How to incorporate digital writing in the classroom.

Posted on by Samantha Parrish

My personal experience…

I remember in high school when my teachers would assign a research paper and I would think to myself, “Really? Another one?”. I felt that I wasn’t able to express my full thoughts through a research paper or even just a regular paper. However, when my teachers would assign presentations, group projects, or anything other than a paper I was more excited to complete my work. With assignments with digital writing I was able to communicate with my peers and get feedback on my work. Also I felt that I was able to express myself with digital writing because there are so many different ways you can digital write. For example, when I make PowerPoints, I am able to design the outlook and the vibe I want to give off to my audience.

How to incorporate it within a classroom…

I would have my students work on digital writing by doing what they are most comfortable working with. There are many different kinds of digital writing, as Hicks explains, and I believe they can all be incorporated within a classroom. Students would be able to choose options like: PowerPoint, making a video, podcast, website, text with images, or memes. With the option of students choosing their digital text they will be able to express their thoughts freely and comfortably. Digital writing is growing in today’s society with blogs, social media, all different kinds of websites. Students use this with their everyday life and what is a better way than letting students incorporate their technology skills with their writing. Hicks says we are the roles of the teacher, writer, and reader using the technology with the kids in the 21st century. Teachers can incorporate digital writing in various ways and students can find the one they are most comfortable with instead of writing the classic essay format.

Voice Over of the previous paragraph:

Digital text through a meme:

Student Diary: 

I’m so tired of having to write essays that are in five paragraph essay format. It gets so boring when I’m in English class. I wish my English teacher would let us use technology to make our projects. A presentation with powerpoint would be so much fun because students could get in groups and put all our ideas together. I also would love to make memes and use pictures because I love visual things. I wish my English teacher would let us do these things.

Digital text through a flyer:

Let’s CELL-ebrate Interactive Learning.

Posted on by Samantha Parrish

What do remember most from your time in school as a child? It wasn’t the research papers and worksheets. It was probably the interactive and hands on projects. From personal experience, I remember loving and learning the most when there were interactive projects and not just writing papers. Being a kinsethic and a visual learner, I loved when my teachers would bring food or other items to teach us a lesson. Many of my teachers brought in all styles of learning and reaching to all students. It is very important to involve all the learning styles in your classroom so each student is able to benefit.  This allows for students to get to their full potential. All students have different learning styles, so for majority of them, they will not learn to their highest potential if they are not interacting from their work.

Imagine you are in your classroom and you are teaching  a lesson on the model of a cell. If you give your students a fill in the blank worksheet, they will only be focussed on finishing and labeling the cell to be able to turn it in. They won’t be focussed on learning the information but rather they will be focused on turning in the work. If you give your students an interactive and hands on activity to make their own model of their cell with using food, play-doh, and other items other than only a paper and pencil they will be able to retain and remember the different cell parts. In the end, having this interactive activity your students will be able to retain the cell parts and be more beneficial to the students.