Today's Learners

We have been writing realistic fiction stories and as I began my lesson today to include dialogue in our writing, I went directly to my computer to display my example on the smart board, instead of using the chart paper I already had set up for my lesson.  Without even thinking, I began to type and explain to the students the correct way to use dialogue in my sample story.  It didn't occur to me until later that using the computer was my preference to show the students something I wanted to teach them, as oppose to the chart paper and markers.  Even though I had the students decorate their writer's notebooks to help make the students want to write in them, I began to wonder how many of my students would prefer to use the computer to write their stories?  How much more (or less) would I get out of them if they had the chance to type instead of write?  Using the Writing Workshop model, the students have a chance to "publish" their writing, but would they try harder if they actually had an audience online who could see their "published" work?  I have been impressed so far with the writing stamina that my students have shown, but I know the answer to many of these questions are:  yes, they would prefer to use the computer to write their stories; and given the time, yes, they would give more in their stories.  I also believe that many of my students would feel more like authors if they were able to publish their work in a safe place online that people, other than me, could read and provide feedback.

I realize that the thought of sharing student work online could be scary (I myself experience a little discomfort when I think about it), but our students are digital learners and we as teachers need to learn how to teach to support them.  This YouTube video captures our learners of today.