CUE 2007
The conference I attended in Palm Springs excited me to get your kids writing even more than they already do. The sponsoring group is California’s “Computer Using Educators,” so of course, the orientation is not only making students computer literate, but finding ways to make learning more effective by using computers. There are two areas in particular where I want to start moving: podcasting and digitales. I think both will enhance our homeschooling world and give the kids more opportunity for genuine writing.
Podcasting is just a broadcasting medium that uses the computer as the vehicle. Wouldn’t it be great if all the kids in all the homes could benefit from what your 3rd grader learned about whales or germs or Indians? Or what about the benefit of having a recording of the first book your child read? If nothing else, the grandparents in Michigan or Florida would love it.
Another medium I learned about is digitales, a way for kids to tell the story of their own lives using a multimedia format. Everybody has a story to tell and there is meaning in all that happens to us. Writers think and talk about that meaning. I think your students know they have a voice that must come through their writing. This is another way to express that voice.
So as soon as I get all my paperwork finished, I’m diving into the tools to make this happen. The conference made me wish I was younger and not so obviously a “digital immigrant.” The “natives”–my children and yours–that have grown up in a digital world get the technology end so much more intuitively. I have to work at it.
All that aside, I hope the kids are writing in their journals. There is a place for paper, pencil and a regular time to reflect in writing even in the digital age! And remember, the best writers are readers. Do you have a DEAR (drop everything and read) time carved out for your child (and you) during the day?
