Today is National Day on Writing, hosted by the National Council of Teachers of English. Events surrounding the celebration of writing include the ongoing #whatiwrite, a Twitter-based space for participants to share links to their writing online. Follow the #whatiwrite hashtag here. Groups and projects popping up in the conversation include The EdTech Primer and How I Share Is As Important as #WhatIWrite, a Creative Commons resource page from the National Writing Project.
A few titles of interest for digital writing in the K-12 classroom:
Because Digital Writing Matters, from the National Writing Project, with Dànielle Nicole DeVoss, Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, and Troy Hicks (Jossey-Bass, 2010). The authors make a case for digital writing as a way to build technology and information literacy across subjects. The book figured prominently in a Teacher story on digital writing last April, and currently heads the list at Edutopia’s digital writing book bundle giveaway.
The Digital Writing Workshop, by Troy Hicks (Heinemann, 2009). Tips, examples, and resources on building multimedia tools into a writing curriculum may also be found on the book’s companion site.
Using Technology to Improve Adolescent Writing: Digital Make-Overs for Writing Lessons, by Liz C Stephens and Kerry H. Ballast (Pearson, 2010). A teachers’ guide to using technology in individual writing interventions.
Make Me a Story: Teaching Writing Through Digital Storytelling, by Lisa C. Miller (Stenhouse, 2010). This step-by-step guide emphasizes the structural elements of digital writing: how the use of digital tools can help shape plots and arguments to strengthen student writing.
Check out Catherine Gewertz’s post at Curriculum Matters for more about National Day on Writing, including NCTE resources and events related to the occasion. And, lest we overlook handwriting amid the celebration of digital writing and sharing, David Polochanin’s just-published Commentary contemplates the role of cursive in an increasingly digital world.