Chapter+7

Chapter 7 Creating Your Digital Writing Workshop

Some of the dynamics of writing workshop are changed as you shift to a Digital Writing platform. In creating your digital writing workshop you need to consider: · The students you are teaching: what presence do they already have as a writer on the web- facebook, twitter, etc.  · The subject of writing- what do you ask your students to write about or what do they choose to write about in a digital environment · The space where your digital writing occurs: blogs, wikis, online publishing. The web gives our students the opportunity to have a real audience for their writing. However we need to make sure that their writing meets the demands of a critical and creative digital writer.

Students need to understand: · How different forms of media can convey different messages. · Who their audience is  · Be able to critique other digital media as well as their own · Limits of digital media within a school environment. · Be aware of copyright friendly materials · Understand the context and purpose for their writing. · Recognize good digital writing · Encourage students to make sure their writing is enhanced by the digital media · Choose appropriate tools for the tasked presented · Respond to other writers effectively

Digital Writing Spaces- As teachers, we need to think and plan for our digital writing spaces. In a physical sense, do our students have spaces to collaborate? Are our computers set up to allow students to work together and share idea? In a digital sense, what digital tools will work best for students to share, critique and collaborate? Are you using class wikis, blogs or other online tools and do these tools help you to meet your objectives for your students.

Resources: PhotoVoice [] YouthVoices [] Strong Verse: [] National Writing Project: [] Voice Threads [] StoryBird [] Wordle [] Flickr []

Part Two: P. Palmisano

** Exploring the Dynamics of the Digital workshop: Students, Subject and Spaces  ** **Students**: Who Are the Digital Writers We Teach? · Some may lack the skills and abilities to create the kinds of digital media they consume · Some may be too self-seeking, acting in their self-interest without regard for consequences Regardless, our purpose is to enable them to reach the level of conscientious collaborators; working together to **create** digital writing as well as be able to **respond** effectively to the digital writing of others; relying on their current level of technical expertise and guide them to the next level. How? · Examine your attitude toward your students’ technology skills…are it positive, negative or neutral? · Do they practice social networking, text messaging, blogs, wikis or other web-enabled applications? What is their level of skill? Do you understand and use them yourself? · Do your students have Internet access? · Do they understand their rights as producers and distributors of digital texts? Action Steps to Takes with Students: · Can you ask a student with whom you have mutual trust to tour his/her social networking sites and profiles? Ask how he/she composes public persona. · Create a blog or wiki using the digital writing tools discussed in this book and invite students to contribute to the site. · Create a project using one of the writing tools described in book. **Subject**: What Do We Teach When We Teach Digital Writing? · Digital writing changes the contexts and purposes for writing…the study of writing and how it can be created and distributed through different media. Critical Questions to Consider About the Content in Your Digital Writing Workshop: · What counts as writing? How does writing with a computer change or challenge your notion of what a text is? What does it mean to be a writer in a digital age? · As a reader of various web pages: videos, audio and images…what qualities do you most appreciate? What do you look for in your own digital reading? · Do you understand provisions of fair use in copyright law and your rights to create transformative uses of copyrighted work through digital writing? · What elements of good writing are common across all texts, print and digital? · How does digital writing line up with curriculum guidelines and standardized assessments? · What does the writing process look like with digital writing? Action Steps to Take for the Subject of Digital Writing: · Craft a variety of modes using one digital writing tool...using separate blog posts, write fiction, nonfiction and a personal reflection. Add digital writing elements like embedded images, hyperlinks and different fonts. · Look for examples of good digital writing and discuss with a colleague the aspects that make it strong writing. · Reflect on the process afterward…how did it foster good writing? Which technical skills were practiced? **Spaces:** When, Where and How Do We Teach Digital Writing? Digital writing is taught face to face – in conversations teachers have with students and students have with each other as well as in virtual spaces. · How are computers set up in the classroom? · Are there any flexible spaces where they can collaborate? · Can they move around to help each other? · What digital writing tool is best suited for the task at hand? · How do you help students create good responses to each other’s texts? · Will you have a centralized space (wiki) ? ** Conclusion: ** · Technology is not a bag of tricks but must be an integral part of writing instruction. · Take the risk of engaging in various types of digital writing with your students. Learning is collaborative; you’re not expected to know all the answers!