Entry 2 - Setting up a a Digital Writing Workshop: Scary or Exciting?

          A digital writing workshop is not set up in my room. I had thought about creating some sort of blog during the summer time, but then considered all the factors that would have to go into it as well as the possible consequences (which I'll be honest, were none of those addressed by Hick's when setting up her frame of reference) and then quickly dispelled the idea. Setting up a digital space for my students seemed scary. Too much uncertainty and student responsibility, too little control. After reading Hicks however, while still overwhelmed with how to go about setting up a digital workshop, I've reconsidered the effectiveness and use of a digital writing workshop and am excited about the prospect of setting one up.

The WHO:    

            When I reflect on my student's abilities, I recognize that I am not actually sure what they can and cannot do. Hicks addresses this by warning that while students can appear to be technologically savvy, they may be lacking important skills needed to craft and critique digital media (Hicks, 2009, 129). The only time my students have used computers and the internet in front of me has been during the past month when researching and writing their environmental midterm paper. I know (through individual conversations) that many of my students think they know how to navigate through the copious amount of information on the internet, but based on classroom observations, I am not convinced that they can do this well or with ease. What concerns me even more is that they don't know this about themselves.

The WHAT:

I have never given any thought as to how I would go about teaching digital writing. I guess I assumed that if I ever incorporated a digital writing component in my class I would tell my students what to do, not teach them. This would probably turn out to be a pointless exercise because they probably would have no idea what to do (I am not sure if teachers in my building emphasizes digital writing). In addition to this, I probably would have little student buy-in. Because my students have never really used digital writing in their other classes, I am not sure if they would deem it as a legitimate form of writing.  

The WHERE, WHEN AND  HOW:

            Up to this point, I had a pretty dismal outlook on what I have set up for my digital writing workshop. I don't know what my students know (I think not much), I'm not sure how I would teach it (or who else could help me or if my students would value it!) but I do have a space and I do have computers and (maybe most importantly) I do have the TIME to teach digital writing. In my environmental class I have the time and the freedom to teach the curriculum I would like, so with the proper planning and vision, I should be able to easily incorporate a digital writing workshop. As far as the space and classroom set up, this would depend on how I wanted my students to work. If I wanted students to work independently, I could book the computer lab, if I wanted students to work in groups within my classroom, I could borrow a lap top cart.

The FUTURE:

            So what else do I need to do? Well, first I need to familiarize myself with the different types of digital writing (so far I'm digging this Blogger... there is room for creativity but also structure for blogging novices like me!). Then I need to consider how my students might use it as well as what and how they could explore the class curriculum through the use of digital writing. I need to help build a true purpose for digital writing, not only for the format of it, but also the subjects in which my students will explore. I will have to carefully consider who my students' audience will be, who will have access to our digital writing and how it will be assessed.  

            One concern/vision I do have is that I would want my students to compose digital writing not only during class, but feel some sort of ownership towards it and want to write outside of class. In my district (even though there is plenty of computers available throughout the school day) out of class participation may be an issue due to the fact that many students lack home internet access. Looking at the bright side however, if there was a digital writing element to this class, this may provide a viable way for students to actively participate in class when they have attendance issues or difficulties interacting with other students face-to-face. 

Works Cited

Hicks, T. (2009).  The digital writing workshop.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.