As part of my integrating ICT into literacy programmes throughout our school, I have been surveying kids beforehand to gauge who they feel that they write for (their audience).  The intention then is to get the classes motivated and engaged with an audience through a means such as blogging. 

Yesterday I received the most insightful answer as to why a 7 year old child doesn’t like writing.  Here is the answer “because it’s a waist[sic] of time if you do it at school because know one [sic] will read it.  I only like writing at home because I show people”.

If a 7 year old can verbalise this and feels this way about writing, what are we doing as teachers to recitfy the situation so that kids know that they aren’t writing just for the teacher.  I am hoping that there are kids out there that write because they are passionate, write because of a desire, write because they want to know not just because Mrs So and So said I had to write.

When I think back to when I was in the classroom, I have to admit that a lot of the writing I got my kids to do was because I said so.  There was very little “authentic” writing, and as a teacher I felt I had to teach towards portfolios and assessments.  I want to change this about my practise. 

Earlier this year, as part of a class’ Inquiry Based Learning, the kids needed to write to the council, write newsletters, write a script in order to convey a message or ask for assistance.  The quality of the writing that was produced was very high.  The class teacher was even “blown away” by the level of writing that the kids were producing.  When I asked the kids if and why they were enjoying the writing, the majority said it was because it was a real problem they were trying to solve so it was a real letter (etc) that was going to be read by someone.  

As teachers we need to provide a context that is authentic and has an audience in order for our kids to engage and attain in writing.  What do you think???

Tags: engagement, writing

This template originally came from the Unitec In Schools website. We are using this to attack our goals. Our goals need to be

I - inspiring
S - specific

M - measurable
A - achievable

R - realistic
T - timebound

Ok, so after a rather busy start to the year - it’s rather satisfying setting up the new digitally enhanced classrooms, even if there is a lot of work involved getting the computers up and running - it is now time to sit down and reflect on term one’s goal and refocus for term two.

Last term’s goal to get classrooms blogging got off to a fairly good start.  It would be really interesting now to get the kids to re-do the writing survey about the audience to evaluate how effective blogging has become in getting the kids to right for an audience.  I have noticed that some of the kids in room 3 have written some really well structured and argued pieces of writing that I (heaven forbid) didn’t think they could do.

My goal this term is to continue to work with room 3 with their blogging and sharing the audience with them.  With their teacher, I have added some arguments in their blog for the children and their families to argue and write persuasively (their main writing focus this term).  As of yet, possibly because of camp last week, there hasn’t been any comments left just yet.  To make it more aware to the parents I will send out a small notice to let them know that it is there for contribution by both parents and students.

To assess how the children are feeling about writing and who they write for, I will re-survey the children this week to gain some idea of how they are going.

Will update later in the week with any major discoveries.

Tags: ehsas, engagement, blogging