Communicative growing, knowledge construction composers: an approach to the process

Key points:

Teaching writing today is like being an orchestra director. Like a director gathers different instruments and dynamics to create a cinematographic score or a symphony, teachers help students use digital tools and multimodal resources they offer to communicate significant messages effectively.

But here is the capture: most conversations about classroom technology focus on bright tools or the possibilities of final products. What about the intermediate steps? That's where magic occurs, in the process.

Over the years, the writing instruction approach has turned between the final result of the product and the processes that take us there. Digital tools have revived this voltage towards the product, but now it is time to help students learn how to compose, not just write. This article aims to give teachers practical ways to guide their students through a creative composition. processBring songs often associated with the “presentation” (think of 6 traits +1) to the central stage of the creation of meaning.

I recently worked with a group of fifth grade students in a digital composition club after school. Using tools such as Google Chromebooks, Adobe Creative Cloud and Screenctify, these students approached all kinds of creative tasks: make infographics, write blog posts and design messages of thanks, among others. On the way, we recorded their screens and listen to their thoughts while working. What we found were 11 different steps that children take by composing digitally, several of which have a great weight to help students use digital tools and the resources they offer for more than “presentation”. From choosing images to organizing resources in virtual and real spaces, these ideas can help us teach students to compose, handling all multimodal resources to communicate significant messages.

Connections and applications in the classroom

Digital platforms provide students with so many ways to express themselves by combining text, images, space, audio, as well as the design tools used. To help children make the most of these tools, we need to teach the process explicitly. Here are three key process activities for which explicit instruction can add great value to a final product: select, manipulate and complete.

Selection

The selection is about choosing the correct resources (words, images, colors or even designs) to include in a project. For children, this means making decisions about what best represents their ideas.

Why does it matter: Choosing the correct image or phrase is not just about aesthetics. It's about helping children translate their ideas through words, images and space, which can be complicated!

Try this in your classroom:

• Dating slides: Start with a motivational appointment and ask students to create a visual representation. They can choose a photo or background color to accompany the text. Include time for the discussion and exchange of decision making regarding the selection that allows the student to explain their connection of meaning between text and visual. Future conversations could add how (text, visual) is “leading” the creation of meaning and why.
• Six words memories: It challenges students to summarize a personal story in just six words and combine it with an image. Like the price slides, students add a visual background that improves the communicative value and is related to the story that is told. Modeling and examples allow the opportunity to help better understand these connections and can lead to the discussion of the possibilities and limitations of modes (images can communicate so that words cannot and vice versa).

Recommended tools: Canva, Adobe Express or Google Slides.

Handling

Manipulation implies organizing (dimensioning, positioning, guiding) the text and images in a way that makes sense for the audience. It's about creating balance and guiding the viewer's eye.

Why does it matter: Where a student places an image or how they size their text can change the way the entire project is understood. Teaching children to think that designers help them become stronger communicators.

Try this in your classroom:

• Infographic: Study and create infographics for non -fiction issues. Study models is essential for how space, size and placement of resources serve for the purpose of organization and communication. Often, using and modifying the templates provided by a platform can help students' experiences to connect their content to this type of presentation.
• Slide quotes Next steps: Build on the previous activity asking students to add additional images or adjust text placement. The discussion and exchange must include how and where elements (text or visual) are placed to emphasize the meaning or bring the reader to an expected meaning.

Recommended tools: Canva or Adobe Express.

Termination

The completion is about sharing the work with an audience. Digital tools make it easier than ever publishing and celebrating student creations.

Why does it matter: Sharing work gives children a feeling of pride and purpose. In addition, it is a great opportunity to teach them real world skills, such as downloading files and sending emails.

Try this in your classroom:

• technology Treasury Hunt: Create a verification list to help students learn how to navigate the platforms they are using to compose. Include tasks such as product discharge and exchange functions.
• Share it: Include sharing final products as part of the project/rubric requirements. Publish student projects on a class or school social media account (managed by you/school!) Or send them by email to parents, the director or members of the local community.

Recommended tools: Investigate the functions of exchange and multiplatform when selecting digital platforms for students use.

Conclusion

Teaching children how composing digitally means adding some additional steps to our lessons, but it is worth it. These are skills that will use for life, and are already part of many state and national standards. The mini fast lessons and comments in real time at students' conferences during the dedicated writing/composition time can help you integrate these ideas without adding too much additional work to your dish.

So, think about yourself as the director and your students as budding musicians. With their orientation, they will learn to compose, not only write, and trust the creative communicators ready for whatever the future.