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allwritewithme - Diane Owens
Grades
3 to 7
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Extend your writing workshop beyond your classroom walls with this site! This website includes explanations and practice for writing techniques in upper elementary classrooms. Another...more
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Extend your writing workshop beyond your classroom walls with this site! This website includes explanations and practice for writing techniques in upper elementary classrooms. Another section contains areas to post your own story or continue with a story in progress. The content reinforces and expands upon the 6+1 Trait Writing Model used in many elementary writing programs. Users are able to make comments. So you may want to preview before you share with students.
tag(s): characterization (14), main idea (8), writing (316), writing prompts (72)
In the Classroom
Emphasize what you have presented or want to review in writing concept mini lessons. Reluctant writers as well as enthusiastic writers can gleam ideas to start writing, as well as several ideas for writing prompts. Share this site on your class website for students who need extra reinforcement with writing concepts at home or students who love to go beyond and dig deeper into writing. Part of the site includes an area to continue the started story. Be sure to monitor closely since not all posts appear to be part of the topic. Use this site as an example of ways to continue writing workshop ideas onto your own classroom blog. Share your class stories using a site such as Bookemon, reviewed here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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DearReader - Suzanne Beecher
Grades
4 to 12
4 Favorites
0 Comments
Don't know what to read next? No problem. Sign up and, based on your interests, you will receive short excerpts via email for suggested books every day. See a quick ...more
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Don't know what to read next? No problem. Sign up and, based on your interests, you will receive short excerpts via email for suggested books every day. See a quick look at a book before deciding to read the entire novel. Join email book clubs at local libraries with the book club links on this site.
tag(s): independent reading (106), literature (231)
In the Classroom
Sign up for DearReader and receive daily emails with book excerpts. Share the excerpts with your class as a way to hook some into reading or to offer book suggestions. Use the emails as an example of a service that students may want to try; have students choose an interesting excerpt from a book they are reading and share with others via email or your classroom blog or website. Consider having students create "talking pictures" to represent their excerpt using Blabberize, reviewed here. Use excerpts as a discussion starter in literacy circles or writers workshops.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Essay Map - Read, Write, Think
Grades
3 to 8
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Essay Map provides young writers with a tool to make informational writing simple and organized. Each component of a properly written informational piece is provided separately so students...more
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Essay Map provides young writers with a tool to make informational writing simple and organized. Each component of a properly written informational piece is provided separately so students can write in an organized and logical manner. Students complete an introduction, three main ideas, supporting details for each idea and a conclusion. The end result is a neatly typed and organized graphic organizer. Students can print their graphic organizers and use them as a guide for their formal informational piece of writing. This is a nice change from the typical graphic organizer.
tag(s): writing (316)
In the Classroom
Teachers should model the use of this tool on an interactive whiteboard or projector prior to student use. Essay Map can be placed on the desktop of a classroom computer for students to access during Writer's Workshop or throughout the school day.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Making Stopmotion Movies - Kevin Hodgson
Grades
2 to 8
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Energize your Writers Workshop by creating stopmotion movies. This is a highly engaging way to teach your students about story elements, dialogue, character development, and storyboarding....more
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Energize your Writers Workshop by creating stopmotion movies. This is a highly engaging way to teach your students about story elements, dialogue, character development, and storyboarding. Filmmakers can first organize their ideas on downloadable planning sheets. Make the characters for the movie out of clay, wiki stix, paper, or even found objects. Some free animation and movie software links are available. Step by step directions on how to create a stopmotion movie, and Windows Moviemaker, and iMovie tutorials are available.
tag(s): acting (20), creativity (104), movies (59)
In the Classroom
Encourage your students to revise and edit their writing by turning their stories into stopmotion movies. Have students work in small groups to visually re-create events from their own writing. This will help develop stronger characters, dialogue, and draw attention to the elements of time and place. The planning sheets are a helpful tool to help students examine story structure and sequence. Alternatively, develop reading comprehension and fluency by asking students to re-create a fable or folktale. The new term for this is "Readers stopmotion." Teachers may want to be comfortable using a digital camera and movie making programs before embarking on this project."Challenge students to share their videos on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here or post them on your class website. Get parent permission before posting any student work on this sharing site and check with your school administrator to be sure that your school allows students to post videos on-line. Teachers may want to be comfortable using a digital camera/webcam and movie making programs before embarking on this project.
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Poems = Word Comics - Austin Kleon
Grades
6 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
Poems = Word Comics is the perfect venue to view poetry in an entirely new way and hook your students into creating poems. You won't hear any more moans and ...more
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Poems = Word Comics is the perfect venue to view poetry in an entirely new way and hook your students into creating poems. You won't hear any more moans and groans when you mention poetry workshop time. Many poems are like word comics, in that they jump from one image to another in a short amount of lines. Transform your poets into cartoonists by creating a comic strip of images on a page and using the artwork to propel text to convey a message. After all, communication is an art. Be careful, it may become addicting!
tag(s): creative writing (134), poetry (203), writing (316)
In the Classroom
Visual thinkers sometimes experience difficulty expressing their thoughts in words and when asked to write a poem, they literally fall apart. Poetry has images inherent in its form; therefore, spark your students' creativity by enabling them to think of a line in a poem as a frame in a cartoon. By jumping from image to image, the poem takes on a comic-like element, where the words and images are dependent upon each other. Rather than getting jammed up on words that rhyme, this approach offers a clever and amazing way to "write a poem." This activity would work well for pairing visual learners or artistically inclined students with the stronger writers in the class, or by using individual computers and modifying technology use to combine the Poems = Word Comics concept with Write Comics, reviewed here, to create professional looking poetic comics.
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Psykopaint - Mathieu
Grades
3 to 12
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0 Comments
Turn a photograph into a painting without all the mess. Psykopaint is an on-line painting program that is easy to use. You do not need to be artistic to transform ...more
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Turn a photograph into a painting without all the mess. Psykopaint is an on-line painting program that is easy to use. You do not need to be artistic to transform a personal or stock photo into artwork reminiscent of impressionism, cubism, or tile mosaics. Adjust any image's color intensity, value, and hue. There are also transparency layers and effects that are fun to play with. When a masterpiece is complete, simply save it to the desktop and it is available for a wide range of uses. Users may submit work to the Psykopaint gallery through a Facebook account, but no Facebook account is needed for creating and saving an image. There is also a blank canvas: a free form drawing option that does not require photography. This site may or may not be fully accessible inside your school filtering. You will want to check all portions that you plan to use in class.
tag(s): images (270), multimedia (50), painting (58), photography (142)
In the Classroom
Users need to know how to select and upload a photograph from a computer. Be sure to take advantage of the helpful on-line tutorials. Enjoy spending some time experimenting with the site before introducing it to your class. The on-line gallery takes submissions and lets users view artwork. This is only accessible with a Facebook account. Many schools block Facebook entirely, so check first. Facebook accounts DO require a valid email address. One option is to register for a class Facebook account using a free class gmail account. It is essential that permissible use and consequences are set before introducing the site. Get parent permission before posting any student work on the sharing site. Downloading drawings allows "local control." Without a Facebook account it is possible to view the work of others but not, comment, rate and submit artwork. Preview artwork in the user's gallery before having your class accesses it. Students will also need to know how to cite the original source of a photograph. Psykopaint is a wonderful alternative to hand drawn pictures. Students can liven up reports, stories, websites, and podcasts with manipulated photographs. Model how to use this site on your projector or interactive whiteboard and then give students at least one full class session to experiment. Create your own set of pictures in advance and limit students to the class set so they do not search and find pictures inappropriate for the classroom. Have students take photographs of historic landmarks or important buildings in their town and then use Psykopaint to transform them into illustrations. Show your students how to embed media transforming these images into an online, interactive, town history infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Consider scanning or photographing student artwork and then use this site to edit their creation. Let students photograph themselves acting out scenes for a story they wrote then transform them into painterly illustrations. Extend learning and have students create a multimedia presentation using Thinglink, reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture. The artwork students can create on this site will spice up any published projects.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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reencoded - reencoded
Grades
2 to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
At reencoded you will find beautiful, interesting photography you can use as writing prompts. The URL for this review is just one of the pages of cool photography you will ...more
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At reencoded you will find beautiful, interesting photography you can use as writing prompts. The URL for this review is just one of the pages of cool photography you will find at this site. Since this is a blog, the front page will change frequently, so be sure to bookmark your favorite pages. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "older entries" to find a plethora of material.
tag(s): writing (316)
In the Classroom
Using photos as prompts is good for the students who have writers block, are having problems visualizing what they want to convey in words, or for young writers just starting out. Giving students a photo helps them to form a story and makes their ideas more concrete. Use your projector or interactive whiteboard to project one of the photographs and have students envision the photo as a video that has been put on pause. Ask students to come up with ideas for what happened in the video before it was paused, and what will happen once the video is on "play" again. Have students annotate the picture with the ideas the class comes up with using FotoFlexor, reviewed here, and then let them get started writing their story to go with the photo. You could do several of these and make a class book of the students' writing. For this you might want to use Book Creator reviewed here, to publish student writing and to give your writers workshop publishing a professional flare.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Writers' Workshop - Northern Illinois University
Grades
6 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This website is a valuable professional source. It is posted through the Northern Illinois University as a source for their instructors, tutors, and students, but gives great information...more
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This website is a valuable professional source. It is posted through the Northern Illinois University as a source for their instructors, tutors, and students, but gives great information and guidance on helping students become the best writers they can be, including MLA formatting of papers. The student section includes sections on editors' marks, quoting, and plagiarism (including interactive quizzes for each), while the instructor section includes a lesson exchange and computer lab ideas.
tag(s): writing (316)
In the Classroom
While this is mostly a teacher resource, it could be used for a class lesson on certain areas of writing, particularly for high school students. It will give you ideas to use on laptops or in a writing lab as well as offer an interactive quiz when you finish teaching certain writing skills. The comma splice/sentence combining activity would make a great starting point for student editing. Then have students create an animated multimedia illustration of an example to show how to correct a common "Issue in Sentence Management" (humor welcome).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Writer's Resource Directory - Carol Kluz
Grades
8 to 12
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Carol Kluz's site has hundreds of resources for writers that link pages to book reviews, writing workshops, tips, and more. Winner of the 2009 Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for...more
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Carol Kluz's site has hundreds of resources for writers that link pages to book reviews, writing workshops, tips, and more. Winner of the 2009 Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers, The Writer's Resource Directory provides an organized place holder for many tried and true essentials, as well as other perks and frills like interviews with authors, their words of wisdom, writers' tools, and a clever thesaurus of phrases and sayings which includes definitions and origins. Please do not let a few broken links discourage you; most links do work, and they are real gems. Whether you're a novice or an expert, there is something valuable for every teacher, student, and writer on this site.
tag(s): literature (231), poetry (203), resources (102), writing (316)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the numerous tips and tools to spark a new idea or expand one that you already have going on. Save this site in your favorites and use it as a massive compilation of resources while planning your entire English language arts lessons, not just writing. Use your whiteboard to show a "how-to" video or display information to enhance your lessons. Provide a direct link on your class page to any one of the sites that you choose to feature; perhaps a literary genre, book, or author that you are focusing on, or daily writing tips, grammar help, and guides for students to develop practical writing skills for reports, e-mail, letters, resumes, and more. Share students' writing projects interactively by having students create online books using a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.
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Word Talk - CALL Scotland
Grades
K to 12
0 Favorites
0 Comments
Enter the world of assisted learning with Word Talk, a free plugin for use with Microsoft Word. This software downloads onto unlimited computers for educational use. A talking dictionary...more
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Enter the world of assisted learning with Word Talk, a free plugin for use with Microsoft Word. This software downloads onto unlimited computers for educational use. A talking dictionary assists with definition and spelling. The ability to turn the words into MP3 format is available. This plugin has won the Microsoft Innovative Teacher Award.
tag(s): dictionaries (51), Microsoft (68), text to speech (17)
In the Classroom
Include Word Talk as your classroom helper for FREE! Offer assisted learning for struggling readers or writers to provide success. Provide study guides or notes in an MP3 file to include on your website. Offer as a way to encourage independence and confidence in all learners. Incorporate into writer's workshop to help with editing and proofreading. Help your ESL/ELL and special needs students find more success. This helps you achieve the technology goal of assisted learning in IEP students. Offer all directions with the text to speech option.
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Writer's Workshop Introduction - Teachersfirst
Grades
1 to 6
9 Favorites
0 Comments
Good writing skills are essential for secondary students. Writer's Workshop is an interdisciplinary writing technique which can build elementary students' fluency in writing through...more
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Good writing skills are essential for secondary students. Writer's Workshop is an interdisciplinary writing technique which can build elementary students' fluency in writing through continuous, repeated exposure to the process of writing. Teachers can introduce elements of Writer's Workshop at any elementary grade. Ideally, however, the process begins in Kindergarten.
tag(s): writing (316)
In the Classroom
Teachers can use this introduction to introduce Writer's Workshop elements in a variety of curriculum situations and classroom settings.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Young Writer's Workshop - Chateau Meddybemps
Grades
1 to 6
1 Favorites
0 Comments
This site contains many beautifully illustrated worksheets in pdf format that contain the beginning of a story. More story beginners are added frequently to the site, and students or...more
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This site contains many beautifully illustrated worksheets in pdf format that contain the beginning of a story. More story beginners are added frequently to the site, and students or teachers may submit a student story created with a Meddybemp starter. Students whose stories get published receive a free T-shirt and online publication! Selected students become Young Writers Workshop Published Authors!
tag(s): creative writing (134), writing (316)
In the Classroom
An easy way to encourage free writing! With this site, you can give one class a variety of story starters.You MUST have Acrobat Reader to open the handouts! Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.
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