The Missouri Reader Vol. 33, Issue 2 | Page 27

ba humbug :] oh boy, this is quite the book. my dad speaks very highly of the book. he says it is what inspired him to be a lawyer. im sre if i read it in a few years again. it will do the same. Atticus reminds me of my dad a lot. he is kinda old, or older than mostof my friends parents. i know what scout and jem are feeling when the talk abotu stticus being old. my dad can never really play sports and all he does is read. i dotn really care, i lik that he reads, he is a lot smarter than most dads i know. liek atticus. i really like this book. its well written and funny. i have to admit i have been reading ahead, nto trying to brag, but thats how much i like the book. scout is very funny, and atticus is liek my dad, but jem is my favorite. he is a leader and quite smart, for the lak of schooling he has had. i admire that atticus wont ket the neighbros bring him down and that he encourages his children to do the same. i admire anyone who can kept their head high. and i despise anyone who thinks that they're yellow for doing so. This post, like many others, reveals a writer connecting the reading to his life. He discusses his father, his reading progress, and his response to the character of Atticus. Many of the posts ask questions of fellow readers, integrate quotes from the novel, and explain why the quotes are important to them. Swimming with the Current The initial goal of the blog was to respond to literature, but the blog quickly became a community where students shared links to other sites, some related to literature and some not. One student posted a link to information about the Scottsboro Trial and described the connection to the novel. Students created links, unrelated to the reading, and more social in nature. One blogger created a link to the song and video of “Nothing Else Matters” played by Apocolyptica, a group of four cello players (February 12, 2006). In the blog post below, Phasma links a video and song from Red Hot Chili Peppers and mentions her pride in “figuring out” how to create this link: NEW CHILI PEPPERS FOR YOUR VIEWING (AND LISTENING) PLEASURE !!! CLICK ON THE TITLE OF THE POST NOW !!!! Hey everyone! Well, here's the new video for "Dani California", which I'm sure many of you have heard already... from Stadium Arcadium, coming out May 9. SO GET IT. Sorry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are, at least for me, the ultimate sonic guilty pleasure. Peace and Love. Hope you enjoy... By the way, I am so proud of myself for figuring this out. But, if it doesn't work, let me know... in which case I won't be a genius anymore... posted by Phasma | 7:43 PM | 1 comments These links were more than just “off-task”: they allowed students to express an identity on the blog. Celloplyr linked reflected his love of music, as did Phasma, who shares music that she likes. Not only did students express the identity they formed on the blog, they found common interests and created 27