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WELCOME TO WEEK 2
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Week 2 (Jan 16 - Jan 22, 2012)
During this week, participants will
- explore some digital tools for writing in the classroom
- see examples of how these writing tools can be used in the classroom for creative writing and research projects
- share ideas on how they would use those tools with their learners
Week 2 Tasks (Jan 16 – Jan 22, 2012)
This week we will look at tools that can be adapted for short research projects and tools that can be used to spark creative writing.
Task 1: Creative Writing: Character, Setting, and Plot
a. Let's start the week with some creative writing! To get started, select one of the four Characters in Column 1, one of the four Settings in Column 2 and one of the four Plots in Column 3. (Your choices will probably not be in the same row).
b. Once you have selected your three pictures (one character, one setting, one plot) write a 50-word story-starter (introduction to a story) based on the pictures. Include as much or as little information as you need to stay within the 50-word limit. Share your story-starter in the COMMENT AREA below. Comment on other participants' story-starters as well.
Task 2: Creative Writing Tools Review
a. Now let's discover some online tools for creative writing. Click on each of the three pictures you chose for your character, setting and plot.
b. After you have opened the links and read through the descriptions of the three tools, choose at least one to share with other participants in our Edmodo Group. Describe your understanding of what the tool does and how you would use it. What age group would you recommend the tool for? What is unique about the tool? Do you see possible problems or limitations?
Task 3 – Collaborative Writing
a. Now that you've had a chance to write a story starter and research various writing sites, let's try some collaborative writing. Below is a list of sites designed to allow multiple writers to collaborate on written projects. Click on a few of these sites and choose one that you think looks like a good place to create a brilliantly creative piece of collaborative literary experimentation:
- BubbleUs Brainstorming made simple
- Entri Get feedback on rough drafts / Jot down ideas and share through Twitter
- Google Docs Collaborative writing
- LiveTyping Collaborative writing
- MixedInk Collaborative writing for groups
- Novlet Collaborative writing of nonlinear stories
- ThinkFree Online Virtual office / Edit documents in your web browser
- TypeWithMe Collaborative writing
- WriteBoard Sharable web-based documents
- Zoho Writer Online word processor - create, connect, collaborate
b. Once you have registered (if necessary) for the site of your choice, read through the story-starters your fellow participants posted in the Comments section on this page. Copy and paste one of the story-starters in your collaborative writing site, add your contribution to the story and then share the link with other participants in our Edmodo Group. Make sure your online collaborative page is public and open to participants. Don't be afraid to click around and explore!
c. Add to the newly-created stories and check in frequently to see where our collective creativity leads us! Enjoy the journey!
d. Are some sites working better than others? Share your evaluation of the different sites with the group in your digital portfolio.
Task 4: Further Exploration: Research Projects and Other Writing-Related Sites (optional)
a. To write up fact-based research projects, students need to summarize clearly and concisely. Using tools designed for presentations requires them to reduce information into short, concise statements. Take a look at some examples of written summaries enhanced with images by using presentation tools such as Prezi, PhotoPeach and Sliderocket to write about people, places and processes.
People: Research an author, scientist, innovator, politician…someone who has made a difference.
Example using Prezi: Mary Anning
Places: Research a specific aspect of your city or region, or another place you want to learn more about.
Example using PhotoPeach: The Architecture of Old Montreal
Processes: Describe a process in 10-15 steps. The process could be related to a topic you are studying, a hobby or your field of interest.
Examples of Student Slideshows using Sliderocket:
b. Comment on ideas you might have or sites and assignments you have used in your class for creative or fact-based research writing in our Edmodo Group.
c. Finally, here are a few more sites with interesting possibilities for promoting improved writing skills--feel free to comment on any of your observations or suggestions this week:
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Comments (Show all 138)
Sneza Filipovic said
at 7:53 pm on Jan 20, 2012
Hi Catherine! I liked your beginning so I used Entri because of its simplicity. Here is the link: http://entri.co/gIrPfL
karenjtait said
at 9:58 pm on Jan 20, 2012
I chose 1B, 2D and 3D. Simon always thought Grandma was normal. It was only when his friend Lucy laughed as he told her about riding around the world on a dolphin that he began to suspect that there was something fishy going on and decided to investigate. It turned out that Grandma was....
catherine boissier said
at 8:58 am on Jan 21, 2012
Hi Sneza!
Thanks for your contirbution to my story. Yes, I agree, Entri is simple to use. I've added some more to the story. Let's hope someone else picks up the thread!
carolapointe@... said
at 10:09 am on Jan 21, 2012
1B, 2C, 3A
Teacher Donahue was very happy with his life in his hometown called Evolandia. Evolandia was a small island located in the middle of the ocean.
One day, he decided to explore other worlds so with hat and coat as his only baggage, he headed to the borderline.
carolapointe@... said
at 10:10 am on Jan 21, 2012
Ha-ha! Can´t wait to read more about this baby detective.
carolapointe@... said
at 10:13 am on Jan 21, 2012
I love stories with animals. Are there going to be any human beings in this story?
carolapointe@... said
at 10:16 am on Jan 21, 2012
Great start! I'm curious about what that day was like.
hindsinada@... said
at 10:25 am on Jan 21, 2012
I chose 1D,2C,3D."I will try again and again" said the dog to himself,almost drowned after a risky journey." I will never give up.She is my beloved" continued the dog,who was no one but prince Dave,the prince of The Dream land,a far away island.A witch has cast a spell on him,turning him into a dog and took his sweetheart to a castle in the sea.He,the dog,decided to visit his friend to help him find a wizard who could reverse the spell and turn him into a dolphin so that he could rescue his beloved .
Maja Dakic-Brkovic said
at 11:24 am on Jan 21, 2012
Hello,
I have chosen picture 1C – 2B- 3C
My story-starter is as follows:
He was no doubt the greatest child star that ever lived. He was traveling all over Europe playing music by the time he was six. Because of his constant travels, he eventually learned to speak fifteen different languages. He wrote his first sonata for the piano when he was four and composed his first opera when he was twelve!
Maja Dakic-Brkovic said
at 11:27 am on Jan 21, 2012
Hi, Carmen! I've read your reflection on week 2. I like it. I would like to thank you for discovering the new tool for me - looseleaves. Great! :) Thank you.
Maja Dakic-Brkovic said
at 11:28 am on Jan 21, 2012
Great idea and very nice prezi! Thank you! :)
ola Bakri said
at 3:49 pm on Jan 21, 2012
Yes, yes... II did all the tasks for week 2 and ready to start up week three... yaaaaaaaaaaaaay
ola Bakri said
at 3:54 pm on Jan 21, 2012
http://eslfirstaid.wikispaces.com/Class+Digital+Tools
These are my reflections of the course until now..
Azhar Youssef said
at 6:45 pm on Jan 21, 2012
Dear Ola,
I checked your reflections for week 1 and 2.
I noticed that your lesson plan in week 1 is similar to mine.
You just copy and paste.
You can apply it, but we need some extra suggestions from you.
Thanks for sharing!
Azhar Youssef
Egypt
liamika said
at 5:10 pm on Jan 21, 2012
1A-2C-3B: The war between the elves Djiva, protecting the secret of the island, and their foes Luthou was irresolute..The latter were set to destroy each and everyone of the Djiva so as to gain access to their most desirable loot..For this reason they had incorporated every sly trick including involvement of humans which was preposterous according to the ancient laws of Laurelia, their home...
Elise Couper said
at 5:33 pm on Jan 21, 2012
1C 2D 3A
The trip to Gramm's beach house takes four hours, four hours strapped in this car seat, four long hours with nothing to see and nothing to do except stare out the car window. If only there were a door in my room, a door directly to the beach...
Davor Plese said
at 5:41 pm on Jan 21, 2012
1C, 2B, 3C
A young 3-year-old boy named Charlie was spending a Saturday afternoon with his whole family. The adults were talking for hours, enjoying delicious meals and drinking fine wine. They were not paying much attention to Charlie, so no one noticed when he left the house and entered a school bus.
katia said
at 6:14 pm on Jan 21, 2012
Nice beginning and what a beautiful metaphors!!
Azhar Youssef said
at 6:43 pm on Jan 21, 2012
Dear Ola,
I checked your reflections for week 1 and 2.
I noticed that your lesson plan in week 1 is similar to mine.
You just copy and paste.
You can apply it, but we need some extra suggestions from you.
Thanks for sharing!
Azhar Youssef
Egypt
katia said
at 7:10 pm on Jan 21, 2012
Hi there,
My comment about one of the writing tool: Writing Prompt tool as far as my choice for writing my starter is concerned:
It is a good tool. I loved playing with it, especially as ELL teachers are always looking for writing prompts. I liked very much the variety in genre and content it supplies ELT/ELL/EFL/ESL teachers to ignite/motivate their earners. I have just bookmarked it!!
James Underwood said
at 11:18 am on Jan 22, 2012
bit late bit here it goes:
1C 2A 3B
A baby boy sat staring into the distance. He was strapped in and had no idea where he was going, but he knew one thing, he was tired of running. He wasn’t going to fall asleep, he wasn’t going to dream about the long, narrow, winding road leading to an abandoned washing machine. And he certainly wasn’t going to dream about the creature that lived in it.
Cleide Frazão Nascimento said
at 1:54 pm on Jan 25, 2012
Wow! This is mind teasing!!!
Kate O'Connell said
at 12:10 pm on Jan 22, 2012
1D, 2D, 3D
Dolphins, I tell you. They always win these games. Why do dogs always end up come up second best? We can swim, too you know. I thought this would be MY race... If it weren't for that one big wave, I could have beaten Dolphin #5. You see, I just needed to...
stace leza said
at 7:19 pm on Jan 22, 2012
1A, 2D, 3D
On my island legend says that a tropical witch of the mangrove stalks young lovers who frequent our coconut tree strewn beaches, she hates their happiness and lures the young men to her underworld in the sea where they are forced to participate in death defying matches and mindless races in order to regain their freedom. unfortunately many never return and the loved ones they leave behind on land pine away with grief as a result of their mysterious disappearance
stace leza said
at 7:23 pm on Jan 22, 2012
love the suspense created here. now i will be looking at my washing machine funny when i pass by
Ellen said
at 8:04 pm on Jan 22, 2012
Hi everyone
I love the fact that in our 'classroom' every link is hyperlinked. So we can copy them and create a mini digitool resource list, for instance, on a Word document that is easily accessible. Since I teach an advanced writing course for EFL learners, I LOVED this week. I got so many wonderful ideas. I checked out every writing tool and wrote a mini review.
• BubbleUs Brainstorming made simple
o Love the ease of making cluster maps
• Entri Get feedback on rough drafts / Jot down ideas and share through Twitter
o Have to get back to it
• Google Docs Collaborative writing
o Have to get back to it
• LiveTyping Collaborative writing
o I ENTERED A STORY HERE That Darm Parrot password: thatdarmparrot
• MixedInk Collaborative writing for groups
• Novlet Collaborative writing of nonlinear stories
o Great site to read…and write chapters to ongoing stories
• ThinkFree Online Virtual office / Edit documents in your web browser
o Registration seemed difficult
• TypeWithMe Collaborative writing two thumbs up; easy and straightforward to use
o http://willyou.typewith.me/p/Just_a_Peek
• WriteBoard Sharable web-based documents
o easy enough
• Zoho Writer Online word processor - create, connect, collaborate
o could not change out of Spanish instructions
I imagine that somewhere I could have changed the Spanish isntructions...but after all, I want my student to have to read the instructions in English to have authentic practice, not to fall back on an immediate crutch. I will be checking out all the presentation styles for many days to come.
I love this course! Ellen
kiratiho said
at 11:22 am on Jan 23, 2012
1C, 2B, 3D
The baby looked with astonishment to all people gathered in the dining room. –What are they talking about? Rubbish, as always, I suppose. Nevermind, I will continue dreaming about my dolphin ride in the big deep ocean. Being a baby is definitely the best period of one’s life!
Cleide Frazão Nascimento said
at 2:04 pm on Jan 25, 2012
Nice. It's easy to imagine what comes next! It's also possible to imagine what happened before.
Cleide Frazão Nascimento said
at 10:06 am on Jan 25, 2012
1D, 2A, 3C
Dexter lived in the suburbs of Kent. One day, he came out to play and started wandering around, curious about what the neighborhood could offer. He walked for awhile and stopped at the butcher´s, probably wondering whether he would catch a break. Suddenly, a bus stopped next to him and a man came out.
Rochstarr said
at 10:10 am on Jan 25, 2012
Nice start. It makes you wonder what will happen next...
Rochstarr said
at 10:09 am on Jan 25, 2012
Hello everyone,
I have finally chosen and below written a response.
My choices are 1a 2a 3d.
Since I was 16, I have dreamt of being a water nymph. As a nymph I could move from water to land with ease. I could communicate with people and aquatic animals.
Yesterday, on my 25th birthday I had to wonder about my dreams. I had fallen asleep in my bed and awoke on the beach near my house…
Rochstarr said
at 10:25 am on Jan 25, 2012
In addition I looked at The Story Kitchen. http://www.brucevanpatter.com/storykitchen.html
This site provides introductory stories for the budding young writer. For an ESL student the age will depend on their grasp of the language. Some 7 year old children are able to write paragraphs and sentences with few grammatical errors. For others 8-10 years old may be better.
The tool allows the person to choose a hero, a location and a villain however it does not allow for writing that is not based on this story type. A student may want to reflect and write a story about their weekend experience or their desire to go to a theme park. This site does not allow for a student to express themselves in this manner.
The tool does have many introductions for students to use to start a story. It is a site I may use with a group of students that are proficient writers.
R
Rochstarr said
at 10:12 am on Jan 25, 2012
Andrea,
Nice start. Another good beginning. Makes me wonder what will happen next!
miriam said
at 10:34 am on Jan 25, 2012
My choices were 1A,2C and 3C.
This is my story starter.
Stella was a very unhappy tree spirit. She could not understand why this was so. She lived on a beautiful tropical island. The weather was always fine. The wooded area where she lived had beautiful birds, luscious fruits and many kinds of animals.But this was not enough for her.
Stella would look wistfully at the children who came with their families to holiday on their island. She hid carefully and listened to them. Stella wanted to know about all the things the children talked about. She hungered to touch one of their books..
Cleide Frazão Nascimento said
at 2:05 pm on Jan 25, 2012
Wow!,, Very creative!! A great starter for a story.
miriam said
at 8:24 am on Jan 27, 2012
Thank you Cleide. so nice to hear from someone! I better finish the story and post it.
Miriam
TatyanaChernaya said
at 12:26 pm on Jan 29, 2012
Miriam, I have tried to continue your story. Have a look, please.
http://www.quietwrite.com/writing/20864/stella-and-the-kids
I used the site QuietWrite. Maybe, the site has less opportunities than the wiki sites, but people can collaborate using the 'Respond' button. Unfortunately, it is impossible to add the picture to the story. But the story looks nice, in my opinion.
Cleide Frazão Nascimento said
at 2:31 pm on Jan 25, 2012
Wow!!! Azhar, funny. I imagines myself in that guy's shoes. Running madly along a narrow street is exactly what I would do! Ok, because I relate to the character you created, here's an ending for your starter:
Inside the bus, there was a woman behind the wheel and the man who had grabbed me. They looked familiar but I didn't think about it. Instead, I started wondering where that bus was taking us. After awhile, I recognized the place. It was the street where I used to study. My old school, where I studied all my life, was at its very end. I remembered! The lady who was driving the bus was Mrs. Elliot and the man was the janitor! Mr. Cooper. I hadn't seen them since I left, eight..., ten years ago. Even so, they still remembered me.
TatyanaChernaya said
at 5:09 pm on Jan 28, 2012
Hello Everyone,
I am very sorry, I have been really very busy at school and have missed much, but I am still going to do all the tasks. Hopefully, someone will support me. Otherwise, I will ask my students to help me. :)
Task 1. I have chosen 1B 2A 3D.
Here is my story starter:
Brian has been living in this quiet street for ten years now, since that terrible car crash which changed his life so dramatically. He seldom leaves home, as every time he looks in the mirror, he sees an ugly old man. It hurts him to think that Mary ...
TatyanaChernaya said
at 5:42 pm on Jan 29, 2012
Task 4
Here are my example of using Web2.0 tools for fact-based research projects:
http://photopeach.com/album/wkabh4
http://www.flipsnack.com/my-flipping-books/details?flip=dda874f8352825a60de32d8a7eq57653
And here is my students' collaboration project about famous places in Moscow:
http://looseleaves.me/3P/Famous-buildings-in-Moscow-.html
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