Writing in the one-to-one laptop classroom

[Ian O'Byrne]

We invite you to a hands-on workshop that will examine the issues and opportunities associated with writing in the one-to-one laptop classroom.

Writing in the one-to-one laptop classroom: The writing process transformed by Internet and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Friday Afternoon, 12:30-1:45...Session C.40...Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 108A, Street Level.

These presenters will describe some ways in which teachers can use technology to promote meaningful engagement in literary activities. They will focus on strategies that promote higher-order thinking in the literary activities of their students as they blog along with them.

Presenters:
K. Scott Myers, English Dept. Chair / Lit. Teacher, Camden Academy Charter High School

J. Greg McVerry, New Literacies Research Team, @UConn

W. Ian O'Byrne, New Literacies Research Team, @UConn

[Ian O'Byrne]

Framing our discussion, we will be looking at the Definition of 21st Century Literacies, as Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee on February 15, 2008.

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of
particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies—from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms—are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities, and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Twenty-first century readers and writers need to

• Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
• Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
• Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments

[Greg McVerry]

Hey folks,

We will also have exemplars of student work that teachers can play with in order to see how to move a classroom blog from a simple question and response discussion to a community of authors commenting on each others sustained reflection.

We will be using Zawilinski's article on Higher Order Thinking blogs to discuss curricular connections and Jenna McWilliams (@jennamcjenna) list of blogging skills for our discussion on formative assessment.

Features of a successful blog post

* A well organized argument or main point, supported through the use of hyperlinks and multimedia materials (video, sound, images)
* A clear, unified voice that is appropriate for the intended reading public
* A title that links clearly to the content of the post


Features of a successful blog

* Short, concise posts that use multimedia materials (video, images) to effectively make a point
* Effective use of hyperlinks to support ideas, to direct readers to relevant, interesting posts, and to demonstrate an awareness of the community of writers focusing on a common theme or set of ideas
* A clear, unified voice that continues to grow and develop over time


Qualities of a skilled blogger

* Ability to quickly synthesize and articulate ideas
* An awareness of a wide range of blogging techniques and of how these various techniques reach different target audiences effectively or ineffectively
* Reading with mouse in hand: Engaging with (online and offline) materials as potential material for blogposts
* Willingness to serve as an intelligent filter for a wide public audience
* Engagement with the wider blogging community, including offering thoughtful comments on others’ writing and reading widely and broadly

[Greg McVerry]

We are going to use these skills and exemplars of student work to create rubrics for blogging in 4th, 7th, and 10th grade. We will be drawing on teacher knowledge about assessing blogs. So if you have used blogs in you rclass please stop by.

[Greg McVerry]

This is the link to the Google Doc we will be using in our session:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYbnEbX-nqloZGhreDhqcmhfNDljdzlrO...

[Jenna McWilliams]

hello, and if you'd like to see the entire blogpost about this, you can see it at http://jennamcwilliams.blogspot.com/2009/10/on-successful-blogposts....

[Greg McVerry]

Thanks Jenna,

Folks if you click on the link also read the post "Reading with Mouse in Hand." I think the phrase really captures how literacy has shifted. The post does an awesome job describing how intertwined reading and writing have become.

[Ian O'Byrne]

The realities of bringing 21st Century Literacies into our curriculum.

[Ian O'Byrne]

HOT Blogging: A Framework for Blogging to Promote Higher Order Thinking
Lisa Zawilinski

A recent publication from our colleague Lisa Zawilinski at the New Literacies Research Lab. Additional reading of a great piece for those inclined to learn more.