Last week, I asked you to read the first 3 chapters in Troy Hicks' new book about digital composing. For some time now, we have been noticing and participating in the digital writing revolution, as have your soon-to-be-students. But, so much digital writing is still considered to be "out of school" writing, good for connecting with friends but not good for literary essays or explanatory reports. Students tweet and text and update on their own time or "in secret" during class. Students hand in hard copies of double-spaced papers to their teachers. This has created the false sense that social media belongs "out there" while academic writing belongs "in here." But, of course, as Hicks and others point out to us, that binary is ridiculous because all of it is writing--social media, academic essays, and everything in between--and all of it is relevant to living life in the 21st century on the planet Earth.
So, like so many questions in teaching, we have to ask ourselves about how to blend, how to connect like things:
How can we invite purposeful and relevant digital writing into our English language arts classrooms?
Hicks' focus on purposeful, relevant digital writing is significant; never do we want our use of digital writing to be without purpose or relevance to kids' lives and to our responsibility to standards and curricula. In response to this first chunk of reading from Hicks' book, address the following questions in your post this week:
a. Who are you as a digital composer? What are your strengths? What are your areas of not-knowing?
b. What are your "takeaways" from these beginning chapters of Hicks book? (show me you read!)
c. What surprised or intrigued you about Hicks' discussion of digital composition? (be specific!)
d. What disturbed you or left you feeling unsettled? What questions or concerns came up for you as a teacher candidate?
I look forward to reading your responses and to bringing them into class next week. Thanks, folks!
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ReplyDeleteCrafting Digital Writing, Part 1: What I Know Now and Where I Am Going
ReplyDeleteWhen I type on the computer, I am able to have dictionary.com and theasaurus.com up and at my fingertips to make my writing richer. I love to blog on Tumblr. I am really great at cropping and pasting pictures into my pieces. I upload a lot of pictures both from websites and my camera. I know a few excel tricks and use almost every single option that word offers in the way of text sizes and looks. I can make videos and slideshows and upload them to YouTube. I have posted two videos so far for school assignments. I am a fairly simple digital composer.
I just learned how to hyperlink this week. I still don’t know how to convert mp3’s into formats that are allowed in videos and presentations. There are some formatting techniques I would also like to learn but cannot think of any off the top of my head right now. I would like to figure out how to make Prezi’s. I feel like I have a good amount of knowledge but that there is still so much more I could learn.
In Troy Hicks first chapter he quotes from The Art of Teaching Writing: “what is most important is that we and our students be moved by a book.” When they think about the aspects and messages the book contained, they begin to form their own continuation of those thoughts. Soon they are moved to write as a way to respond to how they are feeling. Students are then able to build upon their ideas when they can link similar texts and pictures that they can found on the web to their writing.
In the first few chapters Hicks was showing us why it’s important to have the students slow down and enjoy the process. By biting off little bits of a project at a time, the entire writing process doesn’t seem as daunting. That they should study pieces closely to see what jumps out at them while reading other digital and non-digital texts to see what works and doesn’t work well. This way they know what to apply in order to improve their writing style. As the students notice mistakes, they grow more confident in their writing knowing that no one can write perfectly. In studying these pieces, the students are able to see how digital writing is relevant to everyday uses.
What surprised me were all the different formats the students have at their fingertips to create assignments from. I am actually shocked that I didn’t know about any of them, none. Sometimes options don’t bode well with students but I think have such a large playing field with allow the students to find formats they are most comfortable with so that they can excel. I love how many essay, through a Google doc or slide show format can really add a third dimension to the writing. I know as a student, I would be excited to colour it up that way so I am certain they will be too. Another thing I really liked, which Kelly Gallagher also mentions is mentor texts. Writing in front of the classroom on the fly to show how difficult it is or studying someone else writing that it on the internet to show how mistakes can be missed. I think these are key to alleviating the student’s pressure.
Nothing disturbed me in these first chapters. I was more intrigued and excited than anything else. I do have concerns about using these different avenues for digital composition. The students who don’t have a personal computer at home or have access to using one at a local library won’t be able to do these assignments. Parents may feel uncomfortable about their children doing work on the internet as some may be very strict with their parent controls. Another worry is how distracting the internet is for students. They may go to the computer with every intention of doing their assignment but get trapped into a click this link to lead to that link run-around or get into playing a game or posting on Facebook. However, I know that this resides in the students hands and therefore is their own decision to make. Hopefully I will be able to get them just as jazzed about the assignment as I am in receiving their final products!
Jocelyn,
DeleteYou made some really great points here, and I particularly found your comments on parental concerns really interesting. It wasn't something I had considered, but I suppose you would have to plan ahead for such problems. Perhaps something like a letter home at the beginning of the year inviting parents to discuss concerns with you would be helpful. Ah, the logistics!
I also really like that you used the word "jazzed!"
Jocelyn,
DeleteFirst off, love how you use dictionary.com and thesaurus.com, that is awesome and a great digital tool to use.
I love how you mentioned the mentor texts, as that is something I did not pay much attention to when I was reading and I am glad that you brought it up. Thinking about it, that could be pretty intimidating while at the same time very useful. "I think these are key to alleviating the student’s pressure" I could not agree more.
You bring up a good point about the parental control, however. That may have to be something addressed at that given time, should you encounter a problem. I would like to believe that parents now are lenient about the internet than ever before.
Jocelyn,
DeleteI feel like out of all of our posts so far, yours is the most optimistic. Its great that you are so in touch with technology and approach it with a desire to keep learning more. That's a contagious attitude to have and I can see you bringing that to your future classroom.
Props to you for using dictionary.com. I remember before I recently upgraded to Microsoft Word, I would use the thesaurus in Microsoft Works. Its upsetting they took that out of the newer programs because its an overlooked tool that really helps strengthen writing.
I also found the idea of students being forced to slow down in their writing process important. Its almost ironic that they are going to be slowed down since we think of technology adhering to the high pace, needed-it-done-yesterday enviroment that has become our society.
Jocelyn,
DeleteAnyone who uses the word "richer" to describe her writing is a friend of mine! I love that you attend to the "richness" of your writing. Wow. It shows! I'm also super impressed by your display of digital skills. You are, in fact, quite advanced, especially if you read below from your colleagues about their trepidation and feelings of being lost in the land of not-knowing. You are doing great! And, it seems that you've been experimenting on your own time as much as you have in class (or more, actually), which tells me that the learning is AUTHENTIC, fueled (authentically!) by your own passions and drive. This, too, has been the locus of my digital writing activity--my own curiosities, my own desire to read and to learn and to know more, my own need to connect with like-minded folks and organizations. I also love that you are (still) open to learning and to realizing there's never an end to what a teacher needs to learn. This week I'm going to ask you to explore and create a storybook on a website called Storybird. I think you'll like it!
If I’m being honest I am somewhat limited in my experience with digital composition. I type most of my written work on a computer, and I use PowerPoint for the occasional presentation. I actually really enjoy making PowerPoint presentations, and I feel that I can be very effective through that medium. I have contributed to blogs here and there (similar to this one), but I have never created my own from scratch. I have made a few videos for school over the years, but I have never been particularly adept at using online programs to create videos or sound clips or to convert different types of files. I suppose this all sounds a bit negative, but I like to think that I am perfectly willing and capable of learning all of these things. I hope to do so with the help of our Hicks text this semester.
ReplyDeleteIn the first chapter of Crafting Digital Writing Hicks suggests that we as teachers need to “understand our students and their literate lives” (7). It is this point that shapes the entire first chapter of the text—rather than suppress and avoid the digital writing our students do outside of school, Hicks insists that we embrace it or risk losing our students. This is a conversation that is happening everywhere in education right now, and it is an imperative one. In the same chapter Hicks gives a layout of the rest of his book from chapter to chapter, and as I read through his outline I become more and more interested in investigating his suggestions. I am looking forward to expanding my digital horizons. This point in the text definitely intrigued me.
There were two points in Chapter two of Hicks’ text that I really hang on to going forward. What Hicks suggested is that we stop hiding behind “vague language about mystical writing abilities” and share our writing struggles with our students (12). This point is of course reflective of Kelly Gallagher’s modeling theory from his text as well. It is intriguing to me, because I never considered the fact that teachers sometimes put “professional writers” on a pedestal, and for this reason writing can scare students. I would very much like to avoid that, so I will keep this point in mind. Writing takes hard work, dedication, and practice—it does not take a magician born with the gift of “mystical writing abilities.”
Secondly, Hicks addresses the Common Core State Standards in terms of his writing theory. He suggests that we come at the new standards with a positive attitude rather than hiding from them. “High-quality writing instruction,” Hicks says, “is still high-quality writing instruction, regardless of new curricular expectations” (24). This assertion surprised me, because it almost seems like Hicks sees the new system of standards as irrelevant in the long run. He suggests that we transcend it. Essentially, Hicks challenges us not to give up being good teachers of writing just because new curricular expectations emerge—there will always be new curricular expectations emerging. This will be a challenge indeed, but what choice do we have?
Reading Chapter three of the text terrified me a little bit. I have never done any work with making or critiquing websites, and for that reason I would have a difficult time asking my students to do so. I suppose you could say I was a bit disturbed by this chapter, but only because I am concerned with my lack of knowledge in this area. I have not had time to investigate the tools Hicks suggests using in this chapter, but upon doing so I’m sure I will feel more comfortable with the concept of creating a website as a digital text.
My primary reaction to the first three chapters of Hicks’ text was elevated interest. The whole idea of digital texts is something I’m not entirely comfortable with. I hope that learning more from Hicks’ text and others will help me work on and grow from this discomfort. Adding many different types of digital texts as teaching tools to my repertoire is something I look forward to for sure.
Allie,
DeleteLike you, I love PowerPoint presentations, and I have made so many of them between high school and college and I still never grow bored of them It's clean, fun, and you have so much liberty with how the result looks. Have you attempted Prezi before?
My favorite line in your response is, "Writing takes hard work, dedication, and practice—it does not take a magician born with the gift of “mystical writing abilities.” ". I could not have said it better myself!
You mentioned how a lot of teachers put "professional writers" on pedestals, and how it intimidates out students. The scary thing is, you are absolutely right. It was one of the reasons I enjoyed teachers who read aloud anonymous students' work aloud to the class. It gave students that small chance to shine, an opportunity to say, "hey, I wrote that!" even if only to themselves.
Hi Allie,
DeleteI love that you brought up how both Hicks and Gallagher show their students the struggles of writing because I think it is so important that they see writing isn't ever, or hardly ever, perfect the first draft around (oooh that could be a new catch phrase)! I believe students look up to their teachers so when we show that we make mistakes too, it strengthens their faith in their writing abilities.
As a writer, I look forward the most to those lighting rod moments of connection. Those moments when you are writing and all of a sudden what you are writing are discoveries of answers you didn't know. Connections to what you have been trying to make sense of but couldn't through writing about something entirely apart from those questions! To have moments like that in front our students could only increase their enthusiasm in having the same kind of experiences!
I wouldn't worry too much about chapter three. You'll get the hang of it. Just think, you are now an expert PowerPoint designer. Back when you attempted your first one, I bet you didn't think you would become so confident in it and yet here you are sharing with us how much you enjoy making them! -Jocelyn B.
I like how, while you acknowledge your lack of exposure to a ton of digital composition, you note your ability to learn. This was refreshing for me to read because, while reading Hicks, my first instinct was, "I don't know how to do this!" Reading your comment on this topic helped me to step back and realize that all things can be learned in time.
DeleteI've also noticed the idea of being a vulnerable writer in front of your students, and I agree that it is important to do both in traditional and digital composition. While many of our students may be confident and frequent digital composers, many are probably just as nervous about the idea as we are!
Allie, to be honest, your comment, and the responses to it, inspired me to discuss PowerPoint in my own response. I had it written out, and then when I noticed that PowerPoint was becoming a pattern, I decided to chime in, and replaced my previous second paragraph (which was a bit dry) with a description of my love of PowerPoint.
DeleteYour point about understanding students and their “digital lives” was something that I think is a great thing to raise. It certainly seems to be the perfect environment for experimentation, and I hope I can pursue it as enthusiastically as you seem to be doing.
I also loved that you brought up the part about good writing being good writing. This is something that I think gets lost in the rush of preparation. Proficiency is built through practice, and that practice need not necessarily be a traditional academic essay.
I loved your enthusiasm, and thank you for your response.
Allie: First, I love this chunk of writing. Rich and thick and awesome: "but I like to think that I am perfectly willing and capable of learning all of these things. I hope to do so with the help of our Hicks text this semester.In the first chapter of Crafting Digital Writing Hicks suggests that we as teachers need to “understand our students and their literate lives” (7). It is this point that shapes the entire first chapter of the text—rather than suppress and avoid the digital writing our students do outside of school, Hicks insists that we embrace it or risk losing our students. This is a conversation that is happening everywhere in education right now, and it is an imperative one." One of my favorite words: imperative. Thank you for highlighting this! I love that you're "willing and capable" of learning, and I love that you say Hicks "insists" that we come along.
DeleteAnother of my favorite parts of this post is this: "Writing takes hard work, dedication, and practice—it does not take a magician born with the gift of “mystical writing abilities.”
One thing I ask of my student writers is to start to be mindful of developing a discipline when it comes to writing. Do you write regularly? Why not? Will you expect your students to write regularly? Why? Can you sit still and focus for 30 minutes of sustained writing? Do you plan on asking your students to do this? ALL of these questions are so important to ask ourselves before we stand in front of kids and claim to know anything about anything. What kind of writer are you? Last minute, all-nighter? What does that say about you? Or, do you outline and plan and think about a paper assignment days in advance? What does that say about you?
Work. Dedication. Practice.
Teaching takes all these same things.
I love how well this ties into the SED 406 class offered here at Rhode Island College. In that class we were able to use cell phones and YouTube as part of our lesson plans. In all honesty, it felt weird because that was not how most classes worked. Most of the work done was pencil and paper, cell phones were never allowed to be out, and laptops were practically forbidden in a classroom setting. That is probably the reason why I had such a difficult time bringing my laptop to some of my classes once I started college; it felt foreign.
ReplyDeleteNow, digital composition is not such a strange topic to me. I regularly visit, and post, on Tumblr as well as DeviantArt. Writing informally digitally seems almost natural, and not something I feel I must focus my time and energy on. However, writing essays and poetry, something that I need time to focus and contemplate on my work, I find myself resorting back to pencil and paper. That type of writing seems to flow better when I am physically writing it out. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of my time, and the end result is me struggling to find errors in my digital compositions, as I do not see them as easily as I would a written piece of work.
Hicks work reminds me a lot of the SED class I took last year. Using technology in classrooms is now a must, especially since so many companies past school years use it and it is the source of most major communication for teens, coworkers, families, as well as teachers. Hicks writes, “As writing continues to shape and be shaped by digital tools and networked spaces…writers are presented with more and more options” (2). He makes it a point that teachers should be teaching digital composition instead of teaching the same way students learned 10 or more years ago. Things change and it is only natural that we teach students to work within their changing times.
This does not mean, as Hicks explains, that we should be using the cliché PowerPoint templates and slideshows. Hicks wants teachers to explore other ways of creating digital works with other resources so students can creatively express their ideas and show their learning.
Digital writing, as Hicks explains, is neater and there is not an “Ominous stack” waiting for the teacher after (18). Teachers want to read student work just about as much as the students wish to write them. It is important, then, that all writing in classrooms, including digital, should be versatile, unique, yet relevant to the topic at hand. Plus, having students hand it into a website, rather than worry about losing their physical copy, is neater and is already organized for you.
That worries me though. I know what it is like not to have a readily available computer ready to do school work. A lot of this digital writing composition seems to require that all my students have a cell phone, a computer, a tablet, an iPod, etc. I know that, for some students, this may not be the case. I myself do not own an iPhone, and texting actually costs me money. Doing cell phones polls in my SED 406 class was actually difficult and I was terrified of losing points on my participation grade. Some of my friends do not have Wi-Fi at their homes, making handing work into websites, including Google Docs or Black Board, very difficult.
Danielle,
DeleteI agree with your point that even though technology and the internet is widely available, not every student comes fro ma place where it is. This is a very important point and something that must be considered when assigning work that involves technology. I know in my high school my teachers worked in computer lab time if we had a large project. I think that's a good way to aid your students. I think its also important to create an enviroment in your classroom where students feel as though they can come to you and explain their limitations. Creating a safe space, like we have in the beginning few weeks of class, is essential. Even making yourself available to stay after school and help students is great. On other way of getting around this and making sure all students are on the same level is to do a test run in class, and working through the program together as a class. This reminds me of Kelly Gallagher because in his book he often will model the paper or project his students will be doing in class.
I appreciate how you can identify as a digital composer, but specifically as an "informal" one. I believe this is the barrier Hicks is most adamantly trying to break, and your identification with this struggle will help you identify with your students. Hopefully, comfort levels regarding digital comp. for school will increase for all of us, and for our future students!
DeleteI find it interesting that you call digital composition a "must" in modern classrooms. I agree, and for the same reasons you describe. However, I am sure there are many current teachers that do not feel that way. I feel that one of the main points of public education -- to prepare young people to be productive and active citizens within our society -- gets lost. Your comment on the adapting job market help to bridge that gap.
The anxiety you express over students not having the resources necessary at home is a very important conversation to have. It seems that the only way to avoid this is to set aside plenty of class time for digital composition, and this seems like a daunting task as well.
Danielle, that really was a really eye-opening experience, wasn’t it? SED 406 was certainly a class where I learned a lot about tools I could use as a teacher, and it was a very, very different experience than previous classes.
DeleteI do share your concerns, and your lack of an I-phone and texting plan. However, I do like the “ominous stack.” Email and other methods of submission seem to be a bit too temperamental to me, and I prefer being able to write comments on the paper, and point to things in the event of conferencing. I’m not against digital submission, I just think a physical paper is more useful, and easy to work with (compare drafts, etc.)
I think the clichéd slideshows are less a problem of slideshows being boring, but slideshows being made “improperly” (I know there is no “proper” way, but bear with me). In my CEP class, the “standard” slides were used, as they kept classes uniform, and were supposed to be tied to the PLT. However, some had so much text you could barely read them. I always thought PowerPoint was to be used for “keywords” and crucial information, not the complete lecture, word for word. I believe Hicks made the distinction in the book, but I think it is important to say that all slideshows aren’t clichéd.
However, one thing I learned from that class, was to have printouts of slideshows with blank lines next to it, and have students take supplementary notes that way.
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteI too still love to use good old pen and paper. I even break out the quill from time to time for special wax sealed documents! Last week when we were with our partners sharing our digital footprints, we both mentioned how addictive digital writing is. Both Nadya and I find ourselves staying up late typing away because it doesn't tire us out the way a pen and paper would. This is one great aspect of writing digitally, you know, if you can forgo sleep!
The point you bring up about how as teachers, we have to change the way we teach as the world around us changes and technologies grow is so important to note. With the way things change, so will the demands and the way we do things. Our students need to know how to navigate through these changes. Teaching them how to use digital tools will do just that! Sir Ken Robinson talks about how when the education system was created, it was back during the industrial revolution and so they curriculum was built around turning out factory workers. Now we have machines to do that sort of work and so now what we need to produce are students who are creative, know how to use their imagination and know how to use digital tools.
I think you have a great point in the "ominous stack" reference too. Having the work digitally won't look as daunting to us teachers. Yet another perk of the digital age!
P.S. I love your icon of Mr. Shakes with shades! So cool! -Jocelyn B.
To me, the term digital composer seems a little weird and not something I ever want to be, but that is just on the surface. The more I think, the more I realize how digital my composing and most composition I interact with really is. But to classify myself as a digital composer, I'd say that I'm a digital composer on a low level. I know how to create word documents and blog, but I do not know how to create a website or design things on a computer. And I certainly don't know all the little tricks that people do when composing digitally. So I would say that my strengths when writing in the digital realm my strength is the ability to compose something clear, but my weakness is my lack of digital knowledge.
ReplyDeleteReading this book I was reminded of the digital literacy that is out there and one thing that I realized was just how many elements go into creating a piece of digital composition, not unlike a non-digital composition. On page 22, table 2.2 shows the elements of craft that go into digital writing and I found these to be expansive. It is really cool to see how there is a craft to digital writing. What surprised me in these chapters is how Vincent Flanders mapped out 30 mistakes that people make. I find the art that goes with website creation has standards that dictate a great website.
It is actually quite disturbing to me to think about how there are so many elements that go into digital writing and with my bad luck trying to understand technology, I am a little unsettled and do not feel very inspired to try and learn how to better develop my digital skill. This frustration with desire to learn more digital skills has me very curious and concerned about how to try to convince students to work hard to become better digital writers.
I hope that this book may teach me some better skill and tricks that are involved with digital writing.
Nathan,
DeleteI agree and feel your fear man. Its so overwhelming to think about all the different software and possibilities out there. One thing that helps me is thinking that even though kids are growing up with way more technology around there are going to be students who aren't as tech savvy as others; just like how some people are now. I know people who have built their own computers where as some people can only use the internet and use Microsoft Word.
I feel like we are in a good age group where we won't be so foreign to it. If you are between the age group of 18- 27 you probably have grown up at least using and playing around with Paint on a Windows 98. We just have to hold onto that ability to take something new and play with it until we understand more about it.
You and I both referenced the table on page 22! It's crazy to think of all the things digital composition ask of not only our students, but us as instructors and evaluators. I also share your hesitation and anxiety surrounding the idea of learning the various types of digital composition that are brought up in Hicks' book. My goal is to start small and hopefully as I explore and learn more, slowly incorporate that into my classroom.
DeleteNate, I appreciate your humility here and your honesty: "I am a little unsettled and do not feel very inspired to try and learn how to better develop my digital skill. This frustration with desire to learn more digital skills has me very curious and concerned about how to try to convince students to work hard to become better digital writers." One thing you need to figure out for yourself is how to fuel the internal fire of intellectual curiosity. And, necessarily, you're going to need to learn how to use the technologies your students use. After all, you are a teacher of writing and reading, and new media is all about writing and reading. How can we ignore it if we also claim to be preparing our students for the "real world?" So, we need to jump in, seek out help, admit what we don't know, move beyond our understanding of novels and print texts to embrace all sorts of media. How will you do this? What's your first step? You're right to be concerned! Without a spark, without energy and a fire and your own models (that you've created to show your students!), what will you do?
DeleteNathan,
DeleteYou are SO not alone in your frustration and lack of inspiration is learning through technology. You are among a very large company including, I am sure, your parents! I think anything as massive as the world wide web can bring everyone trepidation-shakes and all because it is immensely overwhelming. It all just takes some messing about (I love that phrase!). Nothing is permanent, just remind yourself of that. In fact, if you look at the last two posts we had to do, I ended up deleting my first attempt at a post-twice I did it! I can honestly say that I was more willing to jump because I knew I could hit that big red button "in case of emergencies"!
I like how you brought up how the art of a website can really define the readers interpretation of it. I find myself questioning often the choices some websites make in what they put up-what message care they trying to convey here? I'm lost! For instance at oceanstatejoblot.com (yes, I'm plugging OSJL-well, sort of!) on the main screen there is a (what I call) rolodex of advertisements. Among them for fun, they put a "not sellin', just sayin'" page where they put up a trivia fact and a crazy doctored photo along with it. Often I am baffled at how it coincides with the trivia. Then a co-worker will walk by and eye me suspiciously as my head it tilted to the right in a quizzical formation.
But here's the thing, I go back to see what the next week's installment will have, I look forward to that small mid-week chuckle. While I'm there I notice that kitchen tongs (something my friends are adamant I have in my utensil drawer) are on sale for $1.99. Well now, I'll need to venture into a local store! So really, in this case anyway, the art fulfills it's purpose. Which is why it is such a key element! You have a great eye, I can tell! -Jocelyn B.
I am not a very enthusiastic digital composer. I tend to type things up on Microsoft Word, but not do things too extensively online.
ReplyDeletePowerPoint is something I do use extensively, as I am a person who likes to present with something behind me, and to use my hands when I’m talking (both for emphasis, and because with notecards, I find I make the hand motions anyway, and wave them around in a way that seems a bit silly. You can’t make the “emphasis fist” with a handful of notecards. You look like you’re beating a paper peacock). I do feel that I know how to use these basic programs (and even Excel to an extent, but I might need a few minutes to remind myself how the newest version works).
The biggest “Takeaway” I got from Hicks was the concept of the M.A.P.S. Mode, Media, Audience, Purpose, and Situation (Shouldn’t it be MMAPS? “Ma-maps?” Hmm….). I think looking at an assignment I might be crafting through this would be a good way to double-check myself. As I said, I am not naturally an enthusiastic user of digital technology, so this seems like the perfect habit I can use to make sure my personal feelings don’t infect the openness of my lesson. If I made sure that the “map” was open enough at this stage, I think it could make the assignment more effective.
I also like the look of MAPS as a way to explain the assignment. What if every writing assignment began with a MMAPS-breakdown of the requirements at the top of the page? It might take a bit of getting used to, but it might be a great way to simplify instructions (and my instructions do tend to be a bit on the wordy side). If every student had a “map” of where the paper needed to go up front, it could very well be easier for them to reach that goal.
I also loved The opening quote of the first chapter. I never thought of it like that, but it does seem true. You need to “Create” something in order to be “creative.” And I have now added it to that quote list that a few of us mentioned previously.
I was intrigued when Hicks said “students today may be ‘born digital,’ but it is our job to help them become purposeful and creative digital writers.” Once again, I never thought about it. To me, technology was a tool I used to make creativity easy. I was creative “unplugged” first (or at least I like to think I was). I think I will need to do some more reading on this, and to shift my focus. He’s right,. Most of my future students will have used technology before they ever thought to create something written for fun. And that order I have no personal experience with.
And this is what worries me. When it comes to reading and the skills of writing (even the “ideas” part), I have personal experience to draw on. But we didn’t even really use computers regularly in school until Middle school for me, and even then they weren’t used for more than Google and Microsoft Word until High School. Computers were not everywhere for me in academia until recently, and when I wasn’t in school, I used them sparingly, playing the occasional game or typing the occasional paper. As I said, I will need to shift my focus, and try to adapt. Because I do not want to do my students a disservice by being a “modern dinosaur.”
Matt,
DeleteSeems like there are a couple of us who do actually enjoy making PowerPoint presentations, as they do serve a useful purpose. Sometimes the basics are enough to make a meaningful project and create emphasis on a topic and our point of view.
I like your line: " You need to “Create” something in order to be “creative.” " because it is very true. Sometimes, people tend to forget even such a simple aspect. Again, sometimes the basics are just as important.
I love your little puns throughout your response as well, it's a nice touch to see the 'you' in your response instead of creating a formal-like essay. We're so used to doing that, especially as English majors. Clearly, you seem to be grasping the concept of digital writing being a powerful tool; this provides an opportunity to see how blogging or other digital media could be used in a classroom, even if you do not consider yourself a "digital composer".
Matt: You make some thought provoking statements in this post.I love that you've discovered MAPS and how it could make writing assignments much clearer for students, how you could use that template on your assignments to prevent students from misunderstanding what you expect of them. Also, I like how you discuss being creative as a side effect of CREATING. There's a line from the musical RENT: "The opposite of War isn't Peace; it's Creation." I like to remember that. Creating anything, from a booklet to a comic to a journal to a sentence to an essay to a mantra to a Tweet is creating. How can we make our students more aware of their creations in the world (and how to make those creations more meaningful, purposeful, thoughtful)?
DeleteAnd, finally, you're right. Technology has moved faster than we have. You need to remember that at least one person in your audience (ME!) is at least twice your age, so when you talk about "not having computers" in school as a reason for being a stranger to digital composing, you're not convincing! Our age, our status, our identity, our beliefs cannot be barriers in our responsibility to children. We are responsible for preparing our students for the world twenty years in the future, not for the world 50 years in the past. So, how do we take hold of the now, as teachers, to prepare kids for the world of "then?" How do we break down our own barriers to digital composing to become role model intellectuals who explore, experiment, and welcome cognitive dissonance?
Matt, I agree that the MAPS is very useful and I too can see myself using it in the future. This is something that I can also often use for myself and see myself using for my future students. Outlining the elements of why you're writing can never be a bad thing.
DeleteI also really like how you highlighted the fact that while these students have always had contact with the digital world, we need to help them be purposeful. this is incredibly useful to keep in mind and something I can see many teachers over looking it. I really hope I personally become better at digital composition so that I can help my students to also become better.
Matthew,
Delete"Beating a paper peacock"-oh my, that has to be the funniest thing I've heard all day. At least three people are Horace Mann just gawked at me when I laughed out loud! A very accurate visual!
I too thought it should be MMAPS. Acronyms, I won't ever understand the rules for naming them! I like how you show how MAPS acts as brainstorming for the students and that it as a key could help guide their writing.
I'll never forget a year ago, in a class presentation on technology, a student got up and first made this statement: "Have you ever thought about the fact that we are the last generation that didn't grow up with technology or a computer in our home?" It stopped me dead in my tracks because it is so true! For those of us not "born digital", as you mentioned above, the use of digital tools is that much more daunting (see Nathan!?). You'll get the hand of it though, I know you will! -Jocelyn B.
A Side Note
DeleteDr. Cook, quoting RENT-seriously?! That is one of my favourite lines ever from one the greatest musicals ever written! Love it. You made me so happy!!
I’m not a very good digital composer. The most I do is tread water in Microsoft Word, and occasionally when I need to I will make a PowerPoint for a class presentation. I took the “Technology savvy” education class that was once required for all education majors a few years ago and that really helped me tone my skills and learn how to use excel. But as for hyperlinks, blogging, tumbler, and twitter, I do not partake. I wouldn’t mind having a personal blogs, and a tumbler, but I know I’d get addicted. Plus I prefer pencil and paper, and a little bit of Facebook to break up my study time. I can usually pick up how to operate new program easily though, example being the Animoto videos we created a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteMy main take away I have is from chapter three when Hicks is explaining how we should research online. He explains through Howard Rheingold that we need to “Pay attention to how we pay attention, especially when we are online. Before we… contribute something to the digital ether, we need to think about that action with intention.” (33) This is a great attitude to have in the digital sphere and in the physical world. If digital writing, as well as social networking is introduced to students and children with this idea than I feel like there would be a lot less trouble between students, a.k.a online bullying. But it’s also a great rule of thumb when it comes to constructing papers and arguments. Asking yourself, is this even necessary, does it strengthen my point or detract from it can is a great way to revise work and make it better.
The biggest thing that surprised me from these early chapters is from chapter one when Hicks states “No one – not even a “digital” person like me – should ever argue that we entirely give up crayons, pencils, ink, and paper, especially with our youngest writers.” (2) I was totally expecting when I picked up this book that Hicks was going to but too much value on digital writing and tell us that physical writing isn’t as important and that it is probably going to fade out in time. I was apprehensive to the thought of using a lot of technology in a classroom. I know that it can be new and exciting and help prepare students to work with technology in the future, but I’m a softy for real books and writing with something other than a keyboard. I’m happy Hicks isn’t a digital extremist, and if he hadn’t calmed my fears this early on I would probably have been very skeptical about other things he presents in this book. I think it is especially important to not lose these tools in a classroom because they are the base of learning how to read and write.
Nothing really disturbed me in these beginning chapters but I am still weary towards a lot of the digital writing ideas, primarily the focus of students publishing work online. I would definitely make sure that for safety reason that all published pieces were set to a private setting and not outside the school district. But I do think it’d be cool to have a digital school newspaper or newsletter for students to publish their work.
The metacognitive necessity behind digital composition is a very important conversation to have. I agree that that attitude should extend into both realms: physical and digital. Exploring constructive ways to get ones points across is a crucial conversation to have with students at all times, especially online, where anyone can see and say just about anything.
DeleteI also was comforted by the balance Hicks portrays between digital and non-digital composition. I, too, was afraid that Hicks would advocate for a teaching style that was completely foreign, but was happy to realize that it was only the incorporation of different elements, not an entirely new teaching philosophy.
I find it interesting how wary we all are of digital composition, myself included! I guess we English teachers like our safe zones. :)
Heather!!! You've isolated one of my favorite aspects of Hicks' writing in this book: his emphasis on PURPOSE in everything a teacher asks her students to do. If you're assigning homework because, well, you feel like you "have to," don't do it! If you're assigning reading over the weekend because "you have a lot to cover," don't do it! If you ask students to create a Powerpoint just because you want to get them on computers, knowing they will be boring presentations anyway, then don't do it! So, yes, a great line from Hicks is the one you quote:
Deleteaction with intention
If there is one rule of teaching, it is this. Don't waste people's time with bullshit and busy work. Don't indulge your own bizarre narcissistic tendencies with an hourlong lecture on the Globe Theater when we know teenagers don't give a crap. Don't ask students to do something you yourself wouldn't do. Don't assign a bunch of essays that you don't even want to read. Don't ask kids to mess around with technology when you cannot give them a concrete purpose and rationale for doing so. Be able to answer this question with integrity, research-based practice, and honesty: "WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?"
...action with intention...
yes, yes, yes.
Thank you, Heather! Don't forget this...ever!
Heather, your point about abstaining from digital tools because you know it will lead to addiction is interesting. It’s an excellent point to raise. Sometimes, technology and digital tools take on a “life of its own,” and we need to know how to keep it a tool. That ease of distraction needs to be acknowledged, and ways to deal with it addressed.
DeleteI loved that you brought up when Hicks said (and I’m quoting your quote here) “No one – not even a “digital” person like me – should ever argue that we entirely give up crayons, pencils, ink, and paper, especially with our youngest writers.” This is something that I feel a lot of people I know don’t seem to understand. They see what a computer can do, and don’t see much value in doing it the “old-fashioned” way. But, it’s like when cursive is taught in elementary schools. Yes, you learned cursive to learn to write cursive. But it also served the possible benefit of improving and building on motor skills that a student might be having trouble with. Not getting into the cursive debate, there is a reason for teaching it that is not penmanship, and it needs to be recognized. Manual creation is, in my eyes, the same thing.
Heather,
DeleteYou aren't kidding when you say that you could get addicting to having your own blog. It is an addiction, I am an addict! Here's where the optimism kicks in though-it also is a way to lift your spirits when you are having a not so hot day. Tumblr has pulled me out of various funks way too many times to mention because on it, people displays how beautiful, wonderful and imaginative our human race it! Humans of New York (HoNY) will do all that in just a few posts.
When I read about how books make a fellow reader feel home or when I see a post about a new equal rights law being passed or when I watch a video posted on new teacher techniques in the classroom I can't help but fist pump in the air or tear up with joy or feel inspired to write. I am certain you'll feel the same way!
"Pay attention to how we pay attention, especially online" plays into what Nathan said about how sites look. These are things we notice without even knowing we have filed them away in our sub consciousness. These are tools that will strengthen our own work. If you put those observation antennas on, you are well on your way to becoming a digital master!
Dr. Cook and Heather,
DeleteI like what you both said regarding purpose. The example of the Globe Theater is something that I have had splatter-painted at me from professors in virtually every English course that I've taken at RIC and several of my high school classes. Most of the time I will indulge and play the "Yes, dear" game. These facts can be interesting and even cool, but unless your students plan on becoming Shakespearean re-enactors, there definitely will be no relevance or resonance in their lives. They will not use the stuff.
Each task has to serve, and what that purpose is is largely determined by the content that will be taught, but digital tools offer even more options than what teachers of the past have had available to them.
Not wanting to let go of crayons and pencils is natural because there is nostalgic value to those methods of crafting, and I addressed that in my own post in a way. We had a very different learning experience from the students we will be teaching because that was the only way we started out. There are many children that play with Ipads and are confused by printed books that have to have the pages turned. They also get to have the manual tools, so they are bridging both sets and doing so securely.
What we as teachers and composers is try and remove the idea from the thing that produces it. The notebook is helpful, but it is not your lifeline. Your laptop will not be adored by fans when you publish the novel or poems typed on it. However the concepts and pieces are produced, what really counts is what inspires the writer. If you feel the need to draft a paper on Post-It's then by all means do what works for you.
When I think of myself as a digital composer, I just think of myself as average, which I feel makes sense. As a kid, I never did much writing on the computer; all of it was written on paper using a pen or a pencil. By the time I was in middle school, however, I was being required to type papers for school, and that was also the time AIM was popular and everyone spent hours thinking of clever away messages to use. I've had experiences with PowerPoint because of school projects, and this year was the first time I've ever been required to use a blog. In high school, I was also required to make a radio show using a computer program called Audacity, which was a fun and interesting experience. Other than that, I haven't had much other experience with digital composing. I've made a basic movie for my SED 406 class using Windows Movie Maker, but I've seen other videos on YouTube that have all these cool features that I have no idea how to put in a video. There are so many little details and tricks that come with digital composing and I probably don't even know the half of it, but I wouldn't say I'm completely out of the loop either.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, in Chapter 1 of Crafiting Digital Writing, Hicks says that teachers need to understand their students and their literate lives, which I think Allie also mentioned in her blog post. Kids nowadays are more exposed to technology than I ever was at their age and it is important to understand this as teachers. Like I said, I'm not completely clueless when it comes to technology and can maneuver through the basics, but it would be nice to learn more so that I can have more options to choose from in the classroom. Technology is always changing and as I get older, it might be a little overwhelming to learn all the new things that will come my way, but I'm usually a quick learner and have confidence that with a little practice, I'll be fine.
Another thing that really intrigued me about the first three chapters of Hicks' book was the list of elements of digital writing in table 2.2. It listed things like fonts and layouts of presentations and other things like shapes, colors and sounds. It made me realize that digital composing allows people to be creative in more ways than by just writing words down on a piece of paper. It allows people to kind of expand their creativity a little bit and play around with different elements until their blog, PowerPoint, video, etc. is to their liking, which I think is really cool.
Ariana,
DeleteSeems like a lot of us do not see ourselves as digital composers or as average. Why do you suppose this may be the case? I do think 406 opened our eyes extensively about the digital world. Some of the programs in that class I was not aware of and now I use them all the time.
I like your quote, " Kids nowadays are more exposed to technology than I ever was at their age and it is important to understand this as teachers." It can be difficult to keep up with the changing times, especially as we get older and older. It is good that you feel you're a quick learner as it will surely benefit you later on in your career.
" I was also required to make a radio show using a computer program called Audacity" That sounds so cool though! I use Audacity myself and it is an excellent program. I am glad you got an opportunity to use it.
I agree that its great that our education classes like SED 406 force us to become familiar with the basic technology tools. It also opens up a lot of cool lesson plan opportunities. Frankly, understand technology is a necessity and a way to keep students engaged and actually enjoying what they are learning. Nobody wants to write paper after paper, but composing videos and slideshows that represent the themes and ideas in a novel breaks the mold and lets them be more creative.
DeleteAriana: I love the humility in your post this week! You're not foreign to digital composing but not an expert either. And, you're a 20-something, so, to me, it's odd to read you talking about "kids nowadays." Funny how everything's relative. I like how you mention, like Allie, that "kids have literate lives." In fact, most kids are living more literate lives than our parents did due to the fact that they now have phones on which they can type, text, update, search, and talk. The computer in our pocket is changing the nature of writing, reading, speaking, and listening, and we, as teachers and as public servants, need to be on the CUTTING EDGE Of this revolution. We are the keepers of literacy, and it is our responsibility, as you point out, to keep up. We don't get the luxury, like other professionals (non-teachers) of saying, "Oh, kids these days. They just love their devices!" We need to buy a device and learn how to use it or else risk sounding like and seeming like, as Matt put it, an "out of touch dinosaur." Finally, when we ask our students (in the olden days) to make a poster or a book cover for their summer reading book, we are doing a similar thing as asking them to put together an Animoto video on their summer reading book. We are employing design principles in English class: fonts, layouts, colors, images, text, etc. These things ALL MATTER when we are writing for others. Audience and purpose still rule the day.
DeleteYou said, what I thought, was the most important line in the three chapters we read: "teachers need to understand their students and their literate lives." Yes. I can't think of anything to say more than that! -Jocelyn B.
DeleteI never thought of myself as a digital composer until this course asked me to. Now that I am thinking about what that phrase actually means, I am realizing that I am a pretty frequent digital composer. I have the regular social networking outlets for this -- Facebook and Twitter -- but I don't use these outlets nearly as frequently as a lot of others. When I broaden my idea of what it meas to be a digital composer, however, I find that I do a fair amount through a variety of other outlets. Most of this composing is for school in the form of papers typed wth Microsoft Word or PowerPoint presentations. I am still working on broadening my definition of digital composing as well as my involement in it.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest take-away from Hicks' first chapters are just how many different types of skills are fostered through the various types of digital writing in which students are engaging. Table 2.2 on page 22 breaks down the skills neceessary to compose four different types of digital products: website design, presentations, audio, and video. Each of these categories have a number of bullet points that students must master in order to complete the task. This has made me realize how much digital composing is about so much more than the words that appear in front of a screen.
I was surprised by howw Hicks makes such constant and clear distinction between digital composition and writing. When I first thought of digital composition, I imagined the standard 5-paragraph essay being projected on a screen intead of on pieces of paper. After reading some of Hicks' book, I have begun to separate these two ideas.
Seeing as I am not a digital composer, I am nervous about two things: learning the rules of digital composition myself and incorporating it ito my classwork. As an English teacher, traitional writing assignments are far less intimidating than asking my students to compose a website and, even worse, having to grade that website. I'm hoping to learn more explicit techniques as I continue reading.
Jessica: Thanks for your thoughtful response. I like that you've embraced Hicks' idea of "digital composing" instead of "digital writing." Creating texts digitally requires a lot more than just writing! Digital composing, as you've pointed out, involves principles of design, rhetoric and imagination as well as "skills" like reading, writing, searching, cutting and pasting, etc. I'm glad to know that you'll be challenging yourself to think about ways that digital composing can change the culture of your English classroom. In fact, when you write "traditional writing assignments," I wonder what you mean. 5-paragraph essays are traditional in that it is a contrived, artificial way to write anything. So, it's the tradition that's useless, in fact. Why do teachers simply tow the line of tradition without questioning where that "tradition" came from and why? Many, many traditions in schools are not to the benefit of students or teachers; they are there simply to make things more efficient (like a factory!). So, I encourage you...URGE YOU...to continue to think outside of tradition...how have those traditions served you in your life? In school? Outside of school? Onto more digital writing...!
DeleteJessica, I also have never really considered myself to be a digital composer until I began reading this book. I too write on things like Facebook but can't say I've considered it to be composition, rather communication. The different skills that are listed under each type of composition was also my biggest take away. I didn't realize all of the different things needed for craft in the various styles. It made me want to take account of which skill I have and figure out how to acquire the ones that I do not.
DeleteI, too, have to admit that I never thought or considered myself a digital composer. I think this assignment lone had made me ponder and reflect on my own digital practices an, thus, ask myself a question: "Am I a digital composer?"
DeleteI also like p 22 and the chart that suggests some improvisations for website design, presentations, video/audio-making - which can be used by both a beginning digital composer or by a high-tech savvy
With digital composing, there is a lot that I don't fully understand or know because I prefer my solitary space as a writer to having an audience that can critique and comment on every aspect of a thought as soon as it is typed up. To me that is a bit unnerving and only puts me off of writing. This is why I am optimistic about traditional writing methods not being completely phased out. An artist almost always needs to retreat into their cave because they can't cope with the distractions that are inevitable in daily life. The dishes will need to be done; Timmy will fall down the well; grocery shopping has to happen; friends will ask if you want to hang out. When working on digital compositions, these projects may never end, consuming hours and hours of precious time. The readers of these texts have access to you and your work at any moment, and a good author has to be equally ready to explain and defend their work at any time.
ReplyDeleteWhat I enjoyed about the first chapter of Hicks was that he immediately jumped into issues of copyright and respect for intellectual property, which is not nearly discussed enough. In the age of the share button, sometimes proper sourcing is left by the wayside and credit is not given where it is deserved.
One thing that I respect about digital composition is that it provides the ability to distance a student from writing assignments that are bland and overused, like the 5-paragraph essay. There are many more elements of style in choice in a PowerPoint than there could be in a selection of teacher-created prompts. By simply adding a Youtube clip here, a change in font there, this broadens the spectrum of understanding and interest, personalizing assignments as much as assignments can be.
Katie, personal writing vs. writing with an external intended audience is something that I don’t think is talked about enough. Sometimes, and it has happened to me, I have to look at something I’ve written, and edit it to make it suitable for one or the other. But, on the other hand, I know people, and I have worked with students, who do not look at the audience as different, until they are asked to stand in front of the class and read. That can be terrifying in the best of times, but if the writing is personal….
DeleteAnd teaching intellectual property rights is important, especially as we move forwards into an ever-more digital world.
And, you’re right. The versatility of digital composition is unmatched. It is an excellent tool, and it can definitely make even the most “boring” assignment fun.
I really enjoy how you mentioned Hicks statements on copyrighting and intellectual property, something that I myself did not really pay much attention to when reading the book. But now I have gone back to check it out and quite enjoy how he included it right away. I also like your cautiousness involving the digital writing world and wanting to keep your notebook and pen. I am a person who doesn't like reading things on a computer but much rather hard copies so I can definitely relate to you not wanting to be in a fully digital writing world.
DeleteDistancing students from bland writing assignments with new innovative techniques is also something that I can respect about digital composition. This frees students to explore new worlds and maybe be more creative than the original writing assignments allowed.
Katie,
DeleteYou crack me up-Timmy falls down the well! How about the distractions that are in the digital sphere? I mentioned how I worry students will be distracted but I am constantly faced with the same dilemma. Which is why I think all writers should have a laptop without internet access. I have a similar philosophy on a living room without a TV but I digress...
You bring up such a great point with the overuse of the share button. I know on Tumblr, I am always re-posting things that resonate with me and often I can just delete the original source. Should digital composer start printing out everything they do and submit it to copywriting or do the poor man's way of sending it to yourself through the USPS and leaving the envelope unsealed?
I love that you brought up how digital composition can now be given a third dimension. As we have discovered there are the left-brained people and the right-brained people and those who are right-brained should be able to write their essay's in creative ways. Because the second to main point of teaching is to have the students excited about the materials and the projects-isn't it? I believe the main point is to get them actually educated and engaged-at least I hope so!
Hip, hip hooray for creativity in the classroom! -Jocelyn B.
If not for digital composing, I never would have entertained the idea of being a writer. I remember setting up my Myspace profile back in 2004 and getting such a kick out of myself, mixing facts with sick embellishments and inappropriate quips. My profile became a canvas to entertain anyone who so desired. I liked the idea that anyone who viewed the page is doing so because they want to and if it’s not their thing, they can piss up a rope… or just navigate away… or both. It’s not like conversation in a social setting where the pressure to gain attention is constant. Often times these situations result in people shouting over each other to gain the floor while no one is listening. I’ve tried that and I suck at it, so I don’t bother. No wonder most great authors are recluses.
ReplyDeleteI believe I have a very conversational way of writing which seems to come easy to me. When I fully process what I need to say, the text more or less writes itself.
As far as my “areas of not knowing,” (really? We can’t call them weaknesses anymore?) penmanship, grammar and spelling top the list. I suppose I lack motivation when the topic of interest well… doesn’t interest me. My creativity comes and goes. When the material comes to me it comes easy; When I try to force something that’s not there it feels like slow torture.
The thing I took most from Hicks’ book was the state of digital writing in its infancy. It seems as though most of his techniques and sources, though effective, are still in a developmental stage. With digital writing only really being around for a couple of decades at most and cannon of online writing tools being developed daily, the curriculum of teaching online writing seems to be constantly evolving. One also has to wonder, in this age of corporate supremacy, which specific websites and online tools are to be presented in a classroom setting, and are such tools being selected because of their effectiveness or because of some corporate connection or sponsorship. (Maaaaaaaaaaaan!)
Jared,
DeleteI didn't even think of including spelling and grammar under things we have trouble with but yes-all the way for me too. I wonder how many of us English majors would confess to the same feelings about such things. Why isn't grammar a required course in order to receive your English degree? How does the history of the English Language qualify to take the place of grammar? I don't get it! I actually worry if digital writing is what is making things like spelling and grammar less and less important.
I love how you phrase that your MySpace profile became your canvas for entertaining others because really, that's the beauty of writing. When you say that you feel you can communicate better through digital composing more so than socially face-to-face I think that's because it's acts as a springboard for future social situations. The writing you do is a testing ground of future conversations. The discoveries you make end up becoming parts of your belief system!
Although you make a skeptical point on corporate sponsored digital tools, you may just be onto something there! As long as they work for our purposes though, I suppose we can put up with a few ad's.-Jocelyn B.
Jared, I find it very interesting how you mention that Myspace was your first canvas for digital design. I remember trying to design mine and becoming frustrated that I couldn't get the color right so I gave up. Digital composing for me has always been a little frustrating and scary but I really enjoy your concept of the digital realm being more manueverable when it comes to interaction because you can easily move to the next thing instead of being stuck.
DeleteI also think it is interesting that with digital writing in its infancy we are kind of helping to lead the way by experimenting with the new tools and exploring them ourselves. It is cool how you started to think about the corporations and how they could possibly effect the future of digital composition, as this is something I had not quite thought about yet.
Just like many of my SED 445 classmates here, I haven't previously considered myself a digital composer. I guess, the term itself just hasn't occurred to me; and honestly, my experimenting with digital writing has been pretty slow-evolving.
ReplyDeleteIn high-school (late 90-s) we almost never used a computer for writing essays; it was only when I was attending the university, and now RIC for my second degree, when using computer and such programs as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint has become very frequent and , sort of, unbreakable part of my learning- so, those probably, are my strengths. I have also experimented with Windows Movie Maker, Prezi, and during this semester - with Animoto, Storybird. The area of not-knowing, I have to admit, is huge. It was very interesting to read T. Hicks ideas about digital composing and the various sites that offer mind-mapping collaborative organizers.
One of my "takeaways" from T. Hicks essay is that how he offers a comprehensive break-down of various strategies for each of genre covered by Common Core Nationals Standards - namely, for narrative, informative and argumentative texts (17). For instance, when working with an informational text, he advises to use such writing strategies as "getting playful with puns, idioms,allusions" and repeat the "recurring lines" (17).
I also enjoyed the third chapter a lot. There, the author recommends using such websites as www.mindomo.com, www.gliffy.com for such pre-writing and co-sharing activities as brainstorming and outlining for an essay, for example. The neat feature about these sites, I thought, is that all students can contribute and share with the whole class, so it makes a nice pre-writing activity or even practice, which teacher can also monitor and give feedback.
As I was reading the chapters, I did have a few questions that came up. One of them is being able to find mentor texts for our students. The author suggests the NASA website as an example, but what would be some other ones?
I also liked how the book talked about Wikis and how it gave actual examples of students' work (I enjoyed scanning the QR code offered on the margins of the book and access the website instantly!!!) I think Wikis is such unexplored territory which offers an abundance of creativity and room for ideas and, thus, crafting. I will be definitely using it with my students.