young author playlist brochure
DESCRIPTION
The Young Author Playlist is a 5-genre writing experience for young writers that develops and hones their skills and connects them to a community of professional and peer writers.TRANSCRIPT
Inspiring Youth toMake Writing aLifestyle
Young Author Playlist--------------------------------------
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Digital Youth Network would like to thank the following partners and co-designers:
The Young Author Playlist was developed with the support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Overview
“The YAP provides me with a compelling narrative for my students to develop themselves as writers, becausethey are writing for an authentic audience…The pathways also follow a game-like structure, as students ‘level up’ through the challenges of a pathway and ‘unlock' opportunities to meet local authors and have their writing published.” their writing published.” -Alex Krueger, Chicago Quest
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The Young Author Playlist (YAP), a product of the Digital Youth Network Learning Pathways Program, is a 5-genre writing experience designed to help youthdevelop the habits of a writer, hone their technicalskills, connect to peer-based writing communities, andgain access to expertise and mentoring.
These badges unlock special opportunities that are designedto support their development as writers. Youth engaged with YAP can earn the opportunity to publish their work, connect to professional writing communities, and participate in exclusive workshops.
www.chicagocityoflearning.org/YAP
The genres of YAP include: fiction, creative non-fiction,poetry, journalism and script-writing.
As youth explore these genres, they earn digital badgesthat indicate the specific dispositions, knowledge, and skills they have developed.
Playlist OverviewA playlist consists of 3 to 4 scaffolded levels comprised ofonline challenges designed to address specific creative writing and journalistic dispositions, knowledge, and skills.
1. Youth submit work in response to playlist challenges. 2. They receive individualized feedback from YAP Staff.3. As youth successfully complete challenges, they move on and “level up”.4. When youth complete a level, they unlock special opportunities.
How It Works
Level 2
Level 3 Level 4A focus on the importance of receiving feedback from trusted readers and taking a critical eye to one’s work in preparation for
showcasing
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The process of curating one’s portfolio to develop a body ofpublish-ready work
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A deeper dive into genre-specific creative writing techniques to better understand
craft and mechanics
Low-barrier challenges that invite youth to get their feet wet with
writing
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Level 1
Fiction: Level 1 Challenges
Sharing IdeasObjectives:
Objectives:
Objectives:
Objectives:
Sharing Ideas
Descriptive Language
Critical Thinking
[Great writers read what's already out there.]
[Writers watch the scene, soaking up the details.]
[It's important to think about what you enjoy about writing
in the first place.]
Exercising Voice
Habit of Writing
Reflection & Observation
Habit of Reading
Genre Literacy
[Every writer needs a journal to hold his or her genius.]
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----------------------------------------www.chicagocityoflearning.org/YAP
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Within and after completion of a level, youth earn digital badges that recognize demonstrated dispositions, knowledge, and skills.
------------------------------------------Fiction: Level 1 Badge
Fictionist Level 1
Earners of the Young Author Fictionist 1 badge have completed 4 challenges that demonstrate the establishmentof specific practices of writers, including the habits of: reading and writing
observation
reflection on and response to writing
exercising voice through the sharing of ideas
Highlights-----------------------------------
HYPERTEXT STUDIO, an 8-week writing workshop and culminating reading at Columbia College Chicago’s Story WeekFestival of Writers alongside Cyn Vargas, author of On My Way.
POEMS WHILE YOU WAIT, a troupe of typewriter-bearingpoets that write poems for the public at different cultural events and institutions.
Awarded badges to 70+ youth
Engaged middle and high school students across 40+ schools
Partnered with several CPS and charter schoolteachers
YAP provided special opportunities to youth who earned digital badges. Some of these opportunities included:
In its first year, YAP:
Exemplar----------------------------------Why Angel Writes:
“I write to be a part of something away from where I am. The world wants you to notice it like pain wants to be felt. It might sound crazy, but when I write, I feel like someone is listening to me even if I'm writing to myself. If you go into my bedroom there is a picture on the wall of a girl with words for hair, butsome of her hair is missing. It's not because I didn't think to finish ifinish it, but because my story is not yet done. That is what writing is, telling a story, leaving a mark on the world to say "I was here." Even after we leave this earth and it's 100 years fromnow, no one is going to know my name, but if I'm a good enough writer like James Patterson or John Green, they will know my story. Stories shape us and writing puts the final touches on.”
Angel performed as part of StoryWeek Festival of Writers after completing the Hypertext Studio workshop with writer, Chris RiChris Rice. She also went on to become a student mentor with GEAR UP’s Young Author Studio.
For teachers interested in participating in the 2015-2016 YAPTeacher Collaborative, we ask that you: implement at least one YAP playlist with at least one class during the 2015-2016 school year in its entirety; participate in regular teacher feedback and check-in sessions; and participate in project evaluation processes.
Benefits of participation include: standard-aligned content with tips and best practices; all YAP student work assessed by YAP staff with individualized feedback; tech assistance and support; 2 classroom visits by YAP staff; and student access to opportunities to publish and meet professional writers.
Using YAP in Your Classroom-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------Frequently Asked Questions1.Where can I find the Young Author Playlist?The Young Author Playlist has a landing page at:www.chicagocityoflearning.org/YAP. On that page, you can select the genre you are interested in.
2. Does the Young Author Playlist have any costs?The playlist is free and open to any youth.
3. Are there age requirements?3. Are there age requirements?YAP was designed with high school students in mind. We believe that middle school (6th-8th grade) youth can benefit from YAP as well.
4. How do youth start the Young Author Playlist?Youth should first set up their Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) account if they do not have one. They can do that at: www.chicagocityoflearning.org/sign-up. OnOnce they have an account, they can go to:www.chicagocityoflearning.org/YAPselect the genre they are interested in and click on “Start This Playlist”.
5. Who are the online assessors?The online assessors are YAP staff and have college level backgrounds in writing. All assessors have received training on how to provide positive and encouraging feedback, while holding to the stated standards and eexpectations.
6. How quickly do students get feedback?Our goal is to provide feedback on submissions within 48 hours.
7. How is student work assessed?Each student receives individual feedback. We believe this method of personalized responses establishes an important mentoring relationship over the course of a young person’s YAP journey. We do not believe in aautomated messages when it comes to the assessment of students’ creative work.
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Want to learn more? Get involved?
Contact Us
----------------------------------------Created by the YAP team, designed by Taylor Klassman
at Digital Youth Network
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