Discussion 2: Finding the right audience and making writing meaningful are two of the major challenges teachers face...

Discussion 2: Finding the right audience and making writing meaningful are two of the major challenges teachers face when designing writing activities. What affective strategies have you used that achieved these goals? 

One way is to use a penfriends program. Cambridge has a good online one where you upload your letters and they pair you with another school. So this gives students purpose. 

One time we were doing a map activity in a text book. After the book activity students designed their own island and described it in writing (fantasy islands). After that students made their maps into a gallery for students to look at.

Comments

  1. Carolina Brenes BurgosMay 2, 2016 at 9:49 AM

    I like the penfriends idea! I really believe that part of the challenge is changing the audience so that the students aren't always writing to the teacher. Very nice!

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  2. Juan UribeMay 6, 2016 at 6:10 AM

    Hey Damien!

    I love penfriends as learners are truly learning about the world in a fantastic authentic information gap . Penfriendship has also evolved with the creation of facebook, whatsapp, twitter as well as the type of texts and the delivery rate. On top of that we can share pictures, video, audio, you name it. The challenge is for us, digital immigrants, to adapt and modernize great concepts into modern times.

    I love creating fantasy islands with students. Students can describe, create signs, make questions, praise and much more.

    I like asking students who we are writing to as many novel ideas may arise. I have the plan of having students publish a book with their writings and having an autograph session at a local bookstore.

    Audience is a must when it comes to writing!

    Hugs from Brazil,

    Juan

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  3. Karen Frazier TsaiMay 6, 2016 at 2:12 PM

    That Cambridge pen friends program sounds great, Damien! I'll have to check it out. You can also create a Skype group between your class and another via Skype groups. After introducing the classes to each other, you could have the students do some projects together, sharing and communicating through Skype. To help the students stay in touch, you can pair individual students as Skype friends and they can continue messaging on Skype.

    I love the fantasy island activity as a follow-up to the map activity!

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