Friday, September 23, 2011

Explaining the Daily Blogging Activity


My goal with the daily writing activity is to get the students into the habit of writing regularly and to see writing as a rewarding personal exercise much as we hope our students view reading. I am hopeful that by introducing the blog, students will not view this daily writing as homework as much as a place for self-expression and creativity.

Having said that, each student comes to writing with different perspectives. For some, it is a difficult mechanical task (the fine motor skills aren't fully developed). My experience has shown that for many of these students, using a keyboard instead of a pencil takes a lot of the pressure off.

For other students, the challenge is getting the ideas organized in a way that they can be written. Some children can tell wonderful stories aloud, but getting their thoughts down on the page can be time-consuming and frustrating. Again, the keyboard may be helpful in this regard.

Yet others are stuck at the idea-gathering point--"what do I write about?" is a common question in our Writer's Workshop. Part of what I am teaching students this year is how to brainstorm for ideas that will keep them inspired in their writing.

Teaching writing is a passion of mine, and this fall I am completing my final field study at SFU by looking at how the use of technology can improve my Writer's Workshop. I hope that using the blog benefits all the students. Please let me know if you have any questions or are having issues with this home assignment, as it is the first time I am trying it and my goal is to learn how it can improve student writing. I will learn as much from the students and all of you this year as the students will learn from me, and that is one of the joys of teaching!

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