On this episode of TTT, we are joined by Troy Hicks, author of the new Heinemann title, Crafting Digital Writing Workshop: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres, and Director of the Chippewa River Writing Project at Central Michigan University, as we conclude a two-part series exploring the principles and practices described in the book. For this second episode, we welcome three new teachers to the conversation as they discuss how they approach the craft of digital writing with web-based texts and presentations.
Troy Hicks, Central Michigan University, discusses how to study digital writing through the lens of author’s craft.
Andy Schoenborn, Mt. Pleasant High School, describes how his students employ Prezi for visual arguments.
Erin Klein, Cranbrook Academy, shares several alternative tools students use to present their work.
Beth Nelson, Greenville High School, shows how she has her students create digital essays.
Click Read more to see the chat that was happening during this live webcast,
and to find many links to the resources shared during this episode of TTT.
Resources shared during this episode of TTT:
hickstro: Author's craft: http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/file/view/CDW%20-%20Author%...
http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/file/view/CDW%20-%20Digital...
You can find the examples we are talking about from the book as links on Troy's wiki:
http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/Crafting_Digital_Writing
http://digitalwritingworkshop.wikispaces.com/
Andy Schoenborn: http://prezi.com/yexq9tskypqn/macbeth-and-gender-roles-a-feminist-approach/
http://prezi.com/yexq9tskypqn/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0...
Andy Schoenborn: Here is my classroom weebly with all the info that I spoke about: http://mphsroom202.weebly.com/unit-3-who-have-i-been-who-am-i-now-who-wi...
Sheri42(@grammasheri): http://kidblog.org/EaglesWrite/tag/nonfiction-with-story/
Some more presentation tools from Erin: 20 Terrific Presentation Tech Tools for Kids! http://www.kleinspiration.com/2013/03/20-terrific-presentation-tech-tool...
Sheri42(@grammasheri): Blending nonfiction reading and writing-- good article by Tom Newkirk here in ASCD https://literacytcs.wikispaces.com/file/view/How+we+really+comprehend+no...
hickstro: Check out this online piece from NYTimes: "Snowfall" hickstro: http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/
hickstro: http://digitalis.nwp.org/resource/2737 hickstro: Titanic Glogster: http://www.glogster.com/chubbs23/hunter/g-6mj86htp4sclfos5hf5uoa0
Andy Schoenborn: An attempt at emulating the "Snowfall" project as a mentor text: http://snowfallsapart.weebly.com/
Andy Schoenborn: Another attempt at emulating the "Snowfall" project for Their Eyes Were Watching God: http://theireyesproject.weebly.com/multimodal-infographic.html
Andy Schoenborn: "Snowfall" project - Assignment overview: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kYoYheB0HcCSYp_W1S71BqEe4sK-RpeTHPKd...
Article 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iSqBM4MJ2SjRphhPO2Yj5L6S9v8Z6Fm7sDv6...
Article 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VyKk54PkHeZuKvBm6ntExmjNNU6qBroqP6C2...
Deconstructing "Snowfall": https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oX30XV4fiR_Dsgi_7fMEXMb613iL50_VZPubV
Jim Burke's post on ECNing: http://englishcompanion.ning.com/forum/topics/the-digital-essay
Here are all of Erin's students' Titanic projects: http://klein21.weebly.com/the-titanic-web-20.html
hicksro: New Pew Internet Report: The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teachers-technology-and-writing.aspx
21:02Peggy George: Hi everyone! Looking forward to another great session!
21:03hickstro: Hello, Peggy!
21:03Peggy George: Hi Troy! Back for more! Last week was fantastic!
21:03hickstro: Thanks, Peggy. It was fun!
21:04Peggy George: exciting to have Erin and Andy joining us tonight!
21:04Andy Schoenborn: Welcome everyone.
21:05Peggy George: great to be here! :-)
21:08Peggy George: I love that there are elementary teachers involved in the Writing Projects too :-)
21:09Sheri42(@grammasheri): Hi Peggy
21:09Peggy George: very helpful chart! Thanks Troy!
21:10Peggy George: Hi Sheri! So glad you could join us :-)
21:11Peggy George: I can't get that first (long) link to open
21:12Sheri42(@grammasheri): Just got my book.
21:12Sheri42(@grammasheri): Me neither
21:12Peggy George: congrats!!! I'm still hoping for a digital book but it doesn't sound like that's going to be an option
21:13Andy Schoenborn: It may work better in Chrome.
21:13Sheri42(@grammasheri): I know. I was waiting for a digital version; all my books are digital unless not available.
21:13hickstro: @Peggy - Trying to get Heinemann to release it as an ebook.
21:14Grace Raffaele: Some teacher consultants in NYC have been looking at how some of these genres can have crossovers or intersections. A narrative informational text? etc?
21:14Sheri42(@grammasheri): My students think about design in terms of their blogs -- what would interest the reader as far as color, white space, headings, images. It's not just the content anymore.
21:15Peggy George: thanks Troy-I heard what you said about that last week and understand... As a retired educator I really have to stop buying books that go on a bookshelf :-) Must downsize!
21:15Sheri42(@grammasheri): We just started thinking about this at the end of the year.
21:15Peggy George: great point Grace!
21:15Grace Raffaele: Is the digital environment an example of the place for the merging of some of these? I am intrigued by the question but have no concrete examples or answers! But I have a sense that allowing the merging may lead to some more authentic genres.
21:17Sheri42(@grammasheri): We started to read our science by thinking of story -- what are the characters? the problems? the plot? So kids wrote in the voice of a science term as a character. Just figuring this out -- pulling out the story in the nonfiction
21:18Grace Raffaele: Peggy, I love the idea that "it is not just the content anymore." Crafting the ideas is part of the content and engages students as creators in such a rich way - creating multi-layored content...
21:18Sheri42(@grammasheri): xtranormal is closing !
21:18hickstro: Multigenre and multimodal texts present unique opportunities for us to blend.
21:20Peggy George: Andy can you try that link again. Doesn't open in Chrome either--says too many redirects--redirect loop
21:20hickstro: What other kinds of examples are you looking for?
21:23Grace Raffaele: Thanks Troy for the wikispaces link to the book
21:24hickstro: @Grace - you are welcome. What other kinds of examples are you looking for?
21:28Peggy George: How cute Erin!!! Hi Jacob!! :-)
21:29Peggy George: He's adorable!
21:29Sheri42(@grammasheri): It's great. thanks for all the links about the project.
21:29Chad Everett: Love that students are collaborating when writing -- CCSS Anchor standard 6!
21:30hickstro: @Sheri42 -- I think that much of the best non-fiction writing is now multimodal. Think of any news site with a video, audio, or other external link.
21:30hickstro: Check out this online piece from NYTimes: "Snowfall"
21:31Peggy George: Erin-love Laura's Presentation Tech Tools for Kids! So glad you're part of it! We just hosted another webinar for her last night. :-) She has such a huge following! 450 people in the webinar!
21:31Sheri42(@grammasheri): @hickstro -- yes. so like Andrew is doing, saying now -- adding even music that fits! Students find views of same/diff in videos on their topic
21:32Peggy George: great description Andy!
21:32Peggy George: I wish I could have been in a class like that in HS!!! I might actually remember some of it!
21:33Peggy George: Welcome Beth!
21:33Sheri42(@grammasheri): He's already doing CCSS.
21:34Peggy George: a built-in expert!!! awesome!
21:35hickstro: Yes, Andy is doing amazing work with his students. I hope he is able to share some links to other student projects here!
21:35Sheri42(@grammasheri): @hickstro thanks for that snowfall link. that's power in words/images!
21:36Peggy George: Excellent, Andy! Thanks!!
21:36hickstro: @Sheri42 - great, glad that was helpful. Also, another colleague of mine who was on last week -- Jeremy Hyler -- has been doing multimodal, multigenre work.
21:36Sheri42(@grammasheri): I'll watch last week's too. Sorry to have missed that. Grandkids :)
21:38Peggy George: yes seeing Erin's screen now! hooray!
21:40Sheri42(@grammasheri): So glad to be here tonight; inspiring; getting ideas
21:40hickstro: Glad that the ideas are useful for you!
21:40hickstro: What kinds of digital writing projects are you all planning for next school year?
21:41Peggy George: wonderful ideas!!
21:43Peggy George: love the glogster example :-) so supportive of multi-modal resources!
21:45Sheri42(@grammasheri): projects that allow students to write about their learning -- their interests on what we are learning -- like the news cast idea she's talking about; try to give options for what- traditional and digital
21:46Sheri42(@grammasheri): Thanks, Andy
21:46hickstro: @Sheri42 - do you plan to have students blogging during the process of research and writing?
21:46Sheri42(@grammasheri): Yes, we will blog.
21:47Andy Schoenborn: @ Peggy - Thanks for the kind words earlier in the chat.
21:47hickstro: That is -- could you have them both doing the research (thinking about unique digital tools)
21:47hickstro: as well as blog and reflect on the process?
21:47Sheri42(@grammasheri): We will have access to Google apps, kidblogs, voicethread, wikis.
21:48Sheri42(@grammasheri): we also can use glogster, but our internet access is only T1 lines
21:50hickstro: From Beth: Thinking about "digital layers" and the artistry of when and how to post links in digital essays.
21:51Delia: Erin, How has your digital writing instruction changed now that you teach second grade ?
21:51hickstro: Thanks for putting links over in the document on the side!
21:51Sheri42(@grammasheri): Great way to express that: the artistic layers of digital writing
21:52Peggy George: you're welcome! I wanted to preserve them in the Titanpad. :-)
21:53hickstro: Thanks, Peggy!
21:55hickstro: What other questions do all of you have?
21:55Sheri42(@grammasheri): kids are more interested in writing now that they can clarify their message with images, links, videos. We use Creative Commons or create our own.
21:55hickstro: Thanks, Sheri -- glad to know that you and your students are finding success with digital writing.
21:55Peggy George: really intrigued by the idea that all of these multi-modal choices results in much better essays :-)
21:56Peggy George: smiling Sheri!! we were both thinking along the same lines
21:56hickstro: New Pew Internet Report: The Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing and How Writing is Taught in Schools
21:56Sheri42(@grammasheri): "capture the attention of your audience" design, placement, font, Excellent
21:57Peggy George: love it!! thanks!
21:57Andy Schoenborn: Sir Ken Robinson would say that students in lower elementary haven't been "educated" yet, so they are free from pressures and constraints.
21:57Peggy George: I think picture books would be a perfect gateway!
21:57Sheri42(@grammasheri): It's important to remember that all kids can and need this; my kids may not be at an AP level, but they can still think and share their message and their interpretations of author's messages.
21:58Peggy George: totally agree Sheri!
21:58Andy Schoenborn: @Sheri42 - Absolutely! My Gen. Ed. and Spec. Ed. students work on the same ideas with digital literacy.
22:00Peggy George: that's such an important point!!!
22:00Sheri42(@grammasheri): I'm trying to move our school's thinking in this direction, moving from "remediation" and to "application" -- doing! making! thinking! Think how much thinking is involved in deciding the components, design, artifacts in digital writing.
22:01hickstro: That sounds great, Sheri! Please stay in touch and let us know how it goes for you.
22:01Peggy George: good luck with that Sheri! wish that term (remediation" didn't exist!!
22:02Sheri42(@grammasheri): :) it's called "intervention" now.
22:03Peggy George: I think what Erin is describing completely takes the focus off from the "tools" and makes it all about the creation and ideas they want to share!
22:03Sheri42(@grammasheri): Love these reflective teachers! Their students are so privileged to have them.
22:03Peggy George: this is so exciting!
22:05Peggy George: that kind of collaboration Andy is describing is very exciting for the students! be sure to come back and let us know how it develops!
22:06Sheri42(@grammasheri): And the Google plus community!
22:06hickstro: Thanks all!
22:06Peggy George: great way to extend your writing @Erin!!! Awesome ideas!
22:07Sheri42(@grammasheri): Thanks so much. Awesome!
22:10Peggy George: lots of great links to explore tonight! thank you all!!
