Writing Ideas

Students are already computer natives and are more willing to write when they can use a computer.  They probably have been using some form of technology from birth. Students just grow-up using technology. They have learned how to choose music from specialized toys and play video games almost before they learn to walk and tie their shoes.

I teach students how to use Word, or the word processing program that is on their computers at the beginning of the year, or the word processing program that is on their computers at the beginning of the year. I teach them how to setup a document with a font, font size, margins, etc. Then we type a paragraph. We use that paragraph to learn to edit a document.

I also try to incorporate other subjects into my computer classes. I have students type their spelling words, paragraphs, and sometimes I have them do journal writing.


Gaggle is a great student email program and it is FREE. Student’s emails are monitored and setup by the teacher. If a student writes a questionable email it is sent to the teacher. Students can use this to attach assignments to the teacher. This can be a great way to get students started using an electronic classroom learning program.

I begin writing activities after students have been doing keyboarding for 5 to 6 weeks. I use 6 Strait Writing to teach students about writing.  I begin with an introduction to all the traits. Then using the table as a guide I teach them about a topic, a topic sentence, and supporting details which are the legs. The table can’t stand without the legs and the legs have to be attached to a topic and topic sentence.

Then student are ready to begin writing paragraphs. I give them a topic and topic sentence in an outline form. They list the supporting detail. I give them a concluding statement. Once the outline is done, they write the paragraph which includes all the information in the outline. I don’t worry about conventions until later. We can sometimes spend a week on this one paragraph. I also use it to teach voice. Students already have the topic and idea so they can work on creating their own voice.

I also have students write a personal narrative. I give them an outline of information that I want them to include in the autobiography. They fill in the information and then write the sentences. I have them draw a portrait and bring a photo. They then create a poster about themselves.

I also like to have students read and reflect on their reading. Students can reflect on a paragraph, a magazine article, or a chapter in a book. I think that book reports are boring. I try to have the students jazz them up using powerpoint and a template that I provide for an electronic book report. Students are given 8 index cards. Each card contains information that they would include in the presentation, title, main characters, plot, solution, and conclusion.  One slide gives their option of the book. Each slide must contain text and a graphic. The final slide contains information on where they got their graphics.

Animal Cards is another writing activity that I have done. I have had a subscription to ZooBooks for the past 3 years. My niece sold magazines and I just had to buy something. The students enjoy this magazine that features an animal a month. I decide to use them and the computer to create an animal card that contains information on a specific animal. Students choose an animal using the ZooBooks. Students collection information about that animal using the magazine and two internet sites. The information must contain: Animal Kingdom, Habitat, Diet, Species, and 3 other interesting facts. I give students a powerpoint slide template and they enter the information in the appropriate location. Students then go to our districts WorldBook Online or Wikipedia websites and find a photograph of the animal. Once they have completed the slide, they share it with another student. They then revise the information and print out the final copy. These are then displayed and students share the information with the rest of the class. These cards are then collected into a booklet format to share with other classes.

There are some other activities that I have done using the computer on my website: http://manila.esu4.org

Technology in the Classroom

Are you searching for ideas for how to use technology in your classroom? You are at the right place. Here are a few ideas that others have shared. Some are from our regional ESU4 staff development personel, others are from the internet, and some are my own.