Gettin' tech-y wit it!

Do you use writing workshop as a structure for your writing classes? Do your students take their writing through the writing process? Here's a great idea for helping students be more effective at editing!


Many times we have a hard time with our kids when they edit. They take two minutes to read the paper, add a period or fix the spelling of a word, and then say they're done. Below, find a suggestion for editing and a new idea to help students become better editors.


First thing, you have to model with kids. EVERY time. You'd think that after showing them five times they will remember what to do, but they forget how much attention they have to pay to the task at hand. When I start an editing session with kids, I always put a sample on the document camera and we do a paragraph or two as a whole group - reading aloud - sentence by sentence. This seems to help kids feel how it's supposed to be. They can see the pace I'm going, they can hear my thoughts as I "think aloud," and they can practice - with a partner - finding errors like capitalization, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Now...for the new stuff!
This time, I used our 1:1 computers in a new way. The night prior to editing, I asked the kids to go home and record themselves reading their piece into Photo Booth. If you are unfamiliar with Photo Booth, it's an app that the kids use to take still photos and videos.


They were then asked to return to class with their video and a pair of headphones. At their desks, they set up their laptop with the video open and the most recent copy of their piece (I believe we were on draft 4). They then went to a peer's computer and listened to the story being read AS they edited. 

As you can see in the video, kids are listening to their peers' stories while editing the author's paper. I gave them an exit pass on their way out and here's some of the feedback I got from them:


Did using the video recording help you edit your draft better?


"Yes because they helped to know where to put the stanzas and if I should change punctuation. It also helped me to fix some of the syllables."

"Yes it helped me because I made some mistakes I didn't know about!"

"Yes because I could hear the person reading it instead of reading it in my head."

When we finished up the Photo Booth, students were given the rubric to make any last changes that they needed to. They will have published copies turned in on Monday and then we will be able to start planning our Author's Chair. This event is held in the evening. All class stories are compiled into a book and each student reads their work to the class and their parents. They LOVE this event....the current kiddos have no idea what they're in for!

So, just a little change that you could try if you have the technology available to you! I also plan on having the kids prepare for their Author's Chair by reading their final copies into the Photo Booth a few times.

Happy weekend teaching friends!

Homeroom : )