Hello world!
Today marks the official debut of opensourcereading.com. It is an idea that has been swimming around my brain for a while. However, for some unexplainable reason, it became an obsession last night. I drew a line in the sand and set out to determine how I could make this dream become a reality within 24 hours.
From humble beginnings...
So, what is the vision? My goal is to create a living, breathing web-based reading program. It will begin with a few resources that I have created and hopefully grow as our visitors add content of their own. Anything posted on the site can be printed and distributed as many times as you see fit. All that I ask is that you retain the little "opensourcereading.com" url at the bottom of each page.
The past 24 hours have brought the following developments:
1) I purchased the opensourcereading.com domain name.
2) I added a blog post on my neglected Community of Learners blog. It was my way of telling the world - or the 15 people who know about it - that something is brewing. How could I let down my15,000 15 readers?
3) Ning.com became the official host of the site. After reviewing several wiki providers, I realized that the success of this endeavor depended on something more important than a wiki; It depended on the involvement of teachers worldwide. To that end, a community-focused company like Ning was the best choice.
4) I had the new domain forwarded to the Ning server. They said it would take up to 48 hours, but it only took 48 seconds!
5) I added "about" and "FAQ" pages to the site and sketched out plans for adding more material over the next few weeks.
6) I ran over to my school (I live three houses away....how about that for a commute?) and begged the custodian to let me into my classroom. I grabbed a few folders and retreated to my home office. My goal for the rest of the night is to weed through the documents and see what is worth sharing on the site.
7) I emailed every 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher in my district, as well as a few other friends, to let them know about my latest obsession. I received a few enthusiastic replies within minutes of sending the email.
Needless to say, it has been a busy day. If you made it this far into the post, I would like to thank you for reading and invite you to join me on this journey. If you have any questions, you can always drop me an email or leave a post in the forum.
From humble beginnings...
So, what is the vision? My goal is to create a living, breathing web-based reading program. It will begin with a few resources that I have created and hopefully grow as our visitors add content of their own. Anything posted on the site can be printed and distributed as many times as you see fit. All that I ask is that you retain the little "opensourcereading.com" url at the bottom of each page.
The past 24 hours have brought the following developments:
1) I purchased the opensourcereading.com domain name.
2) I added a blog post on my neglected Community of Learners blog. It was my way of telling the world - or the 15 people who know about it - that something is brewing. How could I let down my
3) Ning.com became the official host of the site. After reviewing several wiki providers, I realized that the success of this endeavor depended on something more important than a wiki; It depended on the involvement of teachers worldwide. To that end, a community-focused company like Ning was the best choice.
4) I had the new domain forwarded to the Ning server. They said it would take up to 48 hours, but it only took 48 seconds!
5) I added "about" and "FAQ" pages to the site and sketched out plans for adding more material over the next few weeks.
6) I ran over to my school (I live three houses away....how about that for a commute?) and begged the custodian to let me into my classroom. I grabbed a few folders and retreated to my home office. My goal for the rest of the night is to weed through the documents and see what is worth sharing on the site.
7) I emailed every 3rd, 4th and 5th grade teacher in my district, as well as a few other friends, to let them know about my latest obsession. I received a few enthusiastic replies within minutes of sending the email.
Needless to say, it has been a busy day. If you made it this far into the post, I would like to thank you for reading and invite you to join me on this journey. If you have any questions, you can always drop me an email or leave a post in the forum.
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Comment by John Otterstedt on October 26, 2008 at 1:56pm -
Hi Debra...Thank you for joining us. Your sites look great! I read a lot about 4-blocks a few years ago. As of right now, this site is geared towards grades 3-8 simply because the group of us that started it is centered on those grades. However, someday, we hope to extend down to kindergarten. If you ever have a lesson or other resource that you would like to contribute to the community, please send it over......and if you ever feel inspired to spearhead the K-2 focus of this site, drop me an email.
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Comment by debrennersmith on October 26, 2008 at 1:12pm -
I don't know where or if you want to know this, but I post a writing or reading lesson on my blog every day. Many lessons are for kindergarten. Many times though it is for older kids. I love love love the Units of Study by Lucy and company and write lessons loosely connected to her (their) thinking. I also include lots of reading lessons. Since I was in the classroom for 12 years, I try to think about what would have been helpful. I am now in classrooms every other week as a consultant and a coach. www.debrennersmith.com www.debfourblocks.com I have linked both my sites here. I hope this is ok. I will visit often. This is a great concept.
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