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K Mulholland
Editing of writing
pencil and pen,
or electronic technology?
K Mulholland
WHAT ?
The action research was to investigate what impact computers, and other
electronic Information and Communication technologies, has on
children editing their writing.
K Mulholland
WHY ?
Our school identified writing as an area for
improvement as part of the Extending Higher
Standards initiative, and in 2008 we are part of
the ‘Words Alive’ programme, facilitated by Kate
Lloyd.
While many are imaginative and enthusiastic
writers, during writing lessons I observed few
children regularly and competently editing their
work independently.
K Mulholland
WHO ?
The action research group was made up of
eight students:
Equal numbers of boys and girls.
Year levels ranging from Year 4 to Year 6.
All writing at exemplar level 2P and above.
K Mulholland
Where ?
The group had access to a computer lab with 20 PC
computers, where most of the writing and editing took
place during the action research.
The students are in a classroom with four computers,
three PC and one Mac.
A data projector is available in both the classroom and
computer lab. The class has an Interwrite tablet and
the software is loaded onto (some of) the lab
computers.
K Mulholland
When ?
The action research took place over a
period of six weeks during 2008.
K Mulholland
How ?
K Mulholland
How ?
Analysing the frequency with which students edited their writing using ‘pen and paper’, then comparing that to editing when using computers to write.
Observations of children working and sharing their writing, and computer experiences.
K Mulholland
How ?
Survey monkey www.surveymonkey.com
Sharing reflections, and recording both individual and group responses at the end of sessions.
Techniques and strategies already used in class such as targeted learning intentions, modelling using teacher examples and children’s work, specific lessons to improve the quality of writing, rubrics.
K Mulholland
Analyse writing samples draft and edited versions for changes in proofreading and editing.
Tile vertically
K Mulholland
How ? Survey monkey www.surveymonkey.com
K Mulholland
K Mulholland
Student comments and conversations I prefer a computer because the dictionary
and thesaurus are right on hand all the time, just right click.
you can just right click and you have a choice of better words to select from with the thesaurus
K Mulholland
Student comments and conversations
I prefer a computer because there are lots of tools; the red and green lines let you know straight away when you have made a mistake, you get feedback straight away.
its easy to change whole sentences with a computer.you can shift and reorder whole paragraphs.
K Mulholland
Student comments and conversations
editing with a buddy means they can help with ideas you never thought of, and more interesting words to use
editing with a buddy means more ideas, you can get more creative; two heads are better than one
I would much rather work with a buddy
K Mulholland
http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/blairgiles/
Other research…other student’s views
K Mulholland
K Mulholland
K Mulholland
Use Word processor tools such as thesaurus, spell check, find and replace.
Edit whole sentences and paragraphs by highlighting and moving text.
Writing freely when typing and edit/ proof read/ format later.
Develop touch typing skills using kazonline and other free typing programmes.
Using ‘draw’ tools to highlight areas for editing.
What did we do?
K Mulholland
Learning to write first and correct later
K Mulholland
Once upon a time there were two little guys named Moss and Jared, and they loved to invent things
EditOnce upon a time, there were two bite-sized guys named Moss and Jared. They were so small that they…
Use a thesaurus
K Mulholland
So, at home Moss and Jared got down to work. Moss got all the supplies for Jared to make it, and by next morning… they were done!
Buddy editing, collaborative story…adding a bit more detail!
So, at home Moss and Jared got down to work. Moss got all the supplies for Jared to make it, and by next morning after all the hard work of all the screws, nuts, bolts, spray-paint and all the decorations… they were finally done! “Wow! Shinny… let’s test it.”
K Mulholland
Using a highlighter to identify areas for proof reading and editing
K Mulholland
Using Publisher to make it easy to identify and shift paragraphs
“ No highlighter…but we can just change the colour of the font.”
K Mulholland
Using Interwrite tablet for lessons and tools for identifying editing
K Mulholland
So what happened? Editing
0
5
10
15
20
25
Total number of editing changes
1 2 3 4 5 6
writing samples analysed
Graph showing the number of editing changes
paper writing and editing computer writing and editing
Random
ly
selected samples
K Mulholland
So what happened? Proof reading
05
1015202530354045
total number of proof reading
changes
1 2 3 4 5 6
writing samples analysed
Graph showing the number of proofreading changes
computer writing and editingpaper writing and editing
0/0 transition time
K Mulholland
Survey Monkey results
K Mulholland
What’s important in writing?
K Mulholland
What do students think is important in their writing?
K Mulholland
Editing- how easy and why
K Mulholland
Where to next?
K Mulholland
The social brain.
K Mulholland
Relevant realistic and safe contextsfor collaborative connected and constructive audiences
Web 2 tools ? Blogs, class wiki opened up What else in the way of voice thread… English-on-line portals Audacity for sharing reflections and feed
forward Adding ‘sticky notes’ to writers work More buddy editing Children’s voice in topics and motivations Sisomo motivation
K Mulholland
So what did I learn?
K Mulholland
Don’t overlook the small things, or take them for granted.
K Mulholland
Collaboration and working with a buddy is the preferred option of most students…and had the
greatest impact on increasing the amount of editing.
K Mulholland
Students need to practice handwriting so formation of letters becomes natural…keyboard skills are
increasingly important to our students learning and work environment.
K Mulholland
The Sounds of Silence…almost
K Mulholland
How many of our classes have a full set of dictionaries and thesaurus?
How often are they used to improve writing?
K Mulholland
So what did I learn
that I can use… as a lead teacher supporting other
teachers next year?
K Mulholland
Start small, what ever you do it will ripple out and grow.
K Mulholland
Encourage teachers to have a clear sense of direction…and where they want to go
But listen to their students and follow their strengths and interests.
K Mulholland
Start the timeline for action research early…and make sure everyone posts regular feedback…
hopefully in ways that encourage and incorporate the development of new ICT skills…
Web 2
K Mulholland
Regular planned checkpoints
K Mulholland
Share the successes and pitfalls…
encourage and celebrate the mistakes as an opportunity for problem solving…
Share the successes and pitfalls…
And make sure the ‘good practice’ ‘ripples out so everyone, big and small, learns.
K Mulholland
Every journey starts with the first step.
“ Just do it!”
K Mulholland
Follow something you are passionate about…then it won’t be extra work
K Mulholland
HAVE OUR SCHOOL LEADERS ALL SEEN THIS MESSAGE?
As we can’t keep adding things to teachers’ workload, what will you stop doing as a result of
adding an action research project to their workload?
K Mulholland
The more I read, talk to people, and teach, the more I realise that being reflective in one's practise can only lead
to an enhanced pedagogy. As teachers we should be making time for this. We should be thinking about, and seeking to have dialogue with our colleagues about the reality of our teaching, our philosophies and what we
believe in and the gap that exists between these two. In many cases there is a mythology about what computers
can do for learning, which is quite separate from teachers' practice in the classroom. It is okay for teachers to talk
about the limitations of ICTs. … Teachers are easily romanced by technology and so should be encouraged to wrestle with the theoretical and real impacts of ICTs on teaching and learning. It is this discussion that makes being a reflective practitioner all the more powerful.
Learning objectives/outcomes drive the learning, not the ICT. The ICT is there to support and enhance the learning.
Blair Giles