Writing in the 21st Century

Concerned about the way "kids these days" are writing?  Tweeting, text messaging, Facebook posts..... That's not "real writing" right?  Susan Lucille Davis, English Teacher at Chinquapin Preparatory School in Houston Texas, gets it.  We have two choices.  We can throw up our hands and assume kids will never develop into the next Shakespeare or Hemingway or we can look at what Davis calls "contemporary writing activities" and use these authentic contexts to teach kids the power the written word.  We can teach them how to communicate their thoughts and dreams in their writing in a socially connected arena that was not possible when I was in school.  When I wrote in school, two people read my work, my teacher and maybe my Mom.  The written word is changing the world in real time.  Look at what has happened in the Middle East.  Tweets and posts changed a regime, not intellectual or political manifestos.  This is an exciting time to teach written language in schools.  We just need to change our mindset and teach kids where they are, not where we were.  You can read Susan's post below:

http://gettingsmart.com/blog/2012/06/teaching-authentic-writing-socially-mediated-world/

Leap Year? A Leap Ahead for First Grade Tweeters

What a great Leap Year Story - A group of first graders leaping forward, leading the way, pushing the envelope, on the cutting edge, TWEETING away.  Just when I think that I am making progress, learning new tricks as an old dog, along comes this story out of Chicago - First Graders at Abraham Lincoln Elementary using Twitter to let their parents know what's happening in school and to send them reminders about upcoming events.  Messages are delivered as a group and controlled by the teacher, but still, how cool is this?  Kids are also blogging to share work with classmates, parents, and other contacts outside the state.  You can read the short piece from the Chicago Tribune below:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-glen-ellyn-kids-tweet-20120228,0,7378048.story

Here is the link to the Abranham Lincoln Elementary website:

http://www.d41.dupage.k12.il.us/schools/lincoln/index.asp