 With the popularity of text messaging, many teachers lament the slipshod and sloppy writing habits students tend to fall into. It's enough to make any teacher scream OMG! (LOL...) This site is to get kids to think more carefully about what they write in text messages while appeasing their teacher's thirst for better writing. This is an incredibly economic method for writing. You must completely focus on writing traits such as word choice, ideas and conventions. This originally took the form off a graffiti wall in the hallway outside my classroom (Euclid High School in Euclid, Ohio) where students were provided with a photo each week and were asked to come up with a six word story that reflected the image. They write their "graffiti on a large piece of paper taped to the wall. I originally collaborated on this concept with my then student-intern, Chris Overholt, who is now an English teacher at Lakewood High School in Ohio. The project was wildly successful as students were given permission to "tag" the wall, write in a public place, and compete against their peers for the honor (and extra credit) of the best story of the class. |