One of the discussions that came up during the morning presentation with the middle school staff was the idea of writing for audience. The traditional model in the classroom has the teacher assign a writing project for students. The student goes through the individual writing process including pre-write, draft, edit, and final copy. They then turn the final copy into their teacher. The teacher evaluates the document, hopefully using a holistic rubric that the student had in advance, and then returns the writing to the student. What happens next?
In many elementary schools, student work is hung in the classroom or on a wall? Do people read them? I don't know. When I walk the halls of our elementary schools I do, but I know I also look at the pictures the kids drew to go with them as well. In middle schools and high schools I rarely see student's work posted publicly for people to read, unless the student happens to write for the school paper or lit mag. Is there I better way? I certainly think so. In a traditional classroom, this could mean peer editing or review, or perhaps desktop publishing to create a class magazine or newspaper. Some industrious teachers even send home these magazines for parent consumption. I am an advocate of the idea that it is technology that is a tool to increase learning, not the end result. Students gain nothing by just using technology. It is using technology as a tool, when appropriate, to provide an experience or learning environment that is better or more efficient than what is currently in place it what makes it powerful.
As a result of the conversation, I tried to take the substance and put it into another video called "42" below. (Music comes from a royalty free site called Free Play Music.)
As Karl Fisch often says, the point of this is to be a conversation starter (and to perhaps inspire teachers to investigate some Web 2.0 strategies for ways to have students share their writing to a larger audience.
I welcome your thoughts and comments. Further, if I mentioned a strategy or web site that you are not familiar with, post a comment and I will list links/directions/suggestions for its use.
Daily Links 07/17/2009
10 hours ago
5 comments:
WoW!
Very well put Barry. I have not seen a more compelling argument for use with English/Language Arts teachers who may struggle with implementing new strategies.
Cheers
SM
I felt sad when I watched this. I never really thought about it. All that work for all those years, for 42 people. In journalism classes, one of the first things you are taught is to consider your audience first, then write or create your piece. It is a wonderful idea to present the student's work to a larger group of people. I wonder if the tone or language usage of the writings or videos or media would change if the audience changed from the teachers to the web? This is another great concept from Barry in educational technology usage implementation.
You are right, students do publish outside of school in a variety of ways. Why is it so difficult for schools to catch on? Marc Prensky uses the terms "Digital Native and Digital Immigrants". The students are growing up plugged into the world through technology. They walk through the doors of school where the digital immigrants (teachers) hand them a worksheet and a dictionary. What's wrong with that picture? Natives look for information on the web, Immigrants use resource books. The comparison is very eye opening. If you want to know more visit Batelle For Kids website and view the Flatpack information.
Bach,
I love this one. Do you mind if I change it up slightly for a workshop I am running tomorrow?
Note: This is a cross-posting to a question asked by Barry at my blog.
Barry, you asked what spoke to me and why when I viewed 1620, 180, and 42.
Erosion... and global warming... are each a series of small, insignificant events which create major changes. We usually don't notice the small events unless someone points them out to us... or unless we're looking back at them with 20/20 hindsight.
Your mash-ups point to the accumulation of a series of small events without making a judgment call. You leave that judgment call to us.
Most teachers complain about the interruptions, the assemblies, all the reasons not to have class; your numbers just roll on silently and provide data for the discussion.
The paper-and-pencil tests? They're not "bad." It's just that there are so many other... and better... ways to assess our students' knowledge and skills!
I think the one that got to me the most was the number of persons who make up the audience for our students: 42. How sad! We... I... must change that.
A generic complaint is so silent compared to these numbers.
Jo
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