Entry #2

According to Hicks (2009), framing a digital writing workshop begins by considering the students, the subject and the space in conjunction with writing. Since I am not currently teaching, my last placement was during student teaching in first grade and second grade. I like how Hicks (2009) encourages students to become "conscientious collaborators" (p. 129) when it comes to writing and technology. To me this means being capable of using technology as a tool to enhance the writing process.

Thinking back to my last placement, which was in an urban district, I think I viewed my students as being technologically naive. There was limited access to technology so I never really saw them interact with it, since there was none. Personally, I would have loved to have incorporated technology with them because they did writer's workshop everyday. If I had had a few computers in the room that they could have used I would have asked students who were ready for publishing to type their final product. I think it is a little bit more difficult to use certain technologies with younger students because they need to have a basic understanding of typing and how to use the internet and programs. I nanny for a second grader who is interested in typing stories on the computer, which helps her to freewrite and just get her ideas out. However, she often becomes frustrated with typing because she uses the hunt and peck method. I have also noticed that she does pretty well with using technology, but she is a little frightened of the computer. She thinks that when I minimize something it means it is lost forever and other things like that. These interactions with her made me realize that young students may be somewhat familiar with technology, but still need to be instructed on how to use it properly in order to use it in connection with their writing. Students know that technology is there and its potential, but just like reading and writing, they need explicit instruction on the basics to be able to utilize the technology.

When I think about the subject of writing I am reminded that I want to explicitly teach and discuss what a good writer does while using technology. I want to teach minilessons that students can immediately apply to their writing that day. I also want my students to understand that writing can take many forms and the more variety that is appropriately incorporated, then the more meaningful the written piece becomes. If I had the access to technology then I would model this using a SmartBoard or a computer. This may mean including images, videos, audio (podcasts) and hyperlinks. I think technology often comes into play when we are publishing due to access issues, but if I were teaching right now I would encourage students to include a variety of communication tools in their final product. I might even include some requirements in a rubric for each written assignment. I do not feel like I really addressed what writing means today when I was teaching first grade. Thinking back, technology was not really a significant part of the classroom because of lack of access, which made it difficult to incorporate. However, I could have been more conscious of it and I definitely will be from now on. In my other student teaching placement, which was also urban, I didn't have access to technology either. I even tried to bring my computer in to show students a YouTube video, but I could not even get internet access without a teacher ID. I found this to be incredibly frustrating because I would have used technology often if I could have!

The final component of space is discussed in terms of physical and virtual. I would say that when I was teaching I did not even consider space because we did not have the technology that I would have hoped for. In my future classroom, I would like to have some computers or access to a lab that enables collaboration to happen. I envision students working on joint writing projects or individual projects on the computer by offering each other suggestions on finding information and compiling a cohesive project that includes a variety of avenues to gain information. Virtually speaking, I would like to have a central wiki or website for the class that would allow me to post important information and websites that apply to units of study or the writing process. A website is also a great way to communicate with parents and post materials/websites that they can use with their children for extra practice. I think blogging or commenting on a wiki goes well with journaling. I would like to have daily journaling time and select one writing group a week to post on a the wiki instead of in a notebook. I would then comment on their post and possibly allow other students to comment if given student permission. I plan on utilizing the available technology and matching it with the writing process as much as possible when I have my own classroom.