Our Reflection

1. What did you learn from this experience?

We learned that kids can do so much more than we think. We just have to give them the right tools. At first, we were nervous about balancing the writing lessons with the technology. However, we found a way to blend them together naturally. Starting with Thinking Maps on paper gave the kids a solid foundation. This made moving onto Book Creator much smoother. We also noticed that the kids cared a lot more about spelling and editing. They knew their work was going to be published online for real people to see. It was way more meaningful to them than a regular worksheet.

2. What did your students learn during this experience?

They learned how to write a great opinion piece. They practiced using a clear hook, giving good reasons, and writing a call to action. But they learned so much more than just the curriculum. They learned that their voices and opinions matter in their school. On the tech side, they learned how to work in a digital space. They learned how to layout a page with pictures and text. Most importantly, they learned to take pride in their work. Seeing their faces light up when they saw their finished digital books was amazing. They finally saw themselves as real authors.

3. Will this experience shape your practice moving forward for next school year?

Definitely. We are not going to save digital publishing for the end of the year anymore. Next year, we want to introduce Book Creator right in the fall. That way, the kids will be comfortable with the tech early on. Then, we can use it for all kinds of writing projects all year long. This project proved something important to us. Integrating technology does not distract from writing. It actually makes kids want to write more.

4. What would you like to focus on learning for next school year?

Next year, we want to learn how to use these digital tools to help our struggling writers and English language learners. For example, we want to use the audio features. This will let kids speak their thoughts out loud before typing them. We also want to learn how to set up a safe system for peer feedback online. We want the kids to look at each other's digital books and leave helpful comments. Finally, we want to take what worked this year and expand it to our information and story-writing units too.