Writing in the Digital Age: Composing with Media in the Classroom

Table Notes, November 2007

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Web 2.0 Classroom Implications

Possibilities: Technology attractive to students Cross-curricular possibilities Integration of required literacy skills Means of taking writing public Multi-sensory teaching applications for students with language-based learning disabilities

Impact: Student tech use, not presentational but engagement Increased collaboration students builders of knowledge Increased creativity and motivations Student ownership Innovative techniques encourage more meaningful learning communities Publication for a purpose Audience goes beyond teacher Motivating Engagement in technical projects remove bad behavior and encourages peer interaction Fosters creativity Promotes diversity Audio/video components make students think more about their writing – gives them Voice

Inquiries: How much can technology be substituted for the traditional emphasis on academic writing with use of citations? Different technologies, different uses for known technologies Fast pace of technology is also intimidating

Infrastructure: How to get equipment? (Students may have access) Hardware/software availability What tech resources are available? What is blocked by firewall? High speed internet available Funding – ongoing, updated programs

School-based support: Teaching others in the school – tech support in districts Acceptance by Administration Time Many student more tech savvy than teachers

Project ideas: Service learning hours required by same states (high school requirement) – older students make ABC Cs and give to lower school students Pull group of students together -- seniors create for elementary students – genuine purpose and audience Alternative to peer tutoring Students sharing – reluctant readers HS Students record books for lower grade/ability students Use audacity record reading/listening Dialogue journals discussing reading transfer to online Digital yearbooks Use ABC movie at the end of a novel to showcase what was learned Use digital medium to give voice to student poetry Collaborate with pen pals in Canada (reading and writing) Tell ABC story to promote the school – students recognize value of school Senior with picture click to hear own life story Freshman writing contest (similar to NPR “This I Believe” – Laws of Life Online writing conferences Post parts of story through class blogmeister to offer comments/peer conference Author Podcasts Research Discuss with recorder Podcasts (using Audacity) – posted on school’s site Literature Circles Similar to author podcasts EBoard – can upload to podcasts Monarch Watch 1st graders take pics and adding text 5th graders record text or could help facilitate ABC Movie WP Site movies New standards for social studies – Georgia Create models to take back to students Teacher read aloud To take back to schools

Implications for Sites/Professional Learning Communities

Programs/Project ideas: Inservice – Advanced, SI Pod and blog case continuity meetings Student Writers’ Workshop – Anthologies on CD and linked to website Teacher Inquiry Institute Have WP make ABC story New ways for class anthologies Limit # of technology projects in SI Indepth with only one idea Digital storytelling to capture/promote summer institute Develop reading out loud/recorded Cds to share throughout project districts Extend SI through “Tech Tuesdays” and online forums Podcasting to illustrate summer institute – PR Just as ABC project brought together a larger technical community it can bring WP’s together focusing on the Summer Institutes Site inservice Tech institute: Summer Institute, Advanced Institute Monthly “Clicker Club” (monthly sessions, practice in-between) Sharing technology techniques through Advanced Technology Institutes Tech teams Digital storytelling institute Connecting local WP site to the global community Tech Matters Institute (Funding?) Site leaders providing something comparable to Betty’s Tech Tuesdays Sites should consider some type of digital movie on websites so interested persons get the facts, faces, and voices of NWP

Needs: Funding: Demands for service then evidence of use of service supports federal funding for hardware, software and human resources Support from site/University about technology Technology training, sharing ideas, hardware/programs, tutorials

Possibilities: Collaboration with businesses in the community who can share info/presentations at our sites and maybe in our classrooms too Open Source as a draw for community

Inquiries: How can this further other purposes than just using tech? How long does it take to learn the technology (Intuitive/organic acquisition?)

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Plus …

“Writing is Messy”