All About Matthew's Web Unplugged

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• A Quick Look at Matthew's Web Unplugged
• The Making of Matthew's Web Uplugged
• A Special Message From Dr. David Peterson, The Principal of South View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota
• A Special Message From Dr. Beth Russell, The Principal of Anwatin Middle School, Minneapolis Minnesota
• A Special Message From Cathy Nelson, Media Specialist, South View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota
• The Students Meet
• TA Special Message From Larry Fuglesten, West Metro Education Program (WMEP)

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A Quick Look at Matthew's Web Unplugged

Trashed by a mysterious intruder . . .

Matthew and his friends are desperate for answers. The Cyber Café – “the perfect place to chill” has been viciously trashed. The seniors are out for freshman blood, the city kids are showing up at suburban Rhodes, and rumors are flying.

Fifty teenagers, half from the city, half from the suburbs, partnered with authors Jeri Fink and Donna Paltrowitz to expose the evil intent invading Rhodes. Who is the Cyber Café trasher? Why was it done? When will the attacks end?

Matthew’s Web Unplugged addresses the issues of diversity, racism, bullying, and vandalism.

For more information, contact booksbyteens@jerifink.com.
To purchase Matthew's Tangled Trails, click here.

Click here to return to the menu at the top of this page.

The Making of Matthew's Web Uplugged

A Novel Work Of Collaboration

Matthew’s Web Unplugged is a collaboration of New York authors Jeri Fink and Donna Paltrowitz, students from suburban South View Middle School in Edina, Minnesota, and students from urban Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Matthew’s Web Unplugged is written for teenagers of all ages. It is the fourth mystery in the Books by Teens series.

Students developed the plot, characters, and setting. They decided which issues would appear in the book. When there were fifty different ideas, class votes were held, and the consensus ruled.

The collaboration was conducted through web broadcasting, private internet chat rooms, instant messaging, teleconferencing, e-mail, and snail mail. Ideas were expanded through class discussion, group work, and individual writing.

In addition to writing the book, students learned about collaboration, the ingredients needed to write and publish a novel, and launching their work in a book signing at Borders Books.

We hope you enjoy Matthew’s Web Unplugged, a novel work of collaboration!

A Special Message From Dr. David Peterson, The Principal of South View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota

The act of writing begins in much the same way for all writers. It starts with looking at the blank page, known affectionately among writers as "The Great White," and contemplating how to start the piece of writing. Once the writer begins, he or she is then on an adventure, one that can lead to unknown outcomes. When the final work is completed, writers feel a part of the story, viewing the words as not just symbols on a page but rather an extension of themselves.

This adventure in writing was felt by all of the students who contributed to this book. Each saw the stark blank page or computer screen staring back at them before their writing began, and each tasted the satisfaction of seeing their word come into print in this book. I thank each of the students for their hard work, and the teachers and authors for their skill and patience in working with these young writers.

Ali Barnett, South View Creative writing teacher worked tirelessly to make this a positive experience for students. Her ability to simultaneously pay attention to the craft and mechanics of writing while at the same time being in tune with the feelings of the students about the writing process is the mark of a true professional educator. Cathy Nelson, South View Middle School's Media Specialist, was an important contributing partner in the overall design of the project and in managing countless details to make the program a success. Their combined efforts represent the highest level of professional collaboration in providing a stimulating educational environment for students.

This writing experience owes much, if not everything, to Dr. Jeri Fink and Donna Paltrowitz. Their collective vision for this project provided the overall framework for the young writers as they learned the craft of writing. Their ability to structure the experience and have high expectations for students was matched by their wisdom in dealing with the social, emotional and intellectual needs of young writers.

Finally, to the students themselves I express gratitude for your willingness to stare at the blank page in front of you before you started writing, and your willingness to write that first word, and then to follow it with your ideas for this book. Also, your willingness to express openly your frustrations with the writing process created the space necessary to discuss the difficulty of writing and of working with others toward a common goal. Through this process you have learned valuable life skills, ones that will shape you into the best citizens and scholars you can be in the future.

A Special Message From Dr. Beth Russell, The Principal of Anwatin Middle School, Minneapolis Minnesota

I have been amazed watching the students as the power of their ideas were transformed into this collaborative book project. Not only have the students learned about the process of writing and editing a book, but they have learned the art of true collaboration with their peers in a suburban community and in their own urban school. Through this WMEP grant, the students were able to challenge the stereotypes they held of one another, and begin to understand the commonalities that exist. I want to thank the authors, Dr. Fink and Mrs. Paltrowitz, for working within the complexities of two different student populations and mediating the differences. I also want to thank Risa Cohen and Ali Barnett, the teachers who encouraged all the students to have a voice in this book. And lastly, I want to thank Cathy Nelson, the visionary behind this project. She wrote the WMEP grant which made this endeavor possible.

A Special Message From Cathy Nelson, Media Specialist, South View Middle School, Edina, Minnesota

My job as a media specialist is to provide students with resources and technology, but my passion is the reading and promotion of literature. As a media specialist, I provide opportunities for students to interact with a range of authors, as students listen to them talk about writing, perseverance, and often times, obstacles faced along the way. This project was a unique opportunity to put students on the other side of writing from what is typically experienced in a classroom, showing them the entire writing process, including the publishing and distribution to a mass audience.

There are numerous people to thank, from the initial idea to the reality and the completion of the project:

Thank you to the WMEP organization for funding our vision and for believing in us.
To Donna and Jeri, who guided us with patience.

To my friend and colleague, Eileen Johnson, who shares a passion equal to mine, thank you for your encouragement throughout the process.

To Beth Russell, my friend and my mentor, I thank you for your inspiration. May we have more years together creating opportunities for students.

Thank you to Dave Peterson, a leader with passion, who always has time to listen, rethink, and provide solutions.

To Ali Barnett who made it happen, and has a gift for teaching that holds you and releases in the spirit in you.

And finally to the students who brought focus, meaning and an adventure to the project.

The Students Meet

Shadowing day was set up so student co-authors from South View Middle School, in the suburbs, and Anwatin Middle School in the city, could meet. Students were bussed to the opposite school, allowing them to see the environment and meet the students from the other class. They were invited to “team up” and describe their experiences through the eyes of one of the characters in the book.

Through Merie’s Eyes . . .
by Kelsey Davidson, Jennifer Day, Katie Helde, Nick Schultz, Michelle Nelson

On March 19th and 21st, Merie Joua participated in a shadowing activity with students from South View Middle School in Edina, Minnesota and Anwatin Middle School in Minneapolis. The teachers organized these shadowing days to get students from different backgrounds to get to know each other while writing a book.

“I could really relate to the kids at Anwatin because I’m from the city too, and it’s similar to the way my old school was,” Merie said. “Visiting South View reminded me of what it was like to come into Rhodes from the inner city.”

At Anwatin, Merie noticed a diverse body of students running through the halls and being rather rowdy with a lot of energy. On the other hand, South View has a mundane mix of races, and the students tend to walk slowly through the corridors.

While eating lunch in both of the schools’ cafeterias, Merie noticed the most differences. Anwatin students were required to sit in their seats until they were called up to the line in a precise manner. Also, there were staff members yelling instructions through a microphone while the students talked and joked to their friends. At South View, students freely go up to the lunch line right as they enter the room.

“I really had a good time at both schools,” Merie said. “Even though they were very different, when it came down to it, they were basically the same.

Kelsey’s Link Between Two Schools
by Molly Gillespie, Katie Gilligan, Sarah Abdelwahab, and Mandie Booth

Kelsey, our character, shadowed students of South View and Anwatin Middle Schools to get to know the people writing the book.

Kelsey noticed many similarities and differences at both schools. “Anwatin was smaller than South View, but more diverse. At both schools I felt very out of place. The food at South View was pretty much the same as Anwatin, although South View had a little more variety,” Kelsey explained.

Both schools had some stereotypes about each other before they met. “South View has a reputation of being rich and snobby, and Anwatin has a stereotype of doing drugs and other bad stuff, because they are in the inner city. But it wasn’t like that at all! The only good stereotype was their diversity, which proved to be true. It was amazing how we put our differences aside and had a blast!” said Kelsey.

“The classroom environment and learning experiences were alike in a lot of different ways. Each classroom had desks, a white/black board, and the teacher’s desk. South View has many more computers in each classroom,” Kelsey added.

“It was a great experience to be able to put aside our differences and work together. I have never had so much fun!” Kelsey exclaimed.

TA Special Message From Larry Fuglesten, West Metro Education Program (WMEP)

The West Metro Education Program (WMEP) is very pleased and excited about the publication of Matthew's Web Unplugged. This book is a remarkable achievement, not only for its quality as a student authored book, but also for the way in which it was written. The collaboration of fifty students to shape and articulate a realistic adolescent story and perspective is unprecedented and impressive. WMEP believes that the grant that it provided has been well invested in students and their academic and social learning.

The West Metro Education Program is a voluntary consortium of 10 urban and suburban school districts in the Minneapolis metropolitan area that was formed to cooperatively address integration issues in the west metro area. The mission of WMEP is to "promote student success and community acceptance of differences." Student learning is a critical part of WMEP's mission. One important component of the student learning strategy is the grant program for urban and suburban school partnerships. The grants are intended to bring together students from diverse backgrounds to learn from and with each other in authentic settings. This project meets that intent and exceeds all of the criteria established for these grants.

Congratulations to the students from Anwatin Middle School and South View Middle School who have so diligently and respectfully cooperated to bring "voice" to this book. The gentle, firm, and expert guidance of teachers, Risa Cohen and Ali Barnett, have kept the preparation of this book on track. Likewise, the inspired advocacy and partnership of Cathy Nelson, South View Media Specialist provided energy as well as resources for this project. Donna Paltrowitz's and Jeri Fink 's contributions of their writing expertise and editing have been extraordinary. Finally, the leadership support of principals, Dr. Beth Russell and Dr. David Peterson, made this cooperative authorship possible. This truly has been an amazing collaborative effort.

In a world that is more often characterized by those actions, thoughts, and feelings that separate us, it is very unique and special to be a part of something that brings people together, especially young people.

To purchase Matthew's Tangled Trails, click here.

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