Entry 3: My First Entry Continued

There are many core principles which I value and would like to enact in my own classroom.  I strongly believe in creating a community of writers.  I think students learn best when they feel safe and can collaborate with others to further their learning.  As an educator, I find it imperative to look at my students as individuals rather than one large group.  In order to know my students (their background, strengths/ weaknesses in writing, etc.), I will set aside time to confer with them; as a result, I can build my literacy instructions around their needs, interest and learning profiles.  To achieve this practice in my future classroom, I will set aside time weekly to meet with each of my students and keep a log on our conversations.  I want them to feel safe and view me as a support in their literacy learning experiences.

Writing is an integral part of a student's education.  Throughout my experiences in the classroom, I constantly work with students on their writing no matter the grade I am teaching.  There is always room for development and growth; the more you write, the better writer you become.  As a result, I want to utilize writing practices across the curriculum to support my students not only in their learning, but as developing writers.

There are a variety of ways to assist my students in their writing that go beyond using pen and paper.  Technology is rapidly developing and becoming more widely accepted in schools.  I believe it is my professional responsibility to become educated on these new technologies (word processors, digital and audio editors, blogs, wikis, etc.) in order to better relate to my students and implement digital writing workshops in the classroom.  I anticipate some challenges because I am not “tech-savvy”; however as an educator, I believe it is important to take risks and step outside your comfort zone.  Collaboration is integral component of being a teacher; in my future placement, I will work with my colleagues to familiarize myself with new technologies and come up with exciting ways to incorporate them into the classroom.

Through taking this class (Reading Improvement Through Written Expression) I am developing a deeper understanding of technology and how it supports students in their writing.  Reflecting on our reading in Hicks (2009), I feel more comfortable implementing a digital writing workshop in my future classroom.  I enjoy that students are allowed to choose their own topics to write about and have a wider audience to publish their work to.  As a result, they will feel more comfortable writing because they have the opportunity to explore their own interest and let their voice be heard.  In the end, my goal is for students to enjoy writing and experiment with different outlets to express their creative ideas.

References

Hicks, T.  (2009).  The Digital Writing Workshop.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann  

Entry 2: Developing Digital Writing Skills at an Early Age

In The Digital Writing Workshop, Troy Hicks discusses three elements of the framework of digital writing: your students, the subject of writing, and the spaces in which we write in.  Personally, my experience with digital writing workshops is limited; however, after reading Hicks (2009) notes in Chapter 7, I was able to make connections between these three important elements and how they are portrayed in the classroom.  Through reflecting on my student teaching experiences, I am able to compare and contrast the framework of digital writing to what I encountered in the classroom.

In early Fall I student taught in a first grade classroom at State Road Elementary School.  Since my students were between the ages of six and seven, they had very little exposure to the digital world.  As a result, my cooperating teacher and I implemented a computer program to assist them in learning how to type.  We incorporated this activity into our morning centers routine, which allowed students thirty minutes of computer interaction; consequently they began to develop digital writing skills.  Another center which also supported these skills was the writing center; here students would write and explore about topics pre-selected by myself and my cooperating teacher.  Through practicing writing, students began to develop literacy skills that will help them become proficient writers in the future.

Writing goes beyond pen and paper, and it was my goal to illustrate this to my students.  Many times we acted out our thoughts or drew pictures instead of using words to tell a story.  As a result, my students were able to learn about different crafts they can use to get their ideas across to others.  We also explored the concept of a genre and learned about the many different types we come across when reading.  Although digital writing involves a computer, teaching my students these basic skills will help them to organize their ideas, choose appropriate writing forms and audiences, and become confident digital writers.

The last element, space, is essential in order for students to become the best writers they can be.  As educators we need to set up our classrooms in order to support individuals in their learning.  First graders need a lot of space; therefore, my cooperating teacher and I set up the computers and chairs along the back wall to allow for “…easy movement and communication” (Hicks, 2009).  We also made sure to have writing tools such as scrap paper, pens, pencils, dictionaries in accessible areas around the room.  Students had everything they needed to be successful learners in the classroom.  As my students grow older, I know they will not need as much space and will be able to use Wiki’s, Blogs, and other writing tools to publish their hard work.  Spending time as a first grade educator, my objective was to provide them with the basics of their background knowledge on writing and teach them skills to support them in their future.

Technology is growing rapidly and becoming more and more accepted in the educational field.  I believe it is imperative for teachers to become familiar with these advances and incorporate them into their pedagogy.  We may not always feel comfortable with change, but it is our professional responsibility to take risks in order to be the best educators for our students.

References

Hicks, T.  (2009).  The Digital Writing Workshop.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann  

My First Entry

There are many core principles which I value and would like to enact in my own classroom.  I strongly believe in creating a community of writers.  I think students learn best when they feel safe and can collaborate with others to further their learning.  As an educator, I find it imperative to look at my students as individuals rather than one large group.  In order to know my students ( their background, strengths/ weaknesses in writing, etc.) I will set aside time to confer with them; as a result, I can build my literacy instructions around their needs, interest and learning profiles.  To achieve this practice in my future classroom, I will set aside time weekly to meet with each of my students and keep a log on our conversations.  I want them to feel safe and view me as a support in their literacy learning experiences.

Writing is an integral part of a student's education...TO BE CONTINUED