Learning Log Entry #3

As I read the assigned chapters in the book The Digital Writing Workshop by Hicks in preparation for this week’s class and compared it to last week’s reading in Teaching Writing by Tompkins, I am thinking of how to blend the new literacies with the old literacies. (can we call them old? How about traditional?!)

Tompkins’ book represents the forms of writing more traditionally thought of when teaching students to write. Hicks’ book represents a more forward thinking framework to teach writing.

(I wanted to write futuristic before typing forward thinking, but I stopped and thought it can’t be futuristic if the technology exists right now, today. It seems futuristic because most classrooms still look like it’s the year 1954, including mine!!). I think that our job as teachers is to somehow find a way to blend the reality in which we teach students to write with what we know is possible. 

The questions that I am pondering and asking myself are:

How do we change the current views about new literacies being a bonus and used for “extras” within the classroom and not necessities?

Do older students struggle to find topics to connect to through writing because they live their lives in a digital world and write about them using non-digital tools and resources?

Is it necessary to learn to write genres in traditional ways in order to use them in a virtual world?

Or can students learn to write genres in a virtual world without the traditional teaching?

As I think about these questions, I realize that the answers are difficult but all are important to think about more thoroughly.

As I think about changing the views of new literacies in the classroom, I worry the educational system will continue to lag behind and deprive students the opportunities to become literate in the virtual world. I am thinking about Leu’s (2000) statement “becoming literate will become a more precise term than being literate” because literacy is “deictic” (p. 761) and Hicks’ (2009) statement “our understanding of what constitutes literacy continues to change” (p.16). The emergence of new literacies highlights the changing nature of literacy over space and time and the importance of being able to apply literacy skills in “new and novel ways” (Kucer, 2005, p. 7). Unless the current views about the changing nature of literacy transform, students will lack the appropriate skills to become literate.

I am thinking through my next question and I do believe older students struggle to find topics to connect to through writing because of the non-digital tools and resources they are given to write. I think for most older students there is a disconnect between the outdated learning tools used in school and their virtual lives outside of school. According to Hicks (2009), most students would start their research projects with a Google search instead of using books from the library and taking notes on index cards. Students are using the internet and virtual spaces to conduct research, but lack the appropriate skills or direction from their teachers to conduct thorough research. When students are given the opportunity to use tools like an RSS reader or a social bookmarking site, they are able to gather and organize their research in a meaningful ways, and effectively manage sources. I would love to create a writing project that incorporates new literacies and then assess the level of student engagement.

I think that Tompkins (2008) offers answers to my next question, if learning genres in traditional ways is necessary to write them in a virtual world. In chapter five of Teaching Writing, Tompkins lists several goals and activities for journal genre instruction. According to Tompkins, during the kindergarten through second-grade level, students are using a combination of drawing pictures and writing to communicate with the teacher in their journals. At this level students are also using their journals to brainstorm ideas for writing. It would not be possible for students to communicate through pictures on the computer unless they were using clipart or some other image website. 

According to Tompkins (2008), students at the third through fifth grade level are using their journals to brainstorm, make diagrams, complete quickwrites, and create data charts. I believe that creating charts and diagrams on the computer would be difficult for some students. At this stage, I would allow the students who felt comfortable to work in the virtual space of the classroom, while other students could continue to use their journals traditionally, with pen and paper. 

During sixth through eighth grade, Tompkins (2008) suggests students use their journals for the writing process and writing from different points of view. Students are also using their journals for choosing quotes while reading and comparing characters. Students would have a difficult time taking notes on characters or choosing quotes if their journal was completely online.

I think I have found a partial answer to my questions. Initially students must learn to write in different genres in the traditional way makes the virtual use possible. In other words, learning to keep a journal first with pen, paper, pictures, diagrams, and quotes now gives the skills to create and contribute to my blog and class wiki. I believe students need the foundational, traditional skills of genre writing before moving to the virtual world.

References

Kucer, S. B. (2005). Dimensions of literacy: A conceptual base of teaching reading and writing in school setting (2^nd ed). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.  

Leu, D. J. ( 2000). Literacy and technology: Deictic consequences for literacy education in an information age. In M.L. Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of reading research: Volume III (pp. 743-788). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Learning Log Entry #2

Overall, the students that I work with are savvy with technology yet still use traditional forms of writing. They often talk about their Facebook pages, texting abilities, and notes from their girlfriends. My students see all of these activities as forms of writing. Some students are familiar with blogs and other social networking sites. Although my students communicate through technology, they still spend time collaborating about technology face-to-face. I do not think students understand copyright laws or know how to access copyright-free material. I know that many students access the internet at home or at the public library.

I agree with Hicks’ (2009) statement “digital writing changes the contexts and purposes for writing” (p. 130). I think many of my students need that change in order to become effective and engaged writers. Hicks brings up the question of writing in the digital age and what constitutes writing. I believe these are questions that will be answered as students and teachers begin to work through digital writing workshop together. I believe that these answers will be different for all groups collaborating together.

I have a strong understanding of the laws surrounding copyright issues and how to access copyright-free material. I also understand the amount of work that is required when creating a video, contributing to a wiki, and writing a blog. Students will learn there is a major commitment when working collaboratively in the digital world.

Based on my experience teaching middle school at Wilson Foundations and reading chapter seven of The Digital Writing Workshop, I believe that the spaces in which students write needs the most improvement. Within my own classroom, there is not enough space for student computers. If computers were to be set up in my classroom, movement would be limited and communication would be hindered. There would be no space for students to sit and collaborate about their writing and no way for students to gather around one computer. The physical space would feel cramped and awkward as students worked on their writing.

There is one computer lab available in my school’s library but the librarian often closes the library to teachers and students. Sometimes a computer science teacher will allow me to work in their classroom during a planning period when their students are not present. This does not allow me to create an open space for students to work and requires me to bring traditional writing tools with me.          

The virtual spaces available for students to write are more abundant, if students were able to access them more frequently. There are plenty of computers with internet access for students to interact within a virtual space. Within my own classroom, I would require students to contribute to a class wiki as a starting point for using the virtual space of our classroom. 

Hicks (2009) raises a question about teaching students to write responses that are respectful yet critical. I think this would be a challenging aspect of teaching students to write in the classroom’s virtual space. Many students’ experiences writing in the virtual world requires abbreviations and using “inventive” spelling to get their point across quickly. Students will have to learn a different form of writing in the digital space.  

I feel that with some teaching and guidance, my students would be able to write in a digital space. I often feel that by not giving my students opportunities to work with technology, I am leaving something out of their education. Students’ lives are based in the virtual world and they have become accustom to learning this way. I believe learning to write in the virtual world is becoming as important as learning to write in more traditional ways.

Overall, the biggest challenge that I face in creating a successful digital writing workshop is access to physical space and computers. I believe that all the other elements can be easily worked through if my students and I are given a chance to try digital writing workshops.

Learning Log Entry #1

As I begin to think about blending the principles of writing workshop with technologies, there are challenges that I foresee.

First, the most difficult part of blending new technologies with writing workshops is finding the time within the day to work with these. Finding time to go to the computer lab is difficult and often there are not enough computers available within my school or available labs that coincide with my the classes I am teaching. I also think that children would not see the value in this. Students often see these activities as fun time or 'not real work'. I believe that administration and parents may see it the same way. Sometimes, students may have a difficult time seeing the connections between working with technology and more traditional forms of writers workshop.

I am stuck right now trying to form the next idea.

Got it-

no still stuick

I also foresee students struggling to use the technology. Often in my experience students struggle to use the editing tools available to them on a computer. I know that for many of my students that a spell checker does not-oops-is not effective. Many students only choose the first word given to them becuase they do -are unable to spell the word or even recongnize the correct spelling when they view it.

Students may not take the work with technology as seriously as tradition writers workshop. I think from a teachers persepctive it is more difficult to manage students working on a computer. Some students may be on websites and there are-oooops-is a varying level of student abilities when working with technology (for teachers too.)

During my first three years of teaching, I was an ELA teacher. The core principles that I teach when stuck stuck stuck teaching .  Don't like that sentence let's try it again.

The core principle that I value in my classroom when teaching writing is mainly put forth an effort. Most of the students that I worked with (and work with now) are reluctant to write because they struggle with spelling, penmanship, and getting ideas down that are detailed and in a logical order. Many of my students would compose a partial sentence and then believe they have completed the assinged writing. So the major principle in my classroom is "Don't worry about spelling, just get your ideas down on paper." After preaching this for months, my students usually believe me. I also instructed my students on a step-by-step process of writing. first, they would plan, nevermind, don's like

Students would begin this process by spending time planning which included brainstorming ideas and topics. Next, students would begin the drafting stage of the process which included filling out a graphic organizer (I know the name, just can't think of it, I will come back to that later) and writing their first drafts. Students would then begin to revise and edit their drafts, conferencing with me twice during this step. Finally, they would complete their final copies. I did not have a share or publish piece to this process. Working with the reluctant students was difficult at first but modi HATE it

My students were reluctant to complete writing pieces but then after some time of working thought this process they began to feel more comfortable and accomplished as writers. Initially when I introduced the writing process I did not give a graphic organizer. Providing the students with the graphic organizer was beneficial to students. They began to write more and feel at ease using this tool. Over time, I began to take away more and more of the graphic organizer so that students were eventually working independently with this strategy. My students' EOG -End of Grade- tests in NC- all went up at least one point when working through this method.

These have not remained constant over time, especially because now I teach math.