Crafting Digital Writing: Composing Texts Across Media and Genres

by Troy Hicks

Overview

Written for teachers of writing by a teacher of writing, Crafting Digital Writing is both an introduction for teachers new to digital writing and a menu of ideas for those who are tech-savvy.  Troy Hicks explores the questions of how to teach digital writing by examining author’s craft, demonstrating how intentional thinking about author’s craft in digital texts engages students in writing that is grounded in their digital lives.

Troy draws on his experience as a teacher, professor, and National Writing Project site director to show how the heart of digital composition is strong writing, whether it results in a presentation, a paper, or a video. Throughout the book, Troy offers:

• in-depth guidance for helping students to compose web texts (such as blogs and wikis), presentations, audio, video, and social media
• mentor texts that give you a snapshot into what professionals and students are doing right now to craft digital writing
• suggestions for using each type of digital text to address the narrative, informational, and argument text types identified in the Common Core State Standards
• a wealth of student-composed web texts for each digital media covered, along with links to them on the web
• technology tips and connections, as well as numerous tools for creating a digital writing assignment.

To preview a sample of Crafting Digital Writing click here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780325046969
Publisher:	Heinemann
Publication date:	04/29/2013
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Dr. Troy Hicks (@hickstro) is a professor of Literacy and Technology at Central Michigan University and focuses his work on the teaching of writing, literacy and technology, and teacher education and professional development. A former middle school teacher, he collaborates with K–12 colleagues and explores how they implement newer literacies in their classrooms. Hicks directs CMU’s Chippewa River Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, and he frequently conducts professional development workshops related to writing and technology. Hicks is author of the Heinemann titles Crafting Digital Writing (2013) and The Digital Writing Workshop (2009), as well as a co-author of Because Digital Writing Matters (Jossey-Bass, 2010) and Create, Compose, Connect! (Routledge/Eye on Education, 2014). He blogs at Digital Writing, Digital Teaching. In March 2011, Hicks was honored with CMU's Provost's Award for junior faculty who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in research and creative activity. Most importantly, he is the father of six digital natives and is always learning something new about writing and technology from them.



http://hickstro.org/

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Acknowledgments ix

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Overview of the Book 4

Toward Intentional Writing Instruction 6

Before We Begin 8

Chapter 2 Author's Craft, Genre Study, and Digital Writing 11

Studying Craft with Lenses 12

Studying Craft by Slowing Down 13

Studying Craft by Starting Small 13

Studying Craft in Digital Writing 14

More Than Words: Studying Author's Craft in Digital Writing 18

Common Core Standards, Successful Writers, and the Struggle Ahead 23

Chapter 3 Crafting Web Texts 28

Viewing a Professional Mentor Text 30

Considerations for Web Texts as Mentor Texts 33

Curricular Connections 36

Exploring the Digital Writing Process for Web Texts 36

Examples of Student-Composed Web Texts 43

Conclusion 59

Chapter 4 Crafting Presentations 61

Viewing a Professional Mentor Text 64

Considerations for Presentations as Mentor Texts 66

Curricular Connections 67

Alternatives to Stand-Alone Slide Presentations 70

Exploring the Digital Writing Process for Presentations 71

Examples of Student-Composed Presentations 77

Conclusion 86

Chapter 5 Crafting Audio Texts 87

Listening to a Professional Mentor Text 89

Considerations for Audio Texts 90

Curricular Connections 91

Examples of Student-Composed Audio Texts 92

Exploring the Digital Writing Process for Audio Texts 96

Conclusion 103

Chapter 6 Crafting Video Texts 104

Viewing a Professional Mentor Text 105

Considerations for Digital Video Texts as Mentor Texts 107

Curricular Connections 108

Exploring the Digital Writing Process for Video Texts 113

Examples of Student-Composed Digital Video Texts 122

Conclusion 135

Chapter 7 Crafting Social Media 137

Viewing a Professional Mentor Text: Tweets 141

Exploring the Digital Writing Process for Social Media 145

Example of Student-Created Social Media Texts: Youth Voices 150

Conclusion 153

Chapter 8 Modeling and Mentoring the Digital Writing Process 154

FAQs: Frequently Argued Questions About Digital Writing 156

Exploring Craft: Looking Closely at One Student's Digital Writing 160

Charting Your Next Steps Toward Teaching Digital Writing 176

Appendix A Creating a Digital Writing Assignment 179

Appendix B What's New, What's Next: Websites and Apps 181

Appendix C Studying a Piece of Digital Writing 183

References 184

Index 192