About the book:
Written for teachers of writing by a teacher of writing, Crafting Digital Writing is both an introduction for teachers new to digital writing and a menu of ideas for those who are tech savvy. Troy Hicks explores the questions of how to teach digital writing by examining the author's craft, demonstrating how intentional thinking about author's craft in digital texts engages students in writing that is grounded in their digital lives.
Check out the online version of Crafting Digital Writing, complete with links to references and tools!
Below are reflections on sections of the readings.
Questions I keep in mind:
1) What stuck with me from the reading?
2) What do I think the most important information is in the selection?
3) How can I use this information? What are the practical applications?
4) What do I want to know more about?
Please feel free to add to the discussion!
Author's Craft, Genre Study, and Digital Writing
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out most to me in Troy Hick's explanation of the goals and purpose for digital writing is this:
It is not enough to be able to write a good sentence, or even a good essay. To be truly literate, students must be able to *intentionally* compose media (consisting of words AND/OR audio AND/OR images) that communicates their meaning.
And I agree with this. Writing is all about making choices.
Hick's MAPS heuristic will be really useful in teaching students how to think through their options, and support their choices. Can't you just see the meta-cognition at work in students who are thinking so intentionally about their writing choices: their words, POV, structure, ideas. I would use it after the pre-write or first draft stage of the writing process and have students review their mode, media, audience, purpose, and situation at an early stage so they can evaluate and revise their work.
The "Studying Craft" section could be more meaty. I understand that he refers to the work of many other experts (Fletcher and Portalupi, Katie Wood Ray, Elizabeth Hale). You can be sure, I will be looking up their papers and research to flesh out the seeds he plants. It's a good beginning: get students reading like writers, 'slow down' and 'start small'. I only hope further reading expands on how digital writing can accommodate this.
My final thought is a small pat on the back for having my feet in the shallow end of this ocean. My students last year were writing digitally: screen plays, news broadcasts and newspaper publishing. I am excited to see how to expand and grow on it this year.
I think that writing intentionally is really what my students lack in 5th grade. Their writing is so linear, I rarely see them take any risks. They write with the idea that I am the only one who will read it and more often than not the desire to impress me is not there. I am hoping that giving them a more creative outlet and a wider variety of audience will be the push they need to take some risks with their writing and really think about how others will view what they have to say.
DeleteHopefully digital writing will provide greater motivation for students! Having an audience has to make it more genuine and worthwhile to write, if only because it gives writing purpose and makes it less arbitrary.
DeleteMichele, I'm sure digital writing will make them take risks! For one thing, they're not even going to know they're even writing; they will think they are playing, which will open up their creativity!
DeleteAnother pat on the back for including the book image in your blog post! I agree with you about the MAPS and increased student metacognition. I think students will have more ownership in their work and be more apt to put serious effort in their writing.
ReplyDeleteCrafting Web Texts
ReplyDeleteI was overwhelmed by the information in this text. It is very cursory, and I need more in-depth explanations of the web based platforms and apps that he mentions.
For example, what is the difference between blogs and wikis? How are wikis collaborative in a way that blogs aren't?
I was very turned off that his answers to these type of questions were (in essence) "Google it," or "There is a Youtube video for that." It was difficult to follow his discussion of how to use the different platforms for writing when I don't even know much about the platform. I saw red when Hicks wrote, "It would be too lengthy an exercise to walk through the steps, let alone the benefits and constraints, of publishing in any or all these spaces. The pertinent aspects will become clear as you explore the various options..." If you won't bother to teach me, what's the point in finishing this book?
Independent research will ensue after this is posted...
I did find Table 3.1 to be useful as a jumping off point for possible lesson plans. The "Choose Your Own Adventure Story" really appeals to me, and I might explore how students might use that to create their own text or to work with another text. And, I liked how he explained using digital writing to pre-write and draft. I experimented with a drawing in Google Docs, and found it effective.
I think having my students keep an online journal of sorts for ideas and references is a wonderful idea-- especially for 6th graders just learning to take responsibility for their papers. Soooooo many writing journals, first drafts and notes get lost in the black hole of their backpacks. This seems to be a great solution to the problem. And a great accommodation for students who need organizational help.
Can someone please explain the hacking bit?
As for assessing web texts, I think giving students criteria and examples (including their own) to evaluate is imperative if students are to really master the digital space. UMD Libraries does have good information for students.
The link is:
http://www.lib.umd.edu/tl/guides/evaluating-web
Finally, I enjoyed the student examples. There is some great content and flexibility in how the author can communicate. I am excited to see what my students can do!
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to know that I was not the only one feeling overwhelmed with this. Feeling betwixt!!! Guessing YOUTUBE tutorials may be my best friend this week!!
I do love the idea of journaling as well and challenging our students to take responsibility. We had a "Playbook" we used, and it was beneficial in keeping our kids organized.
Crafting Presentations
ReplyDeleteThankfully, today's reading went a lot more smoothly than yesterday's.
Hicks had some very good points to make about assessing digital presentations. I was especially struck by his comment, "If we articulate these standards clearly and encourage students to connect the spoken and visual elements, they will be better able to identify the traits of effective presenters and more apt to include such elements in their own slide shows." It is more emphasis on modeling and the metacognition behind intentional decisions.
Additionally, it will be really easy to apply his assessment criteria by creating and discussing rubrics, without much effort because the content is all there. And I love that it is standards based (albeit Common Core).
It seems most of Hicks discussion in this text isn't so much the process of writing, or the content of the text, but the way the text works with the graphics and additional features that digital writing presents. In his assessment section, every gradable criteria is a combination of how the design enhanced the words. Emphasize key ideas using fonts and color, clarify information with animation, strengthen claims with images and graphics.
So, classroom goal: Really get my students thinking critically about the format, text features and design choices they make in their digital writing.
I agree that today's reading was easier. I liked a lot of his ideas. I also agree that rubrics are the way to go. Because I was in high school, I have a rubric for every project and writing assignment. I give a copy of the rubric to each of my kids when I assign things. That gives them all they need to know in order to make the grade they want to make. It also helps when students come back later and want to know why their grade was so much lower than their friends. You can then show them exactly where they lost points.
DeleteErin today was smoother for me too! I gathered so much more information. One thing I learned at the PBL training is that students helping design the rubric gives them insight into the important content area, and the punch behind it is their presentation (the delivery). Sometimes less is best...because if they know the content, the presentation is merely the delivery. (Does that make any sense?)
DeleteMe too, Ashlee!! During revisions I have them pull it out and go through each category to rate themselves. I've seen their writing improve a lot when they evaluate their own work using the rubric.
DeleteAt our ABYDOS training in June, they suggested what you are saying, Margie, that students and instructors should work together to build a rubric over what the kids have learned during the assignment: whatever mini-lessons focused on, whatever the students specifically revised for. The ABYDOS philosophy is that the writing is the learning.
The instructors encourage building the timeline 3/4 of the way through the process, so that students can revise one more time according to the rubric that they created, but after they have already been learning and (hopefully) implementing their new skills.
I totally agree that rubrics are a teacher's best friend when it comes to assessing students!
Erin, the slides at the end of the reading made me think of the stories you and your son write together. (Just a side note)
DeleteIn reference to rubrics, do you give a copy of the rubric to each student? I heard in a training somewhere that the students should have the rubric ahead of time and they should get a copy with their grade on it. I have had teachers before argue with this practice claiming it's a "waste of paper" and "nobody looks at it anyway". However, I have tried to make it a common practice.
Amy, I do give the rubric to every single student when I introduce the project. And then, I make about 30+ more for students who lose it before they turn in their papers, so I have a copy to grade. But during revisions, I have students put it on their desks and I usually have guiding questions on a peer review worksheet that they look over while revising their paper. Then I have them evaluate what they think they earned using the rubric.
DeleteHowever, I think next year, I might introduce an assignment with criteria and a sample rubric, then after students have worked and revised and participated in mini-lessons (to be verbs, building characters, developing setting, etc), I might see how they want to revise the rubric to better fit what they think they've learned. Then, make new copies and hand out for the final revision and "clocking" (ACTS of Teaching p.160). I really like the idea of the students building the rubric, but I think they might need help. Also, I want them to know ahead of time what skills I plan to cover with them. I think having a sample rubric will keep us accountable to working on set skills and provide a framework for students who need the guidance while working.
I never thought of doing digital writing with Connor (mostly because he needs to work on his handwriting and fine motor control; he's only four), but I think it might be fun sometime. We do have KidPix! He can make up images with stickers to tell stories about.
I like your classroom goal. In today's reading, thinking critically about the format is important! I think once students learn how to embed multimedia elements into their work, they will want to do it left and right, taking away the meaning of the real message. Students would never think to put meaning behind the color of the text, or the background, without prompting. The average student would pick a color because it "looks cool". Breaking them of this habit and making them think about their thinking will take them to a whole new level. How often do teachers make their students meta-cognate? Not enough!
ReplyDeleteCrafting Audio Texts
ReplyDeleteMy first response to this chapter was a resounding connection to Hicks' introduction to audio texts and the history of spoken word for mankind. As a member of the Catholic faith, I am a firm believer in "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and a have been taught reverence for spoken words. After all, it was with a spoken word that God created man.
When Hicks went on to describe the popularity of audio books, I laughed, having just finished 'reading' my first audio book in June. I loved it. AND, I too, enjoy listening to NPR. So, I'm completely hooked and primed for expanding my repertoire to include audio texts.
Yesterday I was impressed by the ready made rubric, but today I'm in love with Hicks' inclusion of a ready made lesson plan for analyzing an NPR mentor text (p.89). I'm regretting giving up my Journalism class, because this fits perfectly in our Broadcast Journalism unit (we did something similar, but I like this better and expect that this would have better results)!
I also REALLY like that he named a primo source: "The best audio editor for student use is still Audacity." Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing some really valuable expertise that will save me a lot time and frustration. I can start planning lessons instead of trying to find the best tool.
In fact, this is the best chapter in the book so far. It was in depth and practical. You can tell Hicks has a passion for audio texts. And with good reason, as he says, "While we certainly want our students to be strong readers and writers, the fact remains that in today's digital world they will be using their speaking and listening skills as much, if not more." Isn't it true that leaders have to be good public speakers, to encourage confidence in their followers?
And as teachers, don't we teach more than a subject; aren't we really teaching people?
I agree with you on the Audacity thing. I wish he would do that for every form. I wish someone would just say, "Hey, this is the best tool to use if you want to do this." It would be even better if they would then proceed in showing us how to use it.
ReplyDeleteCrafting Video Texts
ReplyDeleteWhat stuck with me the most from Hicks' chapter was his discussion of the editing process. "The most difficult part of crafting a video/multimedia text-- as with crafting a print-based text-- is knowing not only what to put in but what to leave out" (p.110).
He also talks about the recursive practice of writing, how students should be constantly looking back at what they've written, revising, and then creating more. I was inspired by a lesson he included (p.105) where students make mini-movies and then turn their movies into written stories, where they try to bring the film to life with their words. I can see myself and my students using this to explore what details are important for the reader to visualize what we write (once again, what do you put in, and what do you keep out).
I also like his guiding question to help students develop this skill to self-edit: does what we include "merely decorate our story, illustrate a concept, or illuminate the viewer through the combination of media elements" (p.110).
Although he acknowledges that this is a time consuming skillset to teach, and that teachers don't have much time to begin with, he argues that this digital platform can teach multiple literacy skills at once: reading, writing, listening, speaking. In that, it should work very well for ESL/ELL students, because the best way to develop language is to read, write, speak and listen to it. I can see the practical application from Hicks text, that video texts can be used so that students write, the record (reading and speaking), then listen. Then repeat.
I will definitely be expanding this mode of literacy in class next year. If I can get the iPad cart...