1. Whole view of Prezi
2. Problem: How to effectively teach paragraph writing to Elementary students.
The problem is teaching elementary students effective paragraph writing in a way that makes an impact. So many times students are taught paragraph writing lessons but students don’t retain the information or don’t understand it in the first place.
3. Solution: Create a Google Doc to teach paragraph writing.
The solution is to create a Google Doc that not only teaches students how to write a paragraph but also gives them opportunity to practice paragraph writing, see other students writing which creates a little pressure and examples as well, and with lessons presented in a popular BrainPop Jr video it engages students even further.
4. Engage students with videos, collaborative writing, and peer-to-peer immediate feedback all on one document.
TP- I chose a Google Doc as my technology and a video lesson as my pedagogy because I wanted my students to have an exciting learning experience through watching a popular video and practicing their understanding on a Google Doc because students can view each others work and offer each other feedback.
5. The Google Doc is Collaborative.
TC- The technology of Google Docs is a great way to teach the content of paragraph writing because students can get and give immediate information in a single collaborative document. Often paragraph lessons are taught whole class and then students practice on worksheets that have little to do with the other content in the classroom. In this way, students easily forget the elements of a paragraph. The lesson looses importance because students are not applying their understanding to a meaningful activity. With a Google Doc students are typing on the same document as their peers. They feel the excitement of seeing their friend’s writing appear on the page right before their eyes.
6. Reach a wide variety of learners and have a more effective lesson by adding media to your Google Doc.
PC- The pedagogy of a video lesson is also important to teaching the paragraph writing content. Watching a video allows students of different learning needs to obtain the information. As students watch the video they learn the key features of paragraph writing and they also experience an example paragraph being written on the video. The video can be rewatched, it can be stopped and started, there are notes on the side, and there is an option for closed captioning which benefits those who are visual learners and those who are learning English as a second language. The interactive nature of Google Docs and the video multimedia motivate students. Students are also able to use computers to hide their faces, which can encourage some quieter students to be more confident.
7. Using a Google Doc allows students learn how to effectively write paragraphs by watching videos, practicing writing paragraphs, and receiving immediate feedback.
So one way to solve the problem of teaching paragraph writing effectively and getting results that are successful is by presenting the lesson in a Google Doc and using a video to teach the lesson. It’s easy to set up. Watch this video tutorial to see how I made mine. Then try it yourself!
I began my WPP early due to the fact that I started maternity leave recently. To begin, I created a Google doc that included a hyper-linked title and instructions for the first activity. I hyper linked the title to a Brainpop Jr video on how to write paragraphs. I also linked it to our class Blog on our grade level website.
During tech time the week before I went on leave I introduced the project to my class. They were thrilled that I would still be communicating with them even while I was at home.
I taught them how to access the shared Google doc. I gave them several options. One, option to access the Google doc was through the email invite that I sent them. For most of the class this was the first time they would access their school email. This was something I wasn’t expecting to have to teach although it was not hard since all students have a Gmail account which they can access through our school website. The second way I showed them how to access the Google Doc was through our class blog on the grade level website. I wanted to also show them how to access the Google Doc through their Google Drive however this would have meant setting up each students’ Google Drive which would take a bit more time and individual attention than I had at the time.
Each student went to the Brainpop video and watched it. I encouraged them to watch it several times to make sure they understood the assignment. After watching the video they began their paragraphs.
One Delight was how easily students followed instructions about all the technology I showed them during the first lesson. I did not need to give further instruction on how to find the Google Doc or how to access the video beyond the first lesson. Another delight and great feature of Google Docs is that I receive updates in my email every time a student works on the project.
One bump in the road is simply the fact that I am finding myself doing online teaching for this project. It hasn’t been a real challenge yet but I know it would be easier to implement and give further instruction if I were in the classroom. Although, it’s also a surprise how easily I am getting around this bump in the road due to the great communication of a Google Doc and my fantastic substitute.
(Revisions are in italics for easy identification)
- Formative: Did the project get implemented as planned?
- Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
- How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
- What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
Others should also consider the fact that Google Docs record the history so that you can always look back at all the changes made since created. This is helpful if students accidentally delete part of an assignment.
- In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do
I will make several changes when I do this project again. First, I would allow a lesson for “play” on a Google Docs so that students could explore Google Docs and the features before getting to the lesson. Second, I would like to be present in the classroom while implementing this project again so that I could reinforce the lessons and gain greater feedback of students' understanding through their other class writing. Thirdly I would give more lessons on paragraph writing in a shorter time frame to keep the momentum going. Due to my current situation I was unable to give all the lessons I had planned in order to make this project most effective.
Julie Meloni, Getting Started with Google Docs in the Classroom, Chronicle.com, August 18, 2009, 10:04 am
This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, Getting Started with Google Docs in the Classroom offers both many reasons for using a Google Doc in the classroom and also lessons learned from using Google Docs in the classroom that are helpful to read before introducing a Google Doc to your class.
Run a Paperless Classroom with Docs, Google.com
This article from Google offers information on how to use a Google Doc in the classroom. It offers helpful information about managing Docs, formatting, and improving the writing process as well. The article is streamlined but helpful.
Susan Oxnevad, 6 Powerful Google Docs Features to Support the Collaborative Writing Process, Gettingsmart.com September 3, 2012
I found on gettingsmart.com an article titled 6 Powerful Google Docs Features to Support the Collaborative Writing Process, by Susan Oxnevad. This article has several tips that I had not considered until now, such as the research tool and the smart spell checker with grammar support.
Andy Havard, How To Effectively Teach Students Using Video, Gettingsmart.com September 15, 2011
This is an article about using videos to teach and how best to go about doing so. It also offers some statistics of using videos in the classroom.
Ways to Use BrainPOP in the Classroom, Brainpop.com
This article is from Brainpop and it offers many different reasons for using Brainpop in the classroom such as to develop note taking skills using the note taking features of both Brainpop and Brainpop Jr. and also using videos for test reviews.