Tech Tool Tuesday - October 4th - Writing

Scholastic Story Starter: This month I am focusing on tools which aid students in increasing their writing abilities. The first tool is Story Starts from Scholastic. There is no login needed - just go to the link. This site can be used whole class or by individual students. I like this website because the story starters are fairly interesting and it's geared toward different level of writers. You can choose from four different themes, then your grade level of PreK-1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th-6th. Students can use the website to type their response or it can be transcribed on a piece of paper. Please see my screen-cast for further information.

Edublogs: Blogging is a wonderful way to include authentic writing. If you publish student blogs online for others to view outside the school or even make them available for peer review, you may be more likely to get students to write with enthusiasm and care. Blogs can also be a way to teach positive feedback if you allow students to comment on each other's work. I recommend Kidblog because of it's ease of use and ability to keep blogs private to just people in your classroom. The downfall is that if you don't already have an account, you will need to pay $44 per year after the free 30 day trial. If you created an account last year when it was still completely free, you don't have to worry about the price. Another place for free blogging is edublogs.org. It is less user-friendly for the students, but still manageable. If blogging is something you would like to include in your curriculum, please let me know and I can help you get set up.