Tech Tuesday
Websites that Wow
Write About
Writing is the perfect way to take a peek into the minds of your students...especially when you give them an image to inspire their thoughts. Write About.com is a cool way to help kids engage with the writing process. Write About offers a wide variety of picture prompts to inspire students and provides them an authentic audience by allowing them to share their work with others. Teachers can write their own prompts and share them with students or students can write on a topic of their choice.
To respond to a prompt, students type in a text box (with some formatting options), or they can record an audio response. Once they've recorded their response, students can choose privacy options: Save it as a draft, publish it as private, share it with their classmates and teacher, or make it public and viewable by everyone. Both teachers and students can comment on students' shared work. Teachers can give feedback to students, and students can give feedback to their peers, too. Write About.com is a website that makes writing intriguing for students, offers simple planning for the teacher, and organizes it for everyone.
To respond to a prompt, students type in a text box (with some formatting options), or they can record an audio response. Once they've recorded their response, students can choose privacy options: Save it as a draft, publish it as private, share it with their classmates and teacher, or make it public and viewable by everyone. Both teachers and students can comment on students' shared work. Teachers can give feedback to students, and students can give feedback to their peers, too. Write About.com is a website that makes writing intriguing for students, offers simple planning for the teacher, and organizes it for everyone.
Why Write About?
You have options...take a look!
Visual Writing Ideas
There is a gallery of lesson ideas for teachers and students to choose from...
This is a sample lesson plan I found in the gallery. It was created by a teacher who is encouraging her students to make a difference in the world. She first read the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds, extended the lesson by having the students watch a video by the Kid President, and finally had the students reflect personally before writing about it.
Notice the highlighted features this site offers:
The red highlights the teacher's recorded directions.
The purple highlights where the kids click to begin writing.
The yellow highlights the directions for the student. Notice that the teacher has linked in a video for them to watch before they begin writing.
Teachers and students can record audio responses...and written responses
Teacher Feedback on Write About
Write About.com offers a grade filter so you can find the perfect audience for your students
It's Easy to Add Students...
Adding Students to Write About
It's Free...but if you want more features...there is a paid version
This is not just for language arts teachers....
This is perfect for any grade level...any content area. So often we automatically connect writing with English class, but there is really no better way to find out what your students actually KNOW. We don't always get an accurate assessment through multiple choice and true/false questions, but when you give students a prompt, a blank sheet of paper, and the ability to write...they either produce...or they don't. As a teacher, you can tell how deep their understanding is AND you may actually be surprised by their creativity. The visual cues that this site offers for students is also a favorite of mine. Sometimes examining the details of an image will take you deeper in your thinking. After all....a picture is worth a thousand words.
Let me hear from you...
Email: jburnett@mscs.k12.al.us
Website: http://flippinghp.blogspot.com/
Location: Highland Park Elementary School, Elmhurst Avenue, Muscle Shoals, AL, United States
Phone: 256-389-2620
Twitter: @Jb4tech