Creating Your Digital Writing Workshop

          Troy Hicks has given us a great insight into the different tools that we can use in a digital writing workshop.  We have covered blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, and multimedia compositions.  Now the important thing is to create and nurture this digital writing workshop.  Hicks states, "My intent is for you to be able to create your digital writing workshop based...on a dynamic and fluid model that acknowledges the context in which you teach" (125).  I think that this is a great point.  As teachers we need to use digital writing in a dynamic and relevant way.  
          One of the most important things to keep in mind when creating a digital writing workshop is that the process is just as, if not more, important than the final product.  By using a digital space to create writing students are able to document their process and progress, allowing them to reflect and improve upon their work.  The promise of "a real audience" encourages students to take greater pride in their finished products, which is a reflection of the grueling editing process.  
          One of the best parts of Hicks' final chapter is that he provides Critical Questions to consider when creating a digital writing workshop.  The questions include things like, "In what ways do you view your students and their use of technology?" "How do students view digital writing?" How often do students have access to the internet outside of school?" And finally, "In what ways do students understand their rights as producers and distributors of digital texts?"  I think that these are great questions to ask when building this workshop.  It allows you to gauge students abilities to participate in this type of writing outside of school, as well as seeing how they value their role as a "producer."  
          Last, it is important to note that digital writing workshops are not limited to digital spaces.  I think that when creating these spaces it is important to bring students work into the classroom.  "The ways in which we set up our classrooms, both literally and figuratively, matter a great deal to the success of individual writers as well as the overall feeling within the writing community" (132).  We have to remember that community is the most important aspect of writing and we want students to be willing to share digitally and orally.  It is important to use digital writing workshops to our advantage and to encourage students to become confident presenting their work in person.  Overall, I really enjoyed Hicks' book and it has inspired me to incorporate a digital writing workshop into my future classroom. 


Megan Nier

This article looks at the danger of what you might write...

CLICK!

-Kaitlyn

Chapter 7:Creating Your Digital Writing Workshop

I would like to focus on a particular, AND VERY IMPORTANT, quote from this chapter:

"In short, students must be made aware of the ways in which their writing is distributed and perceived across the many networks in which they participate, in school and out. And writing teachers need to consider the many ways in which students see themselves as writers [...] and invite them to be intentional about how they read and write in a digital age." (128)

This is something that I believe has been a huge problem regarding millions of people in the world. The internet offers so many things to us, so many spaces for us to share our thoughts with other voices that we forget that every single click and key typed has a consequence. It is like any action done or word spoken aloud--once it is done, you cannot take it back. I believe that students need heavy learning on what is right and not right to put on the internet. Ask your students, "I'd like all of you to picture your Facebook page, if you have one, or any personal site where you write your thoughts freely. Are you proud of the things you have posted? Would you be OK if that page represented who you are for the rest of your life? Would you be OK with me, your parents, the principle, or your Grandma reviewing it?" By doing this, students can understand the real implications that could be at hand. The truth is, even young adults my age are struggling with this. There are so many things that people are posting that keep them from getting the jobs they want or sustaining relationships (friendly or romantic) with others. Sometimes people share too much about themselves or make themselves seem like someone they are not, whether negative or positive. I wish there were more about this in this book. But, I understand that this book was mean to be the length it is. Truthfully, there could be a whole book merely dedicated to this chapter. But, the truth is, teachers need to become aware of this and guide there students into making responsible decisions!

--Kaitlyn

Check this out! (Mentioned in chapter 6)

NCTE's "Writing Now" Policy Research Brief

Chapter 6: Enabling Assessment over Time with Digital Writing Tools

I agree with Hicks that assessing students can be a difficult task when it comes to digital writing. He hit it dead on when explaining the differences between an effective writer and an ineffective writer. An effective writer, as Hicks states, is someone who pays attention to the audience their piece is directed towards. On the other hand, he describes an ineffective writer as someone who doesn't cater to the readers, taking all their work and organizing it the same way no matter what. Students need to be taught how to avoid the second writer mentioned, helping prepare them to release their work in a way that pulls the reader in and allows one to see the power and expression the writer wants the reader to feel. When teachers give their students assignments digitally, they have to make sure that they aren't giving them the exact structure in which they want the work to be completed. This allows students to learn how to access their creative mind. I believe that a problem many digital classes in school has is that they are too specific and ask students to complete things that become generic and don't allow individuality to bleed off the screen like it should be. I believe that there should be guidelines for assignments so students know what they are being assessed on, but they also need to be on their own a bit to decide who they are writing for (their audience) and, from their, decide on their OWN the best way to go about presenting it. My problem with a lot of assessments, even in college, is that teachers expect students to compose the same A level work between each student individually, ending up with 25 of the same projects. But, what is this teaching?

--Kaitlyn

"We ask students to create public digital writing personas at the same time they know that they are doing work for a grade. No longer is writing about trying to just please the teacher so as to earn an 'A'. It is an act of identitfy formation, a 21st Century skill that students need to have as they represent themselves across a variety of online communities. It is a difficult place for us to put our students, and for us to be in as teachers" (107).

          I found this to be my favorite lesson of Troy Hicks' Chapter 6 in The Digital Writing Workshop.  Hicks explains the importance of assessing students digital writing.  The chapter focuses on the idea that students are no longer writing for themselves, but for an audience; an audience that is free to judge them as harshly as they would like.  This can be a hard situation for students to be in, however I think that it's a very helpful place for them to be.  "When students are writing for real audiences and purposes, there are real reactions and consequences for them as writers" (107).  Students become more aware of their writing and of its content.  I believe that if students are aware that their writing is going to be viewed by more than just their teacher they are going to work extra hard to be sure that their writing is worth reading.
          Hicks mentions a philosophy of Jim Burke's about being an effective writer.  Burke believes that "an effective writer will identify the type of text or genre so he knows how to write it" (110).  An awareness of your writing can sometimes be the most difficult.  I think that digital writing gets students ready for the idea that their work is going to judged, or graded.  The best way to get them ready for that fact is by throwing them into the digital writing process.  Being able to document students progress with a particular piece of writing, i.e. wikis and blogs, is a great way to form assessments.  I believe that the process of writing can be more powerful than the end result.  As long as I am able to track the students processes and see that they have come in a positive direction from where they started, I can only grade them favorably.  I am concerned with progress and I believe that digital writing is a great way to assess this.


Megan

An example of a class anthology side with an example below:

Mrs. Lewis Land 2009 to 2010

My Writing

    My name is Airic Boyce and I go to Waverly Middle School and this is who I am as a writer. I really don't enjoy writing unless I get to pick what I get to write about. I really enjoy writing about funny things that have happen to me. I do not like writing sad stories at all, I don't know why I just think the happy or fun memories are the best. The best part about writing to me is that I can twist my stories and expand them to make them even better.      
    The three stories that I picked to show you from this year were My Utopia, My Vignette, and my personal narrative story witch is called Worst Florida Trip Ever! These were my top three favorite stories to write about and probably the only stories I even enjoyed writing. One of the reasons I picked these stories is because they are all mostly true so enjoy!!!

Worst Florida Trip Ever!

    This story is all true which makes it funnier each time I read it or think about what happen on this trip. I really like writing this story and but did not like going on this trip. It was not very funny at all until I got over it and started laughing about all the stuff that happened. I took a lot of time to try to write word for word about what happen so enjoy this story and i hope you don't have one of these trips.   

Worst Florida Trip Ever!

 ''Grab your swimming trunks!'' My mom said while I walked out the door heading behind her. My least favorite part about going to Florida is the car ride there. Since I have two younger brothers, the car ride seems to take longer than it really is. My brother's names are Mason and Caden. When my family went on this trip, Mason was about three years old and Caden was around two years old. Mason is normally very quiet in the car when we go on trips and Caden is usually screaming or crying because of not having anything to do. Luckily for me, I have an iPod.                     
  This particular trip, we decided to borrow my Grandma's motor home. The only problem was that it was really old and never used. So, me being the oldest, I had to clean all the cobwebs and all the dirt out of it before the trip. It seemed to take forever but when it was done, we left right away.                                                                                           
    The trip to Florida takes about two or three days, depending on traffic. It also depends on if we stop along the way to stay the night if the family gets tired. The first day of the trip went pretty smoothly except my Mom had food poisoning from something bad she ate at my Grandma's house. So, we had to stop at a hotel in Ohio to stay the night. The whole rest of the day I had to listen to my Mom throw-up the bad food she ate. After that nice day, and not being able to look at food the same way again, we got back onto the road.                                                                                   
     The second day was probably the only day that nothing went wrong. We had a smooth journey until we got towards Tennessee. It went all downhill from here. By the third day back on the road, it started pouring rain. It rained so hard we couldn't see the cars in front of us. We were going only 10mph on the highway until we looked over to our right and saw an SUV swerving. It then flipped all the way over on its side and landed with the driver's side door facing up. My step-dad pulled over the motor home and ran across the highway. He opened her door, pulled her out, and brought the lady back into our motor home. When she sat down in the motor home, I could see and feel her shaking terribly. We called 911 and her husband. They both arrived within about ten minutes. She was fine but the SUV wasn't so her husband came and got her to take her home. We were all shaken up about the situation and called it a night. At the rate we were traveling, Florida was still another two days away and we didn't want to drive overnight. The fourth day we drove the entire day and entire night. We then stopped at a hotel to get some rest. On the fifth day, we stopped at a gas station and my Mom got my brother Mason a red Mountain Dew which lead him to get sick. He got sick all over the blankets and we had to smell them for the remaining trip.                                                                                   

         When we finally arrived in Florida at my Aunt Karen's house, she was away on business in Georgia. She would not return for two more days which is when we planned on leaving. So, we decided to stay for another week and we would go home the next Monday. Since that trip, we have always flown to Florida because we were scared of it happening again.

--Kaitlyn

Chapter 5: Designing and Publishing Digital Writing

"The process of students publishing their writing in terms of design and distribution contributes to the success of individual writers and the overall writing workshop community" (Hicks, 81)

Publication and Response:  Hicks writes how, by students being able to publish their work online and read other works from both students and distinguished writers of all ages, they can develop into who they are as writers. They figure out what they might want to add to their pieces, what they might want to avoid. He mentions a model called E-Anthology, a process where the writer chooses what kind of comments he or she would like to have in accordance to what they are posting. But, to me, I wouldn't consider this something to praise. Yes, this is something that could be used, but not by students. It is not that I am not acknowledging how smart students are, but a lot of the time they don't know exactly what they are looking for. Maybe they didn't realize that they missed a whole section of evidence in what they were explaining, or their commas were off, or there was an incorrect citation. Comments should always be open, besides those that are degrading and completely unnecessary.

Class Anthologies:  I loved this entry. This is a refreshing aspect of the book that triggers something that could really make a lot of students happy. I remember being in grade school and, even since first grade, getting recognized in some way is invigorating. It boosted my self-esteem so much and made my writing seem valuable, causing me to push myself even more. Even today, in college, this affects me. I am taking a craft of writing class and our professor is creating a class anthology for us that will actually be turned into a book and become available by sale on www.lulu.com. It makes me feel wonderful that my name will be attached to something and I will make some sort of mark. This never stops in life. Teachers need to take advantage of making their students happy at a young age so, as they get older, they can keep growing and pushing themselves. I love the idea of using a blog or a wiki for an anthology, but I think the audio one is a little but of a stretch. Personally, I think that something concrete and written is more valuable and proud-worthy in the long run. Again, I think making the students happy and leave them with a feeling that their work is worth it is the most important part. With that said, they should definitely be introduced with this concept, but I don't see myself using it unless my students really find value in it.

--Kaitlyn

Chapter 5: Designing and Publishing Digital Writing

          Throughout Chapter 5, Hicks discusses the importance of introducing Digital Writing into the classroom.  He mostly mentions blogs and wikis, which are great ways to have your class create an anthology of writing.  Hicks states, "Employing the tools described in this book for the purpose of publishing student work- and inviting outside audiences to comment on that work- may be the biggest advantage of composing the digital texts, allowing students a purposeful opportunity to share their voices with the world" (80).  I agree.  I think that when students can take ownership of their work, and be proud of what they have created, they are truly experiencing an important part of the writing process.  We want students to write with purpose, and being able to share that purpose is very important.  Digital Writing allows students to share with a vast amount of people and to do so quickly. 
          Although I think that the public access of blogs is useful, Hicks brings up a good point about student reactions.  He mentions students concerns such as, "Will my readers like my writing?" There is a level of awkwardness that can accompany assignments such as these, however becoming comfortable with the writing process is important.  Students should learn to be comfortable sharing their work and feel confident.  One of the things that I thought might help this anxiety was something that was mentioned later in the chapter.  Hicks talks about an online anthology where the writers can choose to have people respond as "blessed", "addressed", or "pressed".  I thought that this was an excellent idea.  If you are writing from the heart, rather than academically, you don't want your writing to be graded so harshly.  This is a great way to get students to participate with out the added pressure.
          Another aspect that I liked about the blogs and wikis was that they created an archive for the students.  As long as that blog or wiki is active all of the work that the students have published to it will still be saved on that website.  It's a great way to track progress and have something that students can look back on.  They are also great ways to create class anthologies, as I mentioned above.  Rather than store written work in books on your shelves, you can have the students collaborate on a class anthology that they post to a blog or wiki.  I think that this is a much more efficient way of keeping track of the students work.  With each new group of students that you get you can provide them with the link to the blog so that they can see the type of work their peers and fellow students have accomplished.  Younger students may be able to track the work of an older brother or sister and using that work as inspiration.
          One of the last statements that Hicks makes is, "Digital writing...is clearly part of the remix culture in which we now live and students will have to learn to compose" (102).  I thought that "remix" culture was a great way to label it.  Students have access to so much information that all they can do is "remix" it and make it their own.  By using videos, pictures, audio, and text they can create a remix of information that is new and exciting.  Students have to learn how to create these remixes and I think that blogs and wikis are a great way to do it!

Megan Nier

The Photo Essay

Here is an example of a professional photo essay on The Ggreat Depression.  Look at how the images effect you more than a written essay ever could.

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/photoessay.htm

Megan

Chapter 4: Examining Author's Craft Through Multimedia Composition

"We are encouraged not to think of students merely as writers, but instead think of them as composers" (52).  I believe that this line sums up the ideas of Troy Hicks' Chapter 4.  In this digital age students are not only writing, but they are inserting images, video, audio, etc. into their work.  They are now composers, deciding what goes where and in what order they wish to arrange their work.  Multimedia writing allows students to think outside of the box.  They are not only required to write, but to think about other ways that they can represent, or express, their topics.  As the saying goes, a picture speaks one thousand words.  Perhaps the correct placement of a certain image can improve a students argument.  Encouraging students to "show and not tell" helps to engage them in this multimedia world.  Rather than use words to explain their points, they can use images and videos.  One can compare this process to citing a source that a student quotes in their paper.  They are merely building off of the ideas of others and interpreting those ideas to fit their arguments.  I believe that photo essays are the best way to endulge students in this type of writing.  This is a way for students to incorporate all forms of writing and to have a fun time doing it.  I definitely plan on using these types of assignments in my classroom.

Megan

Guess whose birthday it is!?!?!?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TROY HICKS!! 

-Kaitlyn

Hicks writes about Digital Voices within this chapter. Here is a compelling example of a student's work from the site DIGITAL VOICES. Below is the written essay and the digital voice file of the girl reading it.

“I Believe”

Lindsay’s Speech

I believe that what goes around comes around. What does that mean? This is a Cliché which happens to mean Karma. Karma, which comes from the root “Kri”, means “To do”. This means that you are the architect of your own destiny and you do what you choose, you build your future and you choose your actions.

You have made and thought out millions of different karmas everyday, and in only one day you create a lot of new karma through your thoughts, words and actions. Sometimes it is positive, sometimes negative but unfortunately, it’s usually negative because you constantly have disturbing thoughts and emotions which not frequently result in anything positive, but in wrongful actions. You may act lovingly towards your family, this is your duty and because you should, and suddenly you will gain love and trust from your relatives and you will become more involved with your family. “If you want love, give unconditional love”.

But you have to think and remember that thoughts and words are also to be considered a part of Karma as well. Everything you do and everything that you say will be apart of karma. To desire is also considered as well. If you have negative emotions such as anger, envy, hatred, jealousy, so we need to remember that each of our physical, emotional, verbal or mental actions have their repercussions and you need to be very aware of these emotions and realize that they may have an affect on others. For example, when I get into trouble for something that I didn’t mean to do and my parents punish me for it and I get really angry about it, I usually take it out on the closes person to me by responding with a negative attitude. These emotions may emerge or affect us everyday. This will also consider if you have negative actions (karmas) such as, lying, stealing, and criticizing, and then there will be terrible consequences for you sooner or later. Whether it is suffering, illnesses, calamities, you will get what you deserve. But needing to be remembered that you generate over 60,000 thoughts a day. So keep in mind that positive thoughts will lead to positive words and actions. This way you will not have to worry about the negative karmas.

--Kaitlyn

Chapter 4: Examining Author's Craft Through Multimedia Composition

Within this chapter, Hicks opens by exploring the act of using media projects as a way to get students learning more than a basic essay or simple project out of paper can do. With media, students can combine things like: images, audio, HTML, texts, and many other technological aspects that can accomplish the same things, and more things, in comparison to basic projects. I agree, I believe that projects that allow for the usage of more things besides basic texts and manual drawings can allow for a student's project to become more vivid, allowing them to portray what they are thinking better and show off their creative skills! "All the elements of craft such as leads, conclusions, adding details, and inserting dialogue can be enhanced" (Hicks 53). I also enjoyed how Hicks brought up the old saying, "Show, don't tell!" Bringing this up, he further proves that media is a great resource for the classroom as a way to both allow student to explore what they are studying and also, media allows them to express their thought better. This is because, as Hicks brings up, an image is worth a thousand words. Therefore, with the addition of them embedded within a students' media presentation, the image, along with a possible audio story, boosts the child's project and creativity! Sometimes, students might find it hard to express what they want to through merely words. But, don't we all! Sometimes explaining something isn't enough, we say "you had to be there" or "I can't put it into words!" Media allows them to go beyond the words! To let the audience live in the moment of their writing!

Something mentioned in the middle of the chapter was something called: Photo Essay. I had never heard of this at all. Once I looked it up, I found many awesome ones! I encourage you to check them out :)!!!

Hong Kong Student Through Her Day

This site offers examples of work from High School Students!

Another type of project mentioned was something called: VoiceThread. This would be beneficial in the classroom, allowing students to use this media as a way to project images accompanied with voice or text to display a meaning. Here is an example of a touching VoiceThread created by a student. It is a poem that is encouraging her friend to stay alive and that life is worth living...

Lean on Life Lean on Me 

--Kaitlyn

Chapter 3

I really enjoyed chapter 3. It had some really great ideas involving blogs, wiki, and collaborative web processors, all which I will talk about in my post. First of all I’d like to point out that I use two of these in my current college classes, using pbworks for wiki and Blogger for a blog. I’d like to first discuss my feelings about blogging. Having a blog in a classroom is a great idea. Students would write in a blog let’s say every week and then write thoughtful comments over 100 words to one student’s work a week. This situation is one that uses the blogs to their maximum use and allows for the students to not only share their work with the world or their peers but allows them to gain responses based on their work that is useful for them to grow as writers. In my college Shakespeare class we use blogs in this method and as well in my Computers in the Classroom class. Actually… I’m using a blog for that exact reason reviewing this book! Amazing right?? So anyways, moving onto wikis, I also use them in my Shakespeare class for group work and one of the greatest uses in this future teacher’s opinion is being able to see who posted what. No more group work with having one person do the work and everybody getting credit. Now a teacher can see who posted what and not give credit to those who are slackers. Not only that but the use to make pages in pages let’s students create wikis with a great amount of information and really allows them to pick something that they want to talk about in a broad subject. For instance if a class was talking about Shakespeare and a student was really interested in one sonnet of his then he could create a page talking about just that sonnet while another student tackles one of his plays. Lastly, collaborative web processions are very similar to wiki, however are good for making a single paper and having students work on it at home. Speaking of home that’s something that is important to mention. Having students work at home on the web allows time for thoughts to develop and writing to improve. I also like how with web word-processors they always keep the old work just in case a person does not like their changes. This is something I use from time to time and really love. Plus, having everything online makes like easier. Overall chapter 3 was a great chapter with a lot of information and ideas that would work great in a classroom and I plan on using things like blogs and wikis in my own one day.

-Jimmy

Wiki Poster

Megan Nier

Chapter 3: Blogs, Wikis, and Collaborative Word Processors

          Throughout Chapter 3, Hicks describes the importance of introducing wikis and blogs into the classroom.  I also find these to be very useful tools in fueling class discussion, collaboration, and improving the writing process.  Blogs and wikis allow students to compare their writing to other students and bounce ideas off of one another.  One of the benefits that Hicks mentions is the revision process.  With students recording their essays and writing in blogs and wikis, it is easy for the teachers to access these documents and in put comments and corrections.  Teachers can highlight sentences that need improvement and easily make comments on the student's work.  Hicks mentions, "By inserting comments directly into the document you are reading, you offer the writer a chance to go back to those comments over and over again" (38).  Students can constantly reference your suggestions.  I also liked that students work is constantly being archived.  This allows for the students original works to be saved, while they continue to edit and revise them.  Students can always refer back to their originals to see their improvements. 
          Not only are the blogs effective, but they allow for creativity as well.  "Students who blog are able to hyperlink to sources of information and inspiration, embed multimedia...and engage in larger circles about their topic" (41).  Students are not only writing, but they are positng images and videos that relate to their topics, broadening the way that they look at their subjects.  An example was given about a class in Australia who uses a wiki to create stories where the readers can choose different paths for the characters to take.  This is a fun and innovative way for students to get into the writing process.  It forces them to look at different outcomes in their stories, which can inspire a whole new piece of writing.
          One of the downsides mentioned is a misuse of these programs or excuses given by students not to do them, such as forgotten passwords.  Although these are valid issues with these programs I believe that their benefits far outweigh these examples.  The use of technology is always a risk, students can get off task, but they do allow for a wide range of creativity.  I believe that blogs and wikis are a great tool to bring into an English classroom, and I entend to use them in mine.

Megan Nier

An Example of a Student Blog Created (Mentioned in Chapter 3)

Students 2.0

Chapter 3-- Online Word Processors & Audio Comments

Inside chapter 3, I would like to focus on the usage of word processors in the classroom via the Internet. I am assuming that almost every school has the Internet in their buildings now, having numerous computers available for students. Therefore, I think that teaching students how to use online word processors would be an extreme advantage. As stated in the reading, students can often complain of files getting lost on their computers and/or compatibility issues (which may or may not be the truth). But, on programs such as Google Docs and Zoho Writer, students have the ability to insert their ready-made documents into the program or create a new document directly through the website, saving it so it is always available to them from any computer with an Internet. We cannot assume that every student has access to a computer outside of the classroom, even if they have access to a library, because we may not know their home-life situation. Therefore, I would personally keep this wonderful experience inside the classroom as part of in-class projects. This doesn’t mean that students wouldn’t be able to use these processors at home for other assignments I might give. But, I would only mandate its usage within the classroom. A plus to this is that students’ work that is usually saved to the school computer can be saved on the Internet, via these programs, forever. In a school system, after the student leaves the school building onto another grade, often their work is deleted and students have no access unless they somehow save it onto a flash drive or e-mail it to themselves. Access to these online processors would be a great implement into a classroom. Something I am not sure that I will ever use is something mentioned in the conclusion of the chapter: usage of audio in accordance to commenting on/ grading students’ work. I am a strong believer that written comments are both personal and handy to have readily available. Students might not have computer access in order to listen to the comments the teacher might have created. But, there are downfalls to each I guess. With the audacity file (or whatever used) students might find problems gaining access to them if their speakers on their computer don’t work or their programs don’t support the ones the teacher uses. But, with the written comments, the students might lose the paper and therefore have no ability to ever access the comments again. I guess the choice is based on the preference of the teacher.

--Kaitlyn

Chapter 2

Ok, let me start by acting selfish and say that chapter 2 was as boring as boring can get to me. I’ve been working with computers since I was 8 and all the information that Hicks gave here is old news to me and include things I’ve been doing years before the book came out. Unfortunately many people have not been exposed to RSS or blogs however and what Hicks does in this chapter is great for people new with computers, however if you know what a blog and RSS feeds are then it’s a big SKIP. Now to talk about the content and how Hicks explained it, I think he did a great job. He really talked a lot about RSS feeds and it is something he should. Having an application or website that can compile tons of information from various websites is very useful, BUT most sites that do use RSS are probably not ones that can be used for resource pages as the whole reliability thing comes into question. Speaking of reliability, Wikipedia is a site that needs recognition! They have resources lists and site passages from other places. It has more information than many websites and articles, yet teachers hate it. It’s as reliable as the essay I write so maybe teachers need to realize that. Anyways… one of the ideas I liked most in this chapter was Hicks talking about blogs and how they can be used as a digital notebook. How great is that idea! We’d save trees, can have our students share their writing in a mouse click, and it’s backed up forever! I never thought of using blogs as a notebook for writing in a classroom, but I’m in love with the idea and will definitely use it in my classroom. Last, but not least. I should talk about social bookmarking, something that is finally catching on. Sharing bookmarks with friends is great, but it’s even better when you can annotate them with your own thought and ideas. This is great for a classroom to share thoughts and ideas about an article or news story. The only problem I see with this is that it will NEVER catch on unless Mozilla or Microsoft adds it as a feature to their browsers. People won’t get the toolbar, actually people probably haven’t even heard of the toolbars and won’t until Mozilla adds it. I have found that with computers unless its right there for your use than most people won’t use it. So social bookmarking can only succeed when the browsers add it as their own feature. Chapter 2 was boring to me only because I know computers. For someone just getting to know what a computer can really do and what’s out on the web it’s a great read with good information and ideas.

-Jimmy

CHAPTER 2--Where Should the Line be Drawn???

In chapter 2, I found that an engaging topic was the usages of RSS within the teaching of writing (21). Lets face it; students are generally highly engaged in computers and intricate programs that many teachers aren’t aware of. Therefore, I like how Hicks pushes the inclusion of having students create their own personal spaces online where they learn to safely engage with other students. I liked how he posed the four questions on pages 21-22 that allowed students to feel like their blog would be online for a purpose, relating to their lives and ideas. Some things I wish he had covered more are instances in which things could go wrong on the Internet. I understand that he mentioned how teachers need to teach students the safe ways in which to have their own Blogs. But, a reality is that things can go very wrong. Students could be talking to people they believe are their age and they end up to be people who have negative motives. As great as the Internet is, it is an extremely scary place, a very vulnerable place for young teens to be exploring without the utmost regulations. He only briefly mentions on how it can be dangerous. I think that there should be more descriptions on how to teach students this safety within this chapter. Hicks cannot assume everyone trained as well as he is with the Internet. Many of us aren’t. He also mentions that students could use these blogs as a new notebook for their work, choosing not to publish things publicly if they want. But, personally, I am against this. As a future English teacher, I want to conserve the little we have left of life without technology in my classroom when it comes to writing. This isn’t to say that I want to leave technology out of my classroom by NO MEANS! I think that technology is something that is a part of this generation and it would be foolish for teachers to not prepare their students for the life they will be entering. But, I believe that the blog idea could be used as a mini project one week to help students understand another form of writing. But, I believe students should still understand the beauty and purpose of a pen in their hand and a paper in front of them. Reading this book, I understand that he is trying to create amazing connections with technology in classrooms. But, I believe he should also keep mentioning the importance of not making technology the main focus of a classroom, especially an English classroom. The problem with making a blog the main notebook for a student is that they aren’t learning how to write enough. There isn’t enough room for mistakes. Spell checks pushes students away from learning more than it pushes them closer to it. As much as I believe that many of the things implicated in this chapter is beneficial to a classroom, I believe that, as an English teacher, there should be more mentioning of this being only a section of a classroom’s ways. Not the entire way the class should be ran.

--Kaitlyn 

Digital Writing Workshop PREZI

Being that we just learned how to use a PREZI in class and embed it into our blogs, I thought it would be fun to look at a PREZI that Troy Hicks himself created!

Digital Writing Workshop on Prezi


-Kaitlyn

RSS In Plain English

This is a site mentioned in The Digital Writing Workshop that teaches people how to create an RSS for themselves.  It's easy and entertaining, so check it out!

http://commoncraft.com/rss_plain_english

-Megan Nier

Response to Chapter 2: Fostering Choice and Inquiry Through RSS, Social Bookmarking, and Blogging

          I really enjoyed Chapter 2 of Troy Hicks' The Digital Writing Workshop.  I thought that a lot of great ideas were presented.  Hicks begins the chapter by talking about the idea of writer's notebooks.  He says, "Students keep writer's notebooks, in which they can compose questions and explore their passions, the idea of inquiry and choice- a defining element of the writing workshop approach- allows students to pick topics, explore genres and styles, develop pieces...it permeates the very essence of the workshop" (15).  I completely agree.  The writing process is developed through someone's ideas and passions, and creating something in which they can express themselves is a great way to create good writing.
         I liked a lot of the ideas that were mentioned in the chapter, but one of my favorites was blogging.  I think that blogging is a great way to get students responding to one another, and I believe it's a great way for students who are more shy to express their ideas.  Hicks recommends using blogging in the way that it is intended, and not as a response to a teacher's discussion question.  "Teachers could invite students to use a blog to post comments on a teacher-initiated discussion.  Yet, this would not be new, as it is simply using a traditional pedagogy with a new technology.  Instead, if students used blogging in the ways that bloggers do- to reflect on their own ideas...this would make the process new" (16).  I completely agree.  It would be nice to have students lead discussions, or use the blogs to reflect on the lesson for the day, and comment on their peers responses.  I think that there is so much that can be done with blogging.
          I also liked the idea that they brought up about Google Docs.  Having students create a group and post their research that they can all access is a great idea.  Students can build off of one another's research and ideas, truly collaborating.  Students would be able to revise eachothers work, making their pieces original and something that everyone has contributed to.  We want students to "produce their own texts and not just become consumers of information" (17).  Overall I was pleased with this chapter and hope to implement these ideas and practices in my classroom. 

-Megan Nier

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Troy Hicks’s The Digital Writing Workshop was very lack luster in my opinion, but for an introduction it did a good job of introducing some of the ideas that a writing workshop includes. The beggening includes a list of the important aspects of a writing workshop and has the reader ask themselves questions based on a writing workshop and including technology with it. Hicks then in this chapter talks about what the rest of the book will be about and how it will merge the idea of a writing workshop with technology. Besides just basic information on what a writing workshop includes and some basics on writing using technologies nothing else is really said, however one thing that I really liked what that at the end of this introductory chapter Hicks recommended that the reader talk to a colleague and have a discussion about some of the things talked about in his book and invites the reader to join his social network on the book. This I thought was such a great idea. A place where other readers of the book can discuss the details of the digital writing workshop and even the inclusion of the author himself. All books should have such an easy way for people to collaborate ideas for us to all become better teachers.

-Jimmy

Check This Out!

Here are some PSA's created through a moviemaking program mentioned in Hicks' The Digital Writing Workshop.  Students worked together in a "workshop" environment to create these PSA's.

http://akabodian7.pbworks.com/PSA

Megan Nier

Response to Chapter 1: Imagining a Digital Writing Workshop

        Throughout Chapter 1 of Troy Hicks' book, The Digital Writing Workshop, he explains the importance of "integrating the core principles of the writing workshop with the emerging technologies for writing" (5).  Rather than integrating old theories about writing and applying them to new technologies, Hicks suggests that we have to approach the writing process in a new way.  The way that people express themselves through digital writing is different and we have to have principles that accommodate that difference.  By using strategies that we know work, and tweaking them to fit the digital age teachers can begin to incorporate digital writing into their English class rooms.
       I do agree with Hicks that technology is changing and as teachers we have to keep up with that technology.  I like how he frames the five core principles of writing and then incorporates technology into those principles.  After reading Chapter 1, I feel that this book is going to help me better understand technology and how to use it in my English class room.

Megan Nier

Regarding Chapter 1: Imagining a Digital Writing Workshop

Not to start off negative, but I wasn’t too happy with the way this book began. Hicks opens with, “Like you, I am a teacher of writing (1).” I don’t like how he assumed that English teachers were going to be the ones reading this book. Anyone has access to purchase this book. Some people are merely curious about different subjects other than their own. If the person reading this is not an English teacher, they might be turned off by this first sentence, causing the author to push the reader away from reading due to not having the ability to connect. But, I enjoyed how Hicks continued to bring forth history in writing that still impacts the world. He writes, “teach the writer, not the writing (1),” reminding the readers that it isn’t so important as to what we write and on what surface to which we write, but how the teacher influences the student to want to write. I liked how he listed the principles he is going to teach in later chapters, including: “student choice, active revision, author’s craft as a basis for construction, publication beyond classroom walls, and broad visions of assessment that include both process and product (1-2).” By doing this, the reader sees what the book contains and decides at this point if they want to continue reading. On page 3 I enjoyed a picture that Hicks of students in middle school that were digitally creating movies. But, there weren’t any other pictures throughout the chapter. I felt that this picture showed how enthusiastic the kids were, giving evidence, and wanted to see more of this throughout the chapter. Sometimes, a picture can show a lot more than you think! On page 5, Hicks comments how “digital literacies” are labeled as “newer literacies.” Though the process of writing via technology might seem new to some people, it really isn’t. Even if this is a term that others are using, I don’t think that it is too accurate. The Internet has boomed for over ten years and digitally writing has been embedded into advertising, businesses, schools, and personal life for as far as I can remember. Though I am only twenty-one years old, more than half of my life has revolved around computers, therefore finding technology something that has been around for a good amount of time. I understand that technology might just be the most recent form of literacy, but when I think of the word new, I think of something that has been created within a few years, which isn’t this case. An aspect that I really think is a good addition is how Hicks addressed negative views on writing workshops where the act of finishing something is more important than the process that develops a work (7). Writing shouldn’t be about the end result, yet about the actions along the way, the journey. That is where the joy in writing is discovered. On page 7, Hick writes, “ We all know that formulas—be they five paragraphs…etc.” I thought that was an awkward way to say a sentence. Though that may be grammatically correct, he lost me briefly because I had to reread the sentence three more times to try to follow what he is trying to say. Sometimes authors have to be careful of trying to sound intellectual because you might just lose a reader or two when it doesn’t match up to the rest of your writing.

-Kaitlyn

Listen to Troy Hicks speak about his book on Youtube.com!




--Kaitlyn