Mrs. McCullers of Malcom Bridge Elementary in Oconee County uses technology to make a real-world connection for the students in her third grade classroom.

By using a blog, or web site where readers can leave comments in an interactive format, Mrs. McCullers is able to post important, high-interest topics that come up in her classroom. Students can comment to these posts as can parents, who, in turn, stay informed of what their children are learning. Other teachers in the school and community may comment as well; thus, the blog fosters a way for all stake-holders to contribute.

Mrs. McCullers writes, "One of my parents actually volunteered to come to our class to read a book that was related to one of our blog posts that she read." The parent said, "Without the blog, I would have not known about this specific topic in my son's classroom. It's a great way to get a sneak peak into the daily activities."

The blog allows for students to write in an interactive way that is different from typical paper and pencil writing. It also gives Mrs. McCullers a place to highlight some of the students' in-class writing and recognize excellent thoughts and stories they have.

"We love being able to read the comments on our blog," writes Mrs. McCullers, "It's such a nice pat on the back for us to get a comment and to know that someone is interested in our classroom."