Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Entry #7 Google Sites and Publishing

Technology is scary!  There are so many confusing questions but so many undiscovered places in which it can take you.  I am learning the key to technology is pure exploration.  Discovering all of these new ways in which technology can be incorporated into the classroom,  makes me wonder how many of my past teachers/professors were as scared as I was about learning unfamiliar ground.  It truly is amazing how much is out there for educators to incorporate into their classrooms.

Last class we learned about creating our own google site.  This was yet another new form of technology for me to learn about.  Although I am still learning about my google site page I am really looking forward to the end result.  I'm hoping to learn different ways to incorporate something like this in a future classroom.  I definitely think something such as a google site would be beneficial for students to learn about as well as use. 

According to Tompkins, publishing motivates them to improve their writing because they know they'll share it with a real audience.  This statement specifically stuck with me because we were recently talking about this in clinic.  We give students writing prompts that don't even necessarily pertain to anything we are talking about.  It's a topic way out in left field and we are asking them to write only for us.  I am their only audience.  It's pretty absurd if you really take the time and think about it.  Why would a child want to write about something they really don't care about when I am going to be the only person reading it?  They don't!  Finding a real audience as well as a real purpose is what will ultimately motivate the child.  In my next lesson I was thinking about just giving my student a chance to just have time do to a free write.  My biggest fear, what if he says he doesn't want to write or has nothing to write about?  Well I guess I will tell him that's something to write about, write about having nothing to write about.  It is an interesting balancing act when trying to figure out what works best and what doesn't.  I do agree with Tompkins that when a child have a real audience that in turn motivates them to write.  However I wonder in situations such as clinic how do you incorporate a real audience to motivate the writer?

1 comment:

  1. We will be reading Hicks' final chapters soon. In these chapters he expands on his discussion of using e-portfolios as a way for students to share their writing. I will be interested to see how you respond to his ideas.

    Also, at the end of your entry you ask a question about how to design a real audience in clinic? Who would be a natural audience? Dr. Erdmann? A fellow student? The student's parents? Relatives? I would certainly recommend thinking about *real* audiences if at all possible. Would any of these work?

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