Standard+4

=Standard 4 - Teachers know how to teach.= ==The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children's development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.==

Evidence: Writing Workshop Multimedia Unit



 * Rationale:** This unit was developed with the intent of integrating technology into an existing series of lessons. In Writing Workshop, my students do a lot of writing but don’t often produce many finished products. After a time, it becomes challenging to motivate some students to continue to write because there is no definite end in sight. In the past, I have helped my students write and publish a story; however it became time-consuming for me and frustrating for some of the students. By introducing some technology to the unit (e.g. computer drawing program, voice recording) I was able to greatly increase the motivation and engagement of the students during Writing Workshop time. I introduced many aspects of this unit into my writing instruction during the 2009-2010 school year, and noticed that my students were more engaged, more enthusiastic, and produced writing of a higher quality. Personally, I was able to learn to use several technology applications (TuxPaint, Windows MovieMaker) and as I practiced using these applications, I was able to think of many other ways I could use these programs to enhance my classroom instruction.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND DISPOSITIONS
====4.K.3 The teacher knows how to enhance learning through the use of a wide variety of materials and technological resources (e.g. computers, audio-visual technologies, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print resources).====

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While learning to read is the number one goal for my students in kindergarten, working on their writing everyday is a critical component of that process. Learning to read is, in large part, learning how print work. Research shows that one effective way to come to a deep understanding of that is by having students encode their own ideas and stories into print. Barriers to this process in kindergarten include poor fine motor skills, lack of drawing experience, and lack of motivation. Students often get bogged down with the pictures (an important part of the emergent writing process) which limits the time they spend on the words. In addition, some students aren’t motivated to complete a story because, to them, it doesn’t end up looking like a “real” book.=====

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In Writing Workshop, learning can be greatly enhanced by introducing some technology into the process. Using a drawing program like TuxPaint or KidPix allows students to more easily create colorful, detailed drawings. The pictures help them better visualize and plan the details of the story. In addition, the ability to create satisfactory pictures in a timely manner provides them with more time to focus on the words. Taking their approximated writings, transcribing them, and combining their pictures with “book” text is thrilling for them. Having students record their words into a program like Audacity introduces a new element to the process (i.e. reading fluency). Most importantly, having a finished project as a long-term goal helps students stay motivated and more engaged throughout the process, and provides opportunities for planning and problem solving.=====

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During Writing Workshop, I wear many hats. I show the students how to do things writers do, I provide the framework and supplies necessary to be writers, I conference with them and coach them so they can take their writing to the next level, I provide encouragement, I notice and name the writing behaviors I see them exhibit, and some of the time I just sit back and enjoy as they read their stories to me. I walk a fine line between letting them use what they know to complete tasks independently and providing support in areas where they need a little help. Through the integration of technology into this unit, my students are able to successfully complete one part of their story (the pictures) more independently. In turn, it allows me to concentrate on the writing part of their stories. I have more time to show them things that writers do, more time to conference and coach, and more time to notice and name the writing behaviors that I want to encourage.=====

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In many ways, Writing Workshop is about the process, not the product, especially for the teacher. By integrating technology into this unit, I am able to free up resources and time I might have spent on the pictures, and devote those resources and time to my students’ attempts to encode their spoken words into print. I can truly focus on their understandings of print. I can concentrate on what they know and how they are using that knowledge to solve the problems they encounter as they attempt to encode their spoken words into written words. By gaining this understanding of each of my students, and how they are thinking and solving problems as they write, I am able to better value and assess each individual student’s development as a writer.=====