What if kids wrote and published

What if kids wrote
and published?
Authentic Writing Projects Transform Education
A Slidecast by Mark Gura – Creator of TCM’s Resource Kit for ePublishing
Copyright Mark Gura 2010 www.resourcekitforepublishing.com
www.markgura.blogspot.com Sources of quotes are listed on the above site.

What if kids wrote
and published?

What would kids write about? What do kids have to
say? Who would read anything written by a kid? Kids
can’t write! Kids aren’t experts! Kid’s haven’t studied
writing! Kids don’t know how to write! How could a kid
write a book? What would a kid write about? That’s a
cute idea, but a kid couldn’t’ write anything good, could
he? But kids don’t do that! Where would kids get the
material for books? Kids don’t know enough to write
books or articles! I’ve never seen a real book written
by a kid! Even kids don’t believe they could do it! How
good could a kid’s book be? Kid’s don’t even have
good spelling and grammar! If you let one kid do it, you
might have to let them all write books! Kids would have
to learn stuff before they could write about it! Who ever
heard of a kid writing a book? Kids who write books will
think they can do whatever they want! - What would
kids write about? What do kids have to say? Who
would read anything written by a kid? Kids can’t write!
What?

What do kids have to say? Who would read anything
written by a kid? Kids can’t write! Kids aren’t experts!
Kid’s haven’t studied writing! Kids don’t know how to
write! How could a kid write a book? What would a kid
write about? That’s a cute idea, but a kid couldn’t’
write anything good, could he? But kids don’t do that!
Where would kids get the material for books? Kids
don’t know enough to write books or articles! I’ve never
seen a real book written by a kid! Even kids don’t
believe they could do it! How good could a kid’s book
be? Kid’s don’t even have good spelling and grammar!
If you let one kid do it, you might have to let them all
write books! Kids would have to learn stuff before they
could write about it! Who ever heard of a kid writing a
book? Kids who write books will think they can do
whatever they want! - What would kids write about?
What do kids have to say? Who would read anything
written by a kid? Kids can’t write! Kids aren’t experts!
What?
What would kids write
about?

writing! Kids don’t know how to write!
How could a kid write a book? What would a kid write
about? That’s a cute idea, but a kid couldn’t’ write
anything good, could he? But kids don’t do that! Where
would kids get the material for books? Kids don’t know
enough to write books or articles! I’ve never seen a
real book written by a kid! Even kids don’t believe they
could do it! How good could a kid’s book be? Kid’s
don’t even have good spelling and grammar! If you let
one kid do it, you might have to let them all write
books! Kids would have to learn stuff before they could
write about it! Who ever heard of a kid writing a book?
Kids who write books will think they can do whatever
they want! - What would kids write about? What do
kids have to say? Who would read anything written by
What?

might have to let them all write books! Kids would have
to learn stuff before they could write about it! Who
ever heard of a kid writing a book?
they want! - What would kids write about? What do
What?

writing! Kids don’t know how to write! Who would
read anything written by a kid? How
could a kid write a book? What would a kid write
about? That’s a cute idea, but a kid couldn’t’ write
anything good, could he? But kids don’t do that! Where
would kids get the material for books? Kids don’t know
enough to write books or articles! I’ve never seen a
real book written by a kid! Even kids don’t believe they
could do it! How good could a kid’s book be? Kid’s
don’t even have good spelling and grammar! If you let
one kid do it, you might have to let them all write
books! Kids would have to learn stuff before they could
write about it! Who ever heard of a kid writing a book?
What?

write a book? What would a kid write about? But kids
don’t do that! Where would kids get the material for
books? Kids don’t know enough to write books or
articles! I’ve never seen a real book written by a kid!
Even kids don’t believe they could do it! How good
could a kid’s book be? Kid’s don’t even have good
spelling and grammar! If you let one kid do it, you
might have to let them all write books! Kids who write
books will think they can do whatever they want! -
What would kids write about? That’s a cute
idea, but kids couldn’t’ write
anything good, could they? Kids would
have to learn stuff before they could write about it!
What?

might have to let them all write books! Kids would
have to learn stuff before they could
write about it! Who ever heard of a kid writing a
book? Kids who write books will think they can do
whatever they want! - What would kids write about?
What?

Wait a minute…
Maybe kids could learn a lot
from writing and publishing.

That’s an important “maybe”
because...

Poor student achievement in
the essential skill of writing
remains one of our most
pressing challenges!

In 2007 The Nation's Report Card
showed that while 88 percent of
American 8th grade students
performed at the Basic level of writing
achievement, only 33 percent
performed at the Proficient level and a
mere 2 percent at the Advanced level.
Furthermore, the report showed very
little improvement over the writing
scores of 2002.

We’re talking about
WRITING,
one of The 3 R’s,
the most basic skills needed
to graduate!

Only 68.8 percent of all public school
students in the nation (US) graduate
from high school with a regular
diploma.
America produces a quarter-million
dropouts every year!
Info from: Diplomas Count 2010,
produced by Editorial Projects in Education

“Flexibility in meeting
students' diverse learning
styles is crucial in
diminishing TRUANCY!”
Source : US Department of Education report
“Truancy: A Serious Problem for Students, Schools,
and Society”

Our truant students are voting with
their feet. Countless others simply
turn off and tune out – attending
school, but not engaged in the
processes of their own education!
Clearly, we are not being flexible in
meeting their learning needs!

Can’t we do better in
supporting our kids in learning?

What if kids wrote
and published real
books and
magazines?

If we support and
encourage them…
…why not?

"Nine-tenths of education is
encouragement"
~ Anatole France
“It is the supreme art of the
teacher to awaken joy in creative
expression and knowledge.”
~ Albert Einstein

Imagine how education
would be transformed if
every kid wrote a real book,
chapter, article, or
magazine as part of his
education!

Education Myth
Basic Skills must be
mastered before more
sophisticated ones can
be tackled.

Education Myth
Basic Skills must be
mastered before more
sophisticated ones can
be tackled. TRUE?

Real writers know
that’s not true!

“Had my credentials been in
order I would never have
become a writer.”
Joan Didion
Excerpted from Why I Write

Instead of laboriously learning
a catalog of writing skills –
learning and practicing them
just in case someday they
might need or want to write
something real… kids can
learn to write by writing!

…learn to write
by writing!!!

Instead of boring our kids with
exercises to teach them about
writing…
Why not let them learn to write
by writing real things they care
about?

“Evidence indicates that when
instruction draws on students’
preexisting understandings,
interests, culture, and real-world
experiences, the curriculum
becomes more meaningful to
them. “
SOURCE: Engaging Schools - Fostering High School Students' Motivation to
Learn (2003)
Board on Children, Youth and Families

It follows that if we want students
to learn to write, we must
establish a context in which this is
likely to happen…
One that encourages students to
draw on their interests, culture,
and experiences, as they discover
what writing is!

“Very few writers really
know what they are doing
until they've done it.“
Anne Lamott
from Bird by Bird : Some Instructions on Writing and Life

Learning by DOing is
powerful learning!

Learning by DOing is
powerful learning!
“I hear and I forget,
I see and I remember,
I do and I understand.”
~ Confucius, 551 B.C.

What are we currently
assigning kids to DO that
will truly get them to
understand reading and
WRITING? Better yet, get
them WRITING?

Why not support them in
writing real chapters and
articles - publishing real
books and magazines?

A nice Idea, but would
anyone (besides Confucius)
agree with it?

"Writing is an exploration.
You start from nothing
and learn as you go."
~ E.L. Doctorow

“If I waited for
perfection, I would
never write a word.”
~ Margaret Atwood

"Quantity produces quality.
If you only write a few
things, you're doomed.“
Ray Bradbury
Best Selling author of more
than 500 published literary works

"The secret of becoming a
writer is to write, write, and
keep on writing.“
~ Ken MacLeod

“Find a subject you care about
and which you, in your heart,
feel others should care about.”
Kurt Vonnegut

But don’t kids have to learn
how to write, before they can
write something that matters!
…little by little, itty-bitty baby
steps first…

We’ve all heard or
thought that.
But is it true?

Is that how people learn real
things in the real world?

Is learning always a continuum
of things that MUST be tackled
in a strict sequence?

Must we learn to dog paddle
expertly before we even try to
swim the back stroke?

And what about
Bloom’s Taxonomy?

It shows types of learning
listed vertically. Creating is
at the very top!

Yeah, but… a taxonomy isn’t
a road map!
It’s a listing of parts of a
whole – not an order by
which things may be
addressed!

Skills and concepts need not
necessarily be learned in a
strict sequence, only moving
to the next after the
previous one has been
mastered!

This notion, one that keeps
students working on writing
exercises instead of
WRITING real books and
articles, is flawed thinking –
flawed learning theory –
flawed education!

So, working on
writing/publishing projects
for which they haven’t
mastered every skill
involved could be a good
way to learn those skills?

As Robert Browning said
“A man's reach should
exceed his grasp!“

What do we
have our kids
reaching for?

But real publications?
Won’t kids take false
steps, have problems,
make mistakes?

Of course, but
mistakes are part of
learning…
an essential part!

“Mistakes are the
portals of discovery.”
~ James Joyce

“Creativity is allowing
yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to
keep.”
~ Scott Adams
'The Dilbert Principle’

“I've learned that mistakes
can often be as good a
teacher as success.”
~ Jack Welch

“There are only two mistakes
one can make along the road to
truth; not going all the way,
and not starting.”
~ Buddha

We need to engage students
in appropriate projects and
give them the support they
need to succeed by learning
from making mistakes!

But what about tests
and scores and
preparing for them?

Well, what about them?
If kids can write and
publish real books and
periodicals, wouldn’t
they do well on tests?

If not, maybe there’s
something very wrong
with the tests!

OK - but HOW do we get
kids writing and
publishing real books
and magazines?

What’s needed is not to
discard everything we’ve
done and are doing in
teaching writing.

Much of it is really
very good.

It’s not the content we
need to change but…
the CONTEXT!

The Writing Process is a
brilliant traditional
framework to support
students in learning to
write. So are the 6 Traits of
Writing.

But they will help students
far better when applied as
foundational supports in
writing and publishing
real books and magazines,
a shift in CONTEXT!

This contextual shift is
crucial in getting
today’s students
engaged in writing!

Today’s students will “own”
their writing when they work
on REAL PROJECTS and
produce REAL PRODUCTS
that they present to
REAL AUDIENCES!

That’s the context:
REAL PROJECTS –
to produce
REAL PRODUCTS –
for
REAL AUDIENCES!

Today’s information and
communication
technologies make it
do-able and easy, an
exciting and satisfying way
to learn!

NO, teachers don’t need to
learn a lot of technology,
just user-friendly
applications developed to
support and improve the
experience of writing and
publishing.

“Technology can foster an
improvement in the
quality and quantity of
students’ thinking and
writing…”
Educational Leadership
Realizing the Promise of Technology – Volume 51/ Number 7

“Twenty first century
readers and writers need
to develop proficiency with
the tools of technology…”
National Council of Teachers of English
NCTE Framework for 21st Century Curriculum and Assessment

But don’t our kids
already know how to
use technology to
write?

Our students may be
sophisticated technology
users, but they don’t
associate technology use
with “Writing.”

Even though they text endlessly “…
teens disassociate e-communication
with writing.”
“Moreover, teens are filled with
insights and critiques of the current
state of writing instruction.”
SOURCE: Writing, Technology and Teens
The National Commission on Writing
College Board - Pew Internet & American Life Project

Here’s HOW
technology transforms
the experience of
writing for students…

HOW technology transforms learning to write:
Students use Search Engines in
focused ways to identify themes
of personal interest to write
about.

When properly supported and
guided, they can
‘self-differentiate’ the subjects
of their writing projects…
increasing interest, motivation,
insight, and engagement!

Starting from a
general theme…

Starting from a
general theme…
…arriving at a
personal topic.

Used imaginatively, word
processing transforms the
acts of writing drafts and
refining them, from
drudgework to a fluid,
interesting process.

Outlines morph into first
drafts, and these, in turn,
into polished, finished
pieces.

Basic Outline to version with
notes embedded
Notes embedded version expanded to
version with full sentences
Remove outline from sentences
to reveal DRAFT version

Students use spell, grammar, and
punctuation checking technology
to render the writing process into
a low risk, experimental activity.
Content, message, and voice
become the focus, instead of
writing mechanics…

AND they learn spelling, grammar,
and punctuation FROM the
technology, as it supports and
encourages thinking and creativity!

Choices to make.
Decisions to reflect on.
Explanations, not
just support!

Following guidelines, students use
Search Engines and their own
creative intuition to collect
individualized bodies of knowledge
on which to base their writing .

As a result, student pieces
become truly personal and in the
process “ownership” of their
writing deepens.

In addition to Web-based “library”
research, students can use today’s
Web 2.0 tools to gather original
information on which to base their
writing; surveys, data gathering,
interviews and oral histories, etc. are
now easy to include in the writing
process.

Students enhance their writing
with illustrations, photos, charts,
timelines, puzzles, sidebars, and
other ancillary publishing
devices.

Today’s most highly regarded
publications make these an
integral part of the
writing/publishing process, and
so should our students. Free
user friendly tech tools make it
all easy and fun!

Students use the publishing
design and organization
functions of ubiquitous
software to render their
writing projects into
sophisticated publications.

Commonly available - or - FREE
software enables them produce
books and magazines that resemble
professional publications.
Students can produce these as
handsome, traditional print
or ‘e’ Publications.

Students use free, easy
to use Web 2.0 resources
to “publish” and
distribute their work.

Blogs, websites, document and
media sharing resources carry
student publications….
Controlled and safe social
networking and e-distribution
resources can be employed to
attract an audience and distribute
the work to them.

Digital technologies influence
the processes, circulation,
and evaluation of writing, and
students need to learn how to
work effectively with them.
Source: Writing Now - A Policy Research Brief
produced by the National Council of Teachers of
English

The growing demand for good
writers requires more time and
attention devoted to writing
instruction in order to prepare
all students for a changing world.
Source: Writing Now - A Policy Research Brief
produced by the National Council of Teachers of English

Inquiry-based writing connects
writing practices with real-
world experiences and tasks; it
also increases student
engagement.
Source: Writing Now: A Policy Research Brief
produced by the National Council of Teachers of English

One of the greatest impacts of the
advent of digital technologies is the
transformation of the individual…

from Content Consumer

from Content Consumer
to Content CREATOR!

Shouldn’t our
students be creating
content, too?

Doesn’t it follow that
supporting them in producing
the very types of published
material they are surrounded
by is crucial to their
development as literate
individuals?

Web 2.0 resources
(technology for writing
and publishing) make it
possible.

everything needed can be
easily accessed in the
classroom…

When kids learn by
producing real
publications, they learn
so much more than just
how to write!

Learning
across the curriculum
is fostered !

For instance… some examples from our
National Science Standards
PAGE 144 ... to present their abilities and understanding and to use the
knowledge and language of science to communicate scientific explanations
and ideas. Writing, labeling drawings, completing concept maps, developing
spreadsheets, and designing computer graphics should be a part of the
science education...
PAGE 176... ARGUMENT. Students in school science programs should develop
the abilities associated with accurate and effective communication. These
include writing and following procedures, expressing concepts, reviewing
information, summarizing data, using language appropriately, developing
diagrams and charts...
PAGE 192 ... THE PROBLEM, PROCESS, AND SOLUTION. Students should
present their results to students, teachers, and others in a variety of ways,
such as orally, in writing, and in other forms—including models, diagrams,
and demonstrations....

Another things that’s
impacted is
CREATIVITY!

Writing and Creativity go
hand in hand.

For many innovators,
writing is the medium of
creativity.

Increase fluency in
writing and you increase
facility in innovation.

Improving our students’
competence as writers is a
crucial way to increase our
society’s cohort of
innovators!

Writing is especially important for
21st
Century workplace creativity,
which is social creativity, involving
groups and networks of people
tackling challenges and problems
together.

“Obama says education
is key to innovation “
AP Headline – Sept. 16, 2010

Q: But how? What can we
teach our kids in school that
will foster their capacity to
innovate?

” Creativity now is as
important in education as
literacy, and we should treat
it with the same status.”

” Creativity now is as
important in education as
literacy, and we should
treat it with the same
status.”
From his talk at the TED Conference
“Schools Kill Creativity”
Sir Ken Robinson - Professor Emeritus, University of Warwick and
NY Times best selling author

By re-contextualizing writing
instruction through
Authentic Writing Activities, we
FOSTER CREATIVITY ….

By re-contextualizing writing
instruction through
Authentic Writing Activities, we
FOSTER CREATIVITY ….
as we teach writing! –

And MOTIVATION?
What about
MOTIVATION?

Our students will NOT learn to
write until educators make
MOTIVATION to write
the dominant element in the
instructional equation!

“Half (49%) of all teens say they
enjoy the writing they do outside
of school… compared with just
17% who enjoy the writing they
do for school with a similar
intensity.”
The National Commission on Writing /
The College Board - Pew Internet & American Life Project

“… teens report being motivated to
write by relevant, interesting,
self-selected topics, and attention
and feedback from engaged adults
who challenge them.”
The National Commission on Writing /
The College Board - Pew Internet & American Life Project

“Educators who teach reading
and writing skills without
addressing student engagement
are unlikely to yield substantial
improvements.”
SOURCE: Using Student Engagement
to Improve Adolescent Literacy.
NCREL quick key Action Guide 10

“As anyone who has spent time
with high school students can
attest, attempting to build skills
of disengaged adolescents is a
futile enterprise. “

So true, but what’s the
key to engaging them?

Ah ha!
“Relevance of curricular
materials and topics is
essential to student success,
requiring teachers to know
about their students’
interests.”

But how is the teacher to
know what each student
is interested in?

Perhaps we should
reconstruct the
experience so that
students make their own
guided, focused selection
of writing subjects !

Technology makes it possible, and
if the teacher sets parameters to
ensure that student choices
satisfy standards and
requirements, then the best of all
possible situations is brought
about…

… students improving their
writing by inspiring themselves
and others - writers and
readers immersed in topics of
deep interest.

How many pages, chapters,
articles, books, and
magazines will a student
read between kindergarten
and graduation?

Besides the content these bear,
what other message do students
take away? That literacy is passive?
That their role is to read what others
write.. ALWAYS?
Do only professional authors have
something worth saying, worth
reading?

Students should have a
voice, too - should write
real books and
magazines, should be
heard!

In her book Radical Reflections, famous Young
Readers author, Mem Fox states:
“we’re currently wasting a lot of time
by giving unreal writing tasks in our
classrooms....You and I don’t engage
in meaningless writing exercises
in real life—we’re far too busy
doing the real thing”

Who wants to write about things
they don’t care about?
Let’s give our students the
opportunity to write about what
interests them, inspires them!

Reading books and
articles is infinitely more
meaningful to those who
write them, as well.

Isn’t this TRUE
media sophistication?

Employers are desperate
to hire employees who
can write!!!
By the way…

“The capacity to write
well directly impacts
success throughout
one’s career.”
SOURCE: The Nation’s Report Card

“People who cannot write
and communicate clearly
will not be hired and are
unlikely to last long
enough to be considered
for promotion.“
WRITING: A Ticket to Work or a Ticket Out –
A Survey of Business Leaders
The National Commission on Writing / The College Board

Employees Lack Writing Skills
in the Workplace
“…a third of all workers
fall short of employers'
expectations in written
communication skills?”
Sources: Western Carolina University + The College Board

Employees Lack Writing Skills
in the Workplace
“remedying deficiencies in
writing costs American
corporations as much as
$3.1 billion annually,"
Sources: Western Carolina University + The College Board

And because writing is
a key, lifelong skill…

It follows that we need
to support students in
developing as…
“Lifelong Writers!”

To do that we need
to make changes in
writing instruction!

From The National Commission on
Writing’s report:
“Writing and School Reform”
“Standardization and
scripting of instruction
threaten to undermine
writing instruction.”

Writing’s report:
“Integrating writing into the
reform agenda, while
challenging, is integral to the
success of both.”

Writing’s report:
“Genuine reform requires
personalization of
instruction.”

Writing’s report:
“A climate to encourage
writing must be created.”

“We will not make much
progress in achieving
educational equity until we
develop better approaches
for dealing with student
boredom and resistance!”
From article: Boredom in Class? Try 'Outrageous' Instruction
Education Week July 13, 2009

So, what will we do
with all the books
and magazines kids
write and publish?

Read them; Use them to evaluate student learning ;
Have other students read them to inform and inspire
their own research, learning, and writing; Use today’s
student publications to inform ‘next step’ writing
projects; Archive and index student publications
(digitally) so they become part of the global body of
reference materials; Assign students to read them and
give the (student) author feedback; Have students learn
by comparing one another’s work; Arrange for senior
citizens, retirees, and others interested in contributing
to our society’s educational efforts to read them and
communicate questions and feedback to the authors;
Have students “build” on them as their learning and
communicating becomes more sophisticated during the
course of their education; etc.

(digitally) so they become part of the global body of
reference material; Assign students to read them and
give the (student) author feedback; Have students learn
by comparing one another’s work; Arrange for senior

(digitally); Assign students to read them and give the
(student) author feedback; Have students learn by
comparing one another’s work; Arrange for senior

Student publications are
potentially valuable content;
the more we regard them as
such, the more students will
live up to that expectation
when producing them !

What will we do with all the
books and magazines kids write
and publish???

Now, won’t that
be a great problem
to have!

Oh, and while we’re at it…
What about READING?

YES, Writing Can
Improve Reading!
Writing to Read:
How Writing Can Improve Reading
A Report from Carnegie Corporation of New York - 2010

Yet, another reason to
reverse the long standing
problem of uninspiring
teaching and learning in the
area of writing.

“…Few Students Are Proficient
Writers
About one-third of America’s eighth-grade students,
and about one in four high school seniors, are
proficient writers, according to results of a
nationwide test...”
NY TIMES - Education Section - 4/3/08

What about the other
75% of our kids?
Can’t we teach them to
write too?

Can we afford to lose
another generation to
writing instruction that is
fragmented and divorced
from the urgency and energy
of doing real things for real
purposes?

Authentic Writing and
Publishing is an entry point
for quick, deep, meaningful
improvement in the
educational experience we
give our students.

Q: What would result If
every kid wrote and
published?
“Books are for nothing but to inspire.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

A: Increased Interest & Engagement -
Improved Learning Across the
Curriculum - Heightened Thinking &
Creativity – Collaborative Learning
throughout Schools and Communities
of Learners – AND Improved WRITING,
an Essential Skill for School, Career, and
Lifelong Learning!

Free, easy to access
and use
tech resources make it
possible to support our
kids in writing and
publishing… NOW!

YES, every kid
should
write and publish!

If you agree, please check out the
Resource Kit for
ePublishing
Created by Mark Gura for
Teacher Created Materials
a low cost resource developed
to support teachers
(and others who work with kids)
in getting them writing and publishing
real books and magazines.
All ideas in this presentation are made easy and
classroom-ready by the kit.
www.resourcekitforepublishing.com

What if kids wrote and published

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