice Hall 200), is a small textbook with a large web space, that includes many elements traditionally found in print textbooks. Among those elements is a startup online anthology. My intent is for that anthology to grow, for I view the Web as the best source for online reading/writing texts that will support classroom inquiry "(Reading and Writing in an Onlline World http://www.prenhall.com/onlineworld).

--Presentation at the National Writing Project National Convention in Atlanta, 2003.

III. Hypertext and Associative Reading

A.	"Web pages function as ordinary texts, but they also function as places along a path" (Jay David Bolter, Writing Space, 28).
B.	The computer is the technology by which literacy will be carried into a new age. Kids love the Net, comparing it on par with dating and partying.
C.	80%of parents say they believe computers help children to do better in school.
D.	We at CBC are building a new school devoted to this idea--that the important work of learning and business will be done on the Net. Thus the important structures of our school will not be books, desk space and classrooms, but the "virtual space of the computer and the supporting mentoring that goes on there.

IV. The Web as an Online Community

A.	Teach Skills that will outlast any technology
B.	Revisit the boundaries of school
C.	Bring parents back into school and make the home a center for learning.
D.	Give students a global voice. Examples:Spaghetti Book Club and Fanfiction.net

Profile: Lemon Grove School District-The Web-based School

Extending Literacy

"Students are able to access the Internet as well as resources at school from home. With increased access at home, children can complete homework assignments online and submit them via e-mail. Parents can easily communicate with teachers. Research is made easierThis connection extends literacy beyond the traditional classroom, not only for students but the rest of the family members and other subscribers in the community as well.

The New Classroom Environment

The evolution of technology integration in the classroom environment has brought about changes in the structures of teaching and learningWith every computer on the network connected to the Internet, teachers are able to develop web-based instructional units and incorporate guided web-searching activities into daily classroom lessons.

LemonLINK: Project to incorporate technology in the school district.

V. The Structure of the Online Anthology

A.	Two Essential Questions 1. What information do you want? 2. What relationships do you want?
B.	Class and Assignment Web Page Design Assessment 1. Based in Theory 2. Interactivity 3. Managed Complexity 4. Consistency 5. Modifiability 6. Versatility 7. Ease of Use 8. Support and Training
C.	Teacher/Student Relationship and Strategies 1. Use a computer's unique functions for revising compositions. 2. Use email to dialogue and support and socialize the learning process 3. Support collaboration and communication and include all types of writing throughout the life of the assignment. 4. Create Webquests organized around "little nets" of Web site that are developing like coral around the essential ideas and skills. 5. Teach reading skills for the web by creating focused reading assignments. 6. Experiment with new genres of composition, including graphics and sound. 7. Give your students a Global Voice by encouraging communication and publishing.

Teaching With Webpages
	Literacy and Technology Webpage Design Class Webpages all levels Class Webpages for grades 3-4: good selection of classroom ideas

VI. Professional Development

A.	Here are some sites you can find good lesson plans. 1. Writing With Technology Resources 2. The Gateway Writing Project 3. The Missouri Association of Teachers of English 4. The Greater St. Louis English Teacher's Association: The NCTE Affiliate for St. Louis
B.	You will need long term help. It will take at least 3 years for changes to really occur, to implement the possibilities in our own classrooms. 1 1/2 years - Person doing the same as they always did but deliver learning electronically 1 1/2 years - Student becomes active learner- as teachers move from one mode to another.
C.	Support- Reunions; mentoring through projects produced on the Web. A Good Professional Development Process: 1. Co Teach-Finally, these teachers co-teach with their mentors. 2. Coach-Teachers are teamed with teacher-mentors. 3. Observe-Teachers start out by observing other classrooms. The important idea here is that they are given "release time" by having the administration take their classes for them.

VII. Good Educations Are Products of Great Conversations.

A.	Technology has to be integrated into a curriculum where students are already invited to do exploratory thinking and speaking.
B.	As Jane Zeni has written, educators want to look at how a class web site supports the learner through, "relationship with peers and teacher and through electronic as well as conventional writing tools" Writing Lands.
C.	Build Community and Relationships.

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