WritingInstructionintheAgeofTechToolsbyLaurenBailesAimAcademyEnglishteacher,doctoralstudentOhioStateUniversity.Thewritingprocessisprobablyafamiliaronetomostofus.

Wegetit:somehow,kidsaresupposedtocomeupwithgreatideasbeforesortingandorganizingthemintoacohesivedraft.Then,theydiligentlyshoulderthroughtherevisions,theediting(yes,revisionandeditingaredifferent,honey)andthentheygenerateareal‐worldproductvestedwithmeaningandpride.Thebestpracticeforwritingisjustwriting.It’sahardsellforsomekids.Theideaofnotreallybeing“done”isscaryenoughforgrownups;nowonderitresultsinroutinizedboredom(atbest)ordisengagement(atworst)withothers.Butwaitforit:Thereishope.TheadventofWeb2.0provideshomeschoolingparentswithliterallyhundredsoftoolstovivifythewritingprocessonceagain.Takealookatsomeofthetoolsbelow,categorizedaccordingtoeachstageofthewritingprocess.Brainstormhttp://www.spicynodes.org/Thissiteallowsanyonetotrackandplantheirthoughts–andthenrelivethemlive.Usethenodestoconnectandexpandideas,save,andplayitbacksoyoucanseeyourownideasdevelop.Iimaginethisasagreattoolforaddingmoreinformationthroughoutaresearchprojectorforbuildingrich,descriptiveepisodesintonarrativewriting.

BRAIN-STORM

SELECT & ORGAN-

IZE

DRAFT

REVISE

EDIT

PUBLISH

Select&organizehttp://www.exploratree.org.ukTherearethousandsofgraphicorganizersoutthere,butsomearealittlestale.Exploratreeisthenextgenerationofgraphicorganizer.Withdozensoftemplatespluscustomizableshapes,colors,andthepossibilityforcollaboration,thissiteisactuallycapableofcapturingthinkingasithappens–andasitchanges.(Bonustechtool:usethisteachingguideforadditionalpointerswithmanygraphicorganizers.)

Drafthttp://www.focusboosterapp.com/http://anti‐social.cc/ThesametoolsthatworkIRL(inreallife)workinthewebwhenitcomestodrafting:awaytolimitdistractionsandatimer.FocusBooster(MacsandPCs)setsa25‐minutetimerandthenalertstheusertotakeafive‐minutebreak.AntiSocial(MacsandPCs)reducesorshutsoffInternetconnectivityforauser‐determinedamountof

time.Usedintandem,theseappswillhaveyourwriterwhippingupaflurryofnewmaterial.(Bonustechtool:tryThinktoprovideyourwriterwithaclean,word‐processerlikewritingenvironment.Macsonlyfornow.)

Revisehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/topic/building‐up‐paragraphsNowthatthere’sadraftinplace,writershavetothinkaboutshowingoffthebestinformation.IlovetheBBCSkillwisesitesforallthingswritingintensive–buildingparagraphs,editingandproofreading,evensentenceandwordgrammar.Watchaone‐minutevideo,playagame,takeaquiz,printoffaworksheetand,allofasudden,paragraphwoesareathingofthepast.

Edithttp://grammarmancomic.com

Almostfinishedandpeskypunctuationstrikesagain.KeepyourwriterfromgivingupwithGrammarman.Read,watch,andlistentothecomicsandcompletetheaccompanyingexercise.ClickfortheanswersorprintasaPDF.OnceyourwriterhasdefeatedSammyColon,it’stotheBatcave,er…writingdesk.

Publishhttp://www.bookemon.com/Kidsdeservetoseetheirworkinblackandwhite.Orinasmanycolorsastheycanimagine.Bookemonallowskidstomakebooksforfree.TheycandragintheirownimagesorPDFsoradoptmaterialfromtheweb.Takealookatthe‘Explore’linkandseeallthewaysthatwritershaveusedthistool–frominformationalnonfictiontospace‐agedmysteriesandcookbookstohowtobooks.Onlinebookscanbesharedorconvertedintohardcopiesandpurchased.