Entry 7: How can students use Google Sites to create more digitally enhanced pieces?

I decided to spend some time reflecting on the aspect of digital writing and how there are an abundance of resources available for students to use when publishing their work in a digital format. In particular, I would like to consider Google as a way for students to be creative when learning about the writing process. I will also refer to stage five of Tompkins key features of the writing process which is publishing.

After watching the Introduction video to Google Sites, I had the opportunity to reflect on Google as a whole and how it's an amazing tool to use for writing. In the district I currently work in, students have access to their own computer, and the teachers use Google as a way to connect the classroom in a digital format. Students use Google Classroom to create pieces of writing, and then share their work with teachers who can then provide feedback through Google Classroom as well. For example, a third grade class is learning about the country of China. Students use graphic organizers, handouts, etc. to help them draft a paragraph for each aspect of the country: geography, economy, and government. The students type up a paragraph for each area and send it to their teacher via Google Classroom. I loved being able to observe how students were creating digitally convenient pieces of writing where they incorporated technology to demonstrate their knowledge of writing.

Now that I've learned a little bit about Google Sites, I wonder if this is something students could also use in the classroom to really focus on digitally enhanced pieces of writing. Along with crafting paragraphs about the geography of China, students could create a site where they include hyperlinks, videos, pictures, etc. to showcase their knowledge. I believe Google Sites would be a great way to push students further on projects such as the China project. Personally, I find assignments to be more fun when they are authentic and relate to real-life experiences. I think it would be great if students could publish their own Google Sites with the purpose of showing it to for the public to see. Knowing that their is a real audience that could be looking at your work adds excitement and engagement to activities like these! https://sites.google.com/a/mail.naz.edu?pli=1

After re-reading pages 15-16 of Tompkins, I have also reflected on the idea of publishing, and how this is a crucial step in the writing process. I think this ties well into the idea of Google Sites and how it can create an authentic experience for students when they are finally finished. This is something that I was not able to do when I was in school because the resource was not available. I wish that I had had more authentic experiences with writing and working on the stage of publishing because I don't believe that I really had enough practice with this stage when I was young. As a result, whenever I think of writing and the audiences involved, the only person who comes to mind is my teacher. Writers need to understand that there is a bigger audience out there, and they need to have experiences writing to these larger groups of people. Writing shouldn't simply be about getting a grade, but it should be a fun and engaging experience for all involved. I truly believe that writing allows people to open their minds and be more creative!

 

References

Tompkins, G. E.  (2019).  Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (7^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.