Dr. Rutledge

SEC 392 Teaching of English

7 October 2016

Padlet post for “Using Literature and Digital Storytelling to Create a Safe Place to Address Bullying”

In this article it focused on teaching adolescent students about bullying and its effect through the use of Digital Storytelling. Bullying is a serious issue, where sometimes students think they are just having fun teasing other students. In reality, other students do serious harm to themselves from being bullied. Bullying is not just in school, but it continues onto social media, which is also known as cyber-bullying. To make students more aware of their experience with bullying, teachers are encouraged to assign a project where students write using digital stories, where students put stories together with written and verbal literacy, visuals, and other audio, such as music. It is supposed to help students realize their own experiences with bullying.

For writing, this is a great way to incorporate technology. Tools like WeVideo, IMovie, and Photostory would all work as great tools for students to write and communicate their ideas with technology. Some benefits include that it links visual, audio, and the written language all together. It would help students who do not have their stronghold in writing as well. It is also a creative mean to incorporate writing. Some disadvantages with digital storytelling are that if the technology is not working for the day, the majority of students do not have technology access at home, and how the teacher will collect the digital story telling.

For starters, I think using digital storytelling to write about bullying is effective. Creating a digital story is going to be easier on students than writing an essay. It makes the environment of writing and exploring a more difficult and serious subject more open and casual to the students. Students have their own personal backgrounds to bullying, so this is a way for them to reflect on what they know. I think it would be much more effective than having the students to all write an essay on bullying. With an essay, it is set up to where one does not bring in their own experience. Contrariwise, digital storytelling does.

Works Cited

Cordi, Kevin, and Kimberly Masturzo. "Using Literature and Digital Storytelling to Create a Safe Place to Address Bullying." Voices from the Middle 20.3 (2013): 21-26. Print.

Dr. Rutledge

SEC 392 Teaching of English

7 October 2016

Padlet Post for “English Journal: Green Pens, Marginal Notes: Rethinking Writing and Student Engagement”

In this article, it focused on rethinking the five-paragraph essay. It saw the creation of the five-paragraph essay as a money making creation, since writing text books teach it and now technology tools are made for it as well. The author sees a fault in the five-paragraph essay with engaging students in the writing process. She also wants writing to be made more relevant to students when they leave high school, because many employers require writing, but may not be looking for the five-paragraph essay format. She sees “peer review, peer editing, and peer review of effective thesis statements” as a better way to make students more involved with the writing process.

The author has some valid points where the writing process should be created to be more applicable with relevant situations when they leave school. Which is more important- the skill in writing or the skill in writing a five-paragraph essay? Most practical people would say the skill in writing. However, there are some disadvantages with throwing out the five-paragraph essay totally though. For example, it is there to set a basic foundation in writing organization. If students do not know where to start, they can follow the five-paragraph essay format. Once they grow as writers, then they can branch off.

I would use this resource when trying to promote that five-paragraph essay formatting as just the basics to essay writing. I see it as guide for organizational skills in writing, which some students may need to learn. However, it is important for students to share their works with their peers so that they see what they are doing well and what they need to improve on. The writing process starts with brainstorming and ends with the final product. In the middle, it ranges from drafting to revisions and edits. Those revisions and edits may be found not by the writer but by a peer review and editor.

Works Cited

Chadwick, Jocelyn A. "Green Pens, Marginal Notes: Rethinking Writing and Student Engagement." English Journal 101.5 (2012): 15-16. Print.