Beg, Borrow, or Steal

This was the point: to post, save, share my ideas as I am trying to become a better writing teacher. So enough frustration with uncooperative blog design cuteness. Time to get down to business...


1. Have my class do something together (play a game, team building activity, watch a video, go outside) and then write about it.


2. To practice peer editing/feedback: print out a writing piece in current format. Put that onto a larger piece of paper with room on each side. One side is titled : Great! the other Try this... Pass around to classmates and have them add comments. 


3. Pass around a paper with a topic sentence or idea for a story. Classmates could give ideas for details to add to story.


4. I really want to find a voice-to-text option for my writers and try that.


5. Story boxes: get a shoe box, cereal box, etc. Have them craft a story on that. Top = title & topic sentence.
The edge of the top would be topic sentences for paragraphs to follow. Each side could be the paragraphs that go with the topic sentences. Another side or the bottom would be for the conclusion. Students could but related items inside the box. Notes, webs, objects, photos.


6. After they get far enough along on a writing piece, have them make a crossword puzzle about it. I love Armored Penguin for this. 


I do not claim original brain jolts for any of these. Most likely I've seen them somewhere else before, but I just thought specifically how they might work for my writing class as it is right now. I'm all about tweaking when it comes to ideas. Remember the unspoken motto of all teachers- beg, borrow, steal whenever possible and don't forget to share!


By the way, thanks to my friend, Tricia, whose whole blog started as a list. Does that count as borrowing or stealing?