Do you believe?

No, I don't mean in Santa Claus! I was working with a teacher over the past few months on a project that incorporated her creative writing classes and technology. How, you ask? Well, let me explain.

Oh, about 50 years ago a guy you may know Edward R. Murrow was producing a show called SEE IT NOW on CBS. Murrow was definitely interested in the common person perspective and he started a program called "This I Believe" on public radio in the United States. The results were amazing. Now, I wasn't around in those years, but I have listened to so many of the archived recordings I have lost count. Some are inspiring; others are not. Some are academic; others are not. It doesn't really matter the theme of each recording, the listener could literally hear into the heart of people, to see a side of them that you would never see. This I Believe was something special.

Now, time travel to 2008 and see how that can work in the classroom. As teachers we all want our students to write and write well. I remember my English teachers telling my class to write and giving us different themes or topics to write about. I wrote, as did our class, and the teacher marked it, returned it and I looked at the mark and then what happened? You're right...it ended up in the trash can or at the bottom of my locker. But that was a long time ago as well.

Now...Students are given a writing assignment to write abut something they are passionate about(their theme or topic). They are then told that they will be recording their writing to be published on a website/blog/wiki(not the trash can or locker).

In the project I am currently working on, the students have been working hard to create writing pieces that are well-written and having them record their own voice is adding a whole new dimension for them and the teacher. The project is breathing new life into creative writing. Is there an impact on student achievement? I can't tell that. What I can tell is that there is an increase in student engagement and that I believe will lead us to the path all teachers and administrators want; increased achievement.

A World-Wide Audience

We often talk about students writing for an authentic audience. I mean how many of us wrote a paper for a teacher when we were in school to only have the teacher read it, mark it and hand it back to us. Then what happened? We looked at the mark and then tossed the paper. How many tossed papers would others have liked to read? A lot I think. Now there is a blog I found today that brings students out of the classroom and gives them an authentic audience. They are creating "This I Believe" essays and posting them as podcasts. Oh, but wait, in case you think they were just recording their thoughts off the top of their heads...no! Their completed essays are also there in text.
These students have some amazing things to say. Listen for yourself. This is the kind of learning we all should be striving for in our classes!