Virginia Sanz ETEC 527

Write the World

Write the World is a web based writing community geared towards 13 to 18 years old
students, that offers a platform to publish their writing and variety of tools to improve their skills.

How it works
Users can login using either Facebook, Gmail or creating an account. Students can join
open groups, publish their writing, get peer reviews or expert reviews and even participate in
contests.

Educators can create their own group, and invite their students creating closed
environments. The website offers many prompts in a variety of genres, as well as rubrics, and
peer reviews guide questions. Teachers have to ask for the website managers approval to
create a group, the process might take about one to three weeks.

This platform offers the opportunity of connecting with a real audience, collaborate with
others locally and even globally.

Audience
The website is targeted for students from 13 to 18 years old. I would like to try this
program with our 6th
graders in a Writing Club, a Social Studies unit and integrated into the
Reading ELA curriculum.

Instructional Objectives
Improve writing skills in a variety of genres such as narrative fiction, poetry,
journaling and persuasive writing.
Integrate ELA curriculum and Social Studies, through historical fiction prompts and
journaling about historic events.
Deepen comprehension and communication skills through reading responses to
novel studies.
Instructional Activities

Writing Club: We would engage students into the writing process giving them a
purposeful and real world experience of drafting, writing, editing and publishing their work
with others. We would assign different prompts in a variety of genres: poetry, persuasive
writing, narrative, and opinion. Students would submit their draft for peer review, and then
for the teachers feedback. Rubrics for each prompt would be available beforehand.

Social Studies Unit: Choosing a historic event part of the social studies curriculum, the
students will have to create a narrative historical fiction from a witness point of view. It
could be a memoir, a journal, or a letter. The character should interact with at least one
historical figure and demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the event. Work would be
submitted for peer review and teachers feedback.

Novel Studies: We would use this space for reflection and discussion about the novel,
character relationships and plot events. Students will interact with each other exchanging
evidence-based opinions. Final product will be shared in this platform, either a book
recommendation or an alternative ending.
 Social Studies - Lesson Plan
The students will apply their social studies knowledge and research skills to create a
writing piece that demonstrates both their knowledge of the subject and their craft as authors.

TEKS:
identify and explain examples of conflict and cooperation between and among
cultures.[15F]
analyze the experiences and evaluate the contributions of diverse groups to multicultural
societies.[15D]
evaluate the social, political, economic, and cultural contributions of individuals and groups
from various societies, past and present.[2B]

Description: Students will read Chapter 11, Lesson 2, Early History and Conquest, pp. 360-363
on their textbook. Research on Worldbook Online and Instagrok about Francisco Pizarro and
Atahualpa. They will summarize the rise and fall of the Inca Empire, and use their findings to write
a brief historical fiction about the Ransom of Inca Atahualpa.

Students will login Write the World and respond to the following prompt:
Write a witness chronicle of the ransom of Inca Atahualpa. Your fictional character has to
interact with either Francisco Pizarro or Inca Atahualpa. Your chronicle must demonstrate
accurate knowledge of the context, setting and historical figures you interact with. Your
authors craft should grab the readers attention in an engaging narrative. Submit your first
draft for peer review. Publish your final work and share it with the class.

See my demonstration here.

 Evaluation Rubric

Criteria 5- Far Exceeds 4- Exceeds 3- Meets Standard 2- Fails to Meet 1- Falls Well Below
Standard Standard Standard Standard

User Students and teacher Technology can be Accessible, but requires Technology is operable, Technology is
Friendliness can instantly access accessed and some support with but only with extensive difficult to navigate
and easily navigate. launched with guidance for operating. training. and confusing for the
minimal introduction. user.

Critical Technology promotes Technology Technology reflects Technology is limited to Technology is

Thinking use of higher order encourages learners application of critical executing or restricted to the use
thinking skills: analysis, to analyze and thinking like analysis implementing and/or of lower order
evaluation and evaluate content by and deconstruction. remembering, thinking skills:
synthesis. defending, justifying understanding, remembering and
and critiquing. applying. understanding.

Engagement Students and teachers Most students and Some students and Not engaging to Not engaging to
are highly motivated teachers are engaged teachers are engaged students and teachers students and
when using the with technology with technology teachers. There are
technology. little to no graphics.

Privacy/ Technology is secure Technology is secure Technology is secure Technology is available Technology is
Security and private for use in and private for use in and private for use in for anyone to see with available for anyone
classroom, only those classroom, no outside classroom, user can limited security settings to see with no
involved in creation can public access unless adjust security settings. available. security settings.
access. authorized by teacher.

Differentiati Offers multiple, flexible Offers a few Supports differentiation Reduced amount of Restrictions on
on of settings to meet need flexibilities to settings with one adjustable flexibility with setting setting with no
Instruction of all students. to meet the needs of setting restrictions ability
many students

Curriculum Technology lends itself Technology is usable Technology is usable in Technology is usable in Technology does not
Alignment to be used across all in 3 or more content 2 content areas. only one content area. lend itself to any
content areas. areas. content area.

Collaboratio Technology allows Technology allows Technology allows users Technology allows user Technology does not
n and students to collaborate user to collaborate to create original to create original allow user to
Creativity and share creation of and create original product and share on product, but are unable collaborate and
original product product. Students use internet and social to collaborate with share or create an
through app. other means to share media. Students are others or share original product
on internet or social unable to collaborate product.
media. with others.

Total Score 20 8

Total Score: 28/ 35

User Friendliness: The website is well organized and easy to follow. It has a Dashboard with
tabs like Community, My Writing, My Reviews, My Groups. Sign up is easy using Gmail,
Facebook or creating a new account. The FAQ section is very detailed and will troubleshoot and
guide you through most of the problems.

Critical Thinking: Writing is a creative activity, therefore a higher order thinking skill. Students
have to engage in analyze, apply and synthesize their knowledge in order to respond to their
prompts. Reflection upon their own work and others also requires higher order thinking skills.

Engagement: Students will be excited to share their work with others, publish their writing in a
real life scenario and collaborate with other students in their own classroom or even reach outside
their community. The website also offers monthly writing competitions with cash prizes and
professional recognition.

Privacy: The platform allows the teacher to create private groups just for students access. It also
offers the option to join a greater community (global) if they wish to do so. The process of creating
a group can be somewhat lengthy, from one up to three weeks, but this also ensures the privacy
and security of the students.

Differentiation: The teacher can create different groups by topic or interest, create prompts
applying different writing genres or even level of difficulty. Prompts that integrate writing with other
curriculum like science or social studies would give students a chance to demonstrate their
knowledge in a creative and nontraditional form. Also applying rubrics with different criteria is a
type of differentiation.

Curriculum Alignment: Although, the most obvious application would be the ELA curriculum,
with writers workshop and reading responses groups, writing can be integrated in all subjects. A
Science Journal, a Historic Chronicles group or historical fiction prompts seem good options too.

Collaboration and Creativity: This is probably one of the best features of this platform, the
ability to collaborate with others by reviewing and sharing their writing. Peer editing is essential of
this program, and is guided by specific questions. Also expert reviews are available. Students will
be able to extend their creative skills writing to several prompts in various genres.

Conclusion: Write the World is a valuable tool to integrate in the classroom.. It complies with
the criteria evaluated in the rubric, reaching the Exceeds Standard level with a score of 28/35
points. It allows students to practice writing skills in a meaningful real world way, fostering
collaboration, creativity. At the same time, its a secure and private tool that would create a safe
learning environment.