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