Some Details...

OK, it's time to get serious about this project. The idea is to use emerging technologies to enhance student writing! Here's is what I've done so far. The Geeky Stuff 1. We set up a webserver running Apache 1.3 on an iMac (G4 800 Mhz). 2. We've installed Crush FTP to help with uploading the blogs to their web directories. 3. Using htaccess, we are password protecting the blog directories. 4. We will be setting up class blog sites using Blogger. Students will post their writing, to the class blog. Teachers will moderate their blog sites. The Writing Stuff 1. Students will write book reviews as blog posts to their class blogs. 2. Students will be encouraged to post comments to each other's reviews. 3. All class blogs will be part of the larger Abby Online Writers Environment. It will be password protected, but once in the site, students and teachers will be able to read and comment on all the writing within it. 4. The book reviews will follow a standard format, which will hopefully be determined by the participating teachers prior to launching this site. The Rationale 1. Online writing gives the writers (our students) an authentic audience. No longer are they writing just for their teacher, but they now have a much larger group of readers. 2. Online writing provides a powerful peer editing model. The commenting component of blogging allows students to give constructive feedback to their fellow writers. Discourse pertaining to their writing will be easily accomplished through the blog model. 3. Online writing will give students more ownership since they will be responsible to maintain their writing space. If students are maintaining their own blog, this will be even more the case. 4. Online writing gives students a sense of wider community with other student writers from across the district (and potentially wider). The Plan 1. We will be gathering together as Grade Seven teachers of writing on Tuesday, December 13 to discuss the feasibility of this project. 2. Shortly thereafter, I will visit each school site and work with each class as they set up their blogs and begin posting their work. 3. After several weeks we will come together as a group of teachers again to debrief and discuss the progress of the project. 4. Adjustments will be made as a result.