This I Believe

This I BelieveStudent Choice Inspires Student Voice

Using Podcasts to Enhance Digital Storytelling in Middle School Janet Ilko San Diego Area Writing Project

Quick WriteWhat do you want kids to do with the technology available in your classroom or school?

What Do You Want Kids To Do With the Technology?

Some Opinions

An Illustration of the Power of Tech

The Digital Writing Workshop I argue here and throughout this book that if we engage students in real writing tasks and we use technology in such a way that that compliments their innate need to find purposes and audiences for their work, we can have them engaged in a digital writing process that focuses first on the writer, then on the writing, and lastly on the technology.Troy Hicks The Digital Writing Workshop

This I Believe Introduction

Creating a This I Believe EssayThis project launches our work in internet research and reflective or narrative writing. It will involve writing an essay, and then creating a podcast. We will be submitting the best from our classes to National Public Radio.

Who Are You? Finding Out What is ImportantWhat is an identity? What does it mean to have a strong identity?Look up the definition of identity. Based on this definition, write your own. How would you describe your own identity?Could we say that forming an identity is difficult? How could this be true?

What is a value?A value is a characteristic that is important to leading a fulfilling life. What are some examples of values? Lets list some of them together..

Some Values to Consider

Identifying Core Values Look at the list again and find the value that represents you at this point in your life. There are many to choose from, but if you had just two words to describe yourself what would they be and why?For each value that you select, in your journal write a definition of your value in your own words and at least three synonyms for the word. (you can use the thesaurus on the dictionary site to help you.)

Some Values to Consider

Creating a Wordle

Lifes Important MomentsPeople and events shape your identity. This I Believe project is not an autobiography- it is a personal narrative, a story that focuses on a small piece of your life. It is about values we hold dear, the moments that teach us who we are. It is not a factual retelling or a timeline.

Essays as Mentor TextTogether we will find a few sample essays. Your job is to listen and read at least 3 essays on a topic that interests you to use as your own personal mentor text.Write the title of the essay/podcast and the author and date published.Write a gist sentence about the essay. Copy at least two sentences that you find interesting.

My Opinions Matter

Some Essays About Teaching WritingI believe in teaching by example. I believe in inspiring students through creative, genuine assignments. I believe in developing confident, critically-thinking readers and writers. I believe in shaping a curriculum that demands authenticity, and I believe in providing the time, space, and role-modeling necessary to achieve these goals.I believe in the awe-inspiring power of good writing.http://thisibelieve.org/essay/66091/I Want To Be An English Teacher BecauseI want my students to realize that though movies and television may be entertaining, expressing yourself in writing or reading about something your imagination could not have previously fathomed is unbelievable. I want them to have a voice, a strong one.http://thisibelieve.org/essay/101991/

Looking at the essay requirementsClick on the Write button above the Essay. Scroll down to Requirements. Read what is required of each essay and be ready to discuss. Together we will write bullet points in our notebook.Create a list of possible topics for your own This I Believe Essay. Write them in your notebook.

Some Key AdviceAs you begin your essay consider the following:Its all about you.Keep it personal.Timing is everything.Say what you do believe!Have fun!

MAPS Creating a PodcastListen again to the podcast with these questions in mind:How is the piece introduced? What details are given in the overview?Does the reporter/narrator start talking immediately? Is there a musical segue? Background sounds?Who is invited to talk?How does the narrator introduce new ideas or transition to contrasting ones?Adapted From Troy Hicks pg. 88 Crafting Digital Writing

Meet Jazmine

Garageband: Our Choice to RecordWe will be using Garageband for our project. Here are links to a variety of tutorials on how to use Garage band. I will post them in Edmodo for easy access.https://vimeo.com/36590006

Creating a PodcastWe will be spending 3 days creating our podcast. You will need to find a quiet place to produce your podcast. Dont forget to bring your earbuds from home .We will be spending some time today reading our This I believe statements to create our introduction that will be added to the beginning of every students work. Be ready to come to my desk top to record.Make sure you use our Podcasting Basics sheet and Prosody scoring guide as you create your podcast. Have fun!I will also be opening my classroom before class, after school and during second lunch to provide quiet space to record.

Meet Amir

7th Grade StandardsW.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.W.7.4 -Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

8th Grade StandardsW.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

This I Believe Unit Student Presentationon Slideshare

How to Submit to NPROnce you have revised, edited and uploaded your podcast to our class site you will then submit your essay and podcast to http://thisibelieve.org/submission/#_EssayForm=firstWe will be inviting our parents to comment on line and come into our class to showcase our first project.Your final podcast will also be posted on your individual blog site.

Citationswww.thisibelieve.orgThe Digital Writing Workshop by Troy Hicks pg. 65-72 with a focus on Dawn Reeds Curriculum and the MAPS for podcastingCrafting Digital Writing by Troy Hicks Chapter 5 Crafting Audio TextsThis I Believe Middle School Curriculum. Copyright 2008Podcasting Basics Recording Principals by Margit BoyensonProsody Rubric created by Janet IlkoThis I Believe Podcast Rubric adapted from Dawn Reed and Troy Hicks The Digital Writing Workshop pages 70-71http://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-in-action-writing-for-audience-rebecca-alber