1. A Quote…
“A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the need to communicate is the need to share. Behind the need to share is the need to be understood.”
--Leo Rosten, author

2. Motivating Reluctant Writers With Technology
Joelle (Joey) Weaver
Special Education Teacher
HF-L

3. Motivating Reluctant Writers Why are they “reluctant”?
Disability – in need of assistance, support
Disinterested – in need of motivation, increased interest

4. Motivating Disabled Writers Supporting and Assisting Students with Technology
Word Prediction
Example Co-writer/ WordQ
Example MS word (ultimashell)
Speech to Text software (Dragon Naturally Speaking)
Example MS word speech recognition

5. Motivating Reluctant Writers Supporting and Assisting Students with Technology
Inspiration/Kidspiration
Intellitools
Draftbuilder

6. Writing Essentials Have a purpose for writing
Opportunity to work through process from draft to finished product
Audience
Student choice

7. Purpose
Comics
Comic Creator
Make Beliefs Comix
Storyboarding

8. Process
DOMinate writing
DUMP
ORGANIZE
MAP

14. Brainstorming Ideas
The LEGO (or Let-go) exercise
Air-dry playdough

15. Audience and How to Reach Them
cant w8t2C U l8r
ROTFL

16. Choice
Recording
Art
Music
WritingFix

17. Writing Solutions Videotaped “news segments”
Purpose – information, entertainment
Audience of peers
Writing process from draft to final product over 3 sessions, once per week.
Student choice (within boundaries) of topics of interest
Additional benefits – practice using vocabulary mapped in previous classes, multiple opportunities to practice reading fluency, and practice using “good speech”, posture, enunciation, projection, etc.

18. More Writing Solutions
Keeping a writer’s notebook
Updating the sticky note
Scrapbooking
Chronicling events with family or friends
Photographs & Writing
WHERE IN THE WORLD????

19. Writing Solutions Bring in the Motivation (and other areas)
Purpose –to increase understanding of text (writing for literature response)
Audience – family members, classmates, other teachers
Writing process from draft to final product over 3 sessions, once per week.
Use of “prop” from the book
Text-to-Self Connection

20. Writing Solutions Photo Story 3 and Media Player
Purpose-a digital form of book reports
Audience-students trying to find a good book to read
Writing process from draft to final product- 2 sessions (used a graphic organizer)
Student choice of opinion, pictures, animation
Additional benefits-visualization, reading fluency, review of literary terms

21. Writing Solutions Game Shows
Purpose-review of material, end of unit evaluation (writing for information)
Audience-students
Writing process-at least two sessions
Student choice- pertinent information, type of game to use (Jeopardy or Millionaire for example), question format, visuals, sound clips
Additional benefits-grammar counts/ language use, creativity, practice using power point, review of material
EdGames
PPT Game Shows

22. Quarterly Class Newsletter The Weaver Weekly
Purpose-writing and publishing a newsletter
Audience-parents (sent home and up on website)
Writing process-from brainstorming to final draft and publication
Student choice-write about what you know
Additional benefits-students practice writing in different genres (editorials, advice, horoscopes, car reviews, short stories, book reviews, poetry)

23. What’s In the Bag?

24. The Big Wheel
Play

25. The Big Wheel Money Amounts Spin Wheel Points Team One Team Two
Team Three
Team Four
Team Five
Team Six
Team Seven
Team Eight
Spin Wheel
Points

26. Assessment and CBM’s
Excel Charting
Writing CBM’s

27. Time to Share
Show and tell …. What’s working for you in your classroom?