Writing instruction can be difficult under the best of circumstances. Among the challenges 2020 has ushered in has been teaching writing in a variety of formats. Whether you are teaching face-to-face, hybrid, or fully virtual, writing instruction has needed a serious upgrade to keep up with the obstacles this year has presented. Below are five strategies you can use to enhance your digital writing instruction in your English Language Arts Classroom.
#1: Use Interactives in Google Slides for Thesis Creation and Evaluation
Like most teachers in the last year who have restructured and re-tooled a lot of previous lessons, Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 has, too. Adding in more interactive options for different digital formats has been a challenge, though mostly a welcome one.
The best writing lesson as of late for Lesa has been in teaching grade 9s about writing thesis statements. Here’s how she does it:
- Teach the parts – topic + position + evidence and have students break down examples with a fill-in-the-blank activity.
- Then, look at example statements. Have students click and drag an icon to rate a series of statements using a checklist. In review of strong versus weak, Lesa addresses the most common pitfalls such as a lack of focus, ideas that are too big for the proposed essay, and facts that do not match the text being studied.
- Finally, students write their own thesis statements based on a provided topic or in the scaffolding for a future essay. Students can self-evaluate with the same checklist or pair up for some peer review. Again, clicking and dragging an icon to ensure they meet the criteria for a strong thesis.
In reviewing the final essay outlines for whether characters in A Raisin in the Sun will achieve their dreams, Lesa found that thesis writing clicked with even more students this year and so the focus could be on the next steps in writing a superb essay!
If you’re interested, Lesa has a ready-made Google Slides™ lesson on this topic for you and your students.
#2: Enhance Your Instruction with Mini-Lessons
Teaching writing can be exceptionally overwhelming right now if you are teaching virtually or in hybrid format. Even during regular classroom instruction, getting students to write can be difficult. Samantha from Samantha in Secondary recommends approaching a piece of writing in chunks and beginning each one with a mini-lesson on a specific narrative element.
In a recent narrative unit, Samantha began by reviewing plot and providing students with opportunities to engage in activities that would allow the students to deepen their understanding of how a plot functions. Then, she had students complete an original plot diagram and begin their rough draft process. Then, she’d add a mini-lesson each day to focus on an aspect of the writing piece that students would add to during class writing time. For this particular assignment, Samantha taught character, dialogue, and pacing. She then created a rubric that would specifically assess students on these elements.
One activity students can do to help them understand plot is to move parts of a plot correctly along the plot diagram. This is easy to set up in Google Slides!
By honing in on one narrative element each class, it gave students time to evaluate the author’s craft using the activities included in the mini-lessons and then applying what they’ve learned to their own writing pieces.
#3: Use Manipulatives to Teach Writing
Jen Strawser from The Supported Teacher uses physical and digital manipulatives to teach writing to her virtual secondary students.
I have seen so much growth in my students’ writing skills since I started using manipulatives for teaching writing. Manipulatives help to reinforce the writing process and allow students to clarify ideas before committing them to paper. Students feel safe to make mistakes because they know they can correct those mistakes quickly and easily – without the frustration that traditional writing lessons can bring.
Ideally students, even virtual students, are able to find pens and paper in their homes – even if it’s the back of a receipt or old pages from last year’s binder. If students are able to find paper, they cut or tear their paper into small squares about the size of a 3X3 inch post-it note. The number of pieces your students will need depends on the writing assignment – usually 2-3 pieces per sentence. Ask students to use a thick, dark marker if they have one, so their writing is easy to read when they hold it up to the camera or take photos to turn in.
Students who don’t have paper or pens can create “digital sticky notes” in Google Slides using the insert shape tool. Students can type the sentence frames in the shape and move it around the screen, just like they’d move papers around their desk.
Students write the sentence frames on their manipulatives and verbally fill in the rest. For example, a student might write “this example illustrates” on their small square and then verbally speak their analysis of the example. This leaves them with the flexibility to change, add, or expand their ideas each time they use the manipulatives.
Before starting a written draft, students practice speaking their sentences and paragraphs several times: they speak them two times in a break out room and then change break out rooms and speak two more times with their new group.
When it’s time to draft, writing is easy because students have worked through the tough parts of the paragraph verbally before ever setting pen to paper.
Using manipulatives encourages students to revise their “writing” because they can simply move the manipulatives around on their desk and change what they speak – so much less intimidating than traditional revision!
The biggest takeaway for students is the more they speak their ideas, the more clear and concise their ideas become.
You can learn more about how to use physical manipulatives in the digital classroom in this video lesson.
#4: Flip Your Classroom
Live teaching can be exhausting and frustrating at times, so that’s why Isabel likes to assign a video lesson to her students for them to complete ahead of time. Known as the “flipped classroom”, this teaching practice has many advantages, but here are a few:
- The content is accessible at any time;
- The teacher can use the “free” time for a different purpose than instruction (ie. supporting students with practice);
- The students can learn at their own pace;
- The parents/guardians also have access to the content which can enable them to better support their child.
One of the downsides of the flipped classroom is that it requires more preparation and time than a live lesson, since the teacher has to create the lesson ahead of time. But even so, once it’s done, you can reuse it whenever you want!
To check students’ comprehension, Isabel suggests planning a quick and simple follow-up activity for students to complete independently at the end. This can allow you to identify students who need more practice, students who need additional instruction, or students who understand the content before you even meet with them.
If you’re looking to get started, Isabel recommends using Google Slides and a program like Screencast-O-Matic to create the video lesson. You can then assign the video lesson within Google Classroom. Need some step-by-step instructions? Here is an awesome tutorial video you can follow that will show you how to use Screencast-O-Matic and another one that will show you how to create drag and drop activities in Google Slides. Finally, here’s one on how to insert a video in Google Slides. And now… to your screen recording program!
#5: Partner Pass
Collaborative writing in a virtual setting can seem impossible, but it doesn’t have to be! Partner Pass is an excellent activity that can easily be adapted to virtual learning. With a bit of creativity, students will work with a partner or small group to create a story. Ashleigh from ashleigh.educates shares this creative strategy!
What exactly is Partner Pass?
There are many ways to complete Partner Pass, but Ashleigh from ashleigh.educates suggests placing your students in small groups. Each group will need one sheet of paper. You can either give the entire class a writing prompt or just give them bits of a story, such as a character, setting, and conflict. Each group must include the assigned elements within their stories. On your start, one member from each group begins writing. Set a timer for two minutes. When time is up, students pass their group’s paper to another member of their group. They continue writing where the first person left off. Give them two minutes as well. Continue this process until each group member has had the opportunity to write a few times. When the Partner Pass is over, allow students a few minutes to read over their stories and fill in gaps. Students LOVE sharing these stories!
Pro Tip: While students are writing, call out an element of plot for them to focus on for their two minutes. For example- Call out: EXPOSITION! Students will need to focus on introducing characters, setting and background information. RISING ACTION! Students will write about events leading to the climax. Continue calling out elements until they reach the resolution.
Extension Activity: Take it a step further by filling out a plot diagram using the details from their stories OR have each group trade stories in order to fill out a plot diagram about a different story.
Using Partner Share in a Virtual Setting
So how can you implement Partner Pass virtually? Two words: Breakout Rooms! Create breakout rooms for each group and have students open a shared document using Google Docs. As long as the document is shared amongst all group members, they will have access to edit the document.
Partner Pass is a great enrichment activity that can be used in person or virtually and promotes student collaboration!
Do you have a favorite tip for implementing writing digitally? Sound off in the comments below or follow us on Instagram or Facebook to join in on the discussion.
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