Visit 1 - Activity 4

Writing the beginning of a story

Context

12.55-13:30

Immediately after Activity 3, children pick up their writing books, which by now contain their glued in writing plans. Several children have their Chromebook open. The teacher has explained the activity and children are excited to start writing the beginning of their stories.

Key activities

Children individually write the beginnings of their story in their writing books
Children use a variety of digital resources (Padlets, thesaurus, film, IWB, Google Drive) to support and structure their drafting

Focused lesson objectives

To write an interesting opening of a story
To write from one character’s perspective

Digital resources used

Interactive WhiteBoard
Chromebooks with:
- Padlets
- Thesaurus
- Story exemplar in shared folder
- Oktapodi film

Pedagogical processes used

Scaffolding the writing process using digital resources
Scaffolding new learning through reference to wall display
Collaboratively learning from one another
Sharing ideas with the rest of the class

Literacy skills involved

Recount of understanding about writing
Explanation of ideas to peers
Reading wall display
Shifting attention between various digital and non-digital resources
Write beginning of story in writing books (pen and paper)

Sharing of digital resources to support pen and paper writing task

Lesson Commentary

Introduction

Immediately after Activity 3, the children excitedly start their writing. Several Chromebooks are opened up on the desks, and children all talk to one-another about their stories. The teacher begins by asking for an example of an opening sentence

High levels of excitement (chatter/ noise/ movement) as children focus on their activity, shifting to collaborative chatter, supporting the learning
Collaboration is promoted by the use of the Chromebooks and Padlet
Children’s focus shifts easily from Chromebook, to partner, to non digital resources, to partner’s Chromebook
As previously, the use of digital and more formal writing resources and activities are blended to scaffold the children
Children with SEND actively use the prompts provided by the software to propel their composition
The children own the writing process. They are in a state of ‘flow’ and are finding it hard to stop for a break
Presenting an example opening of a story gave children confidence with what they had to do
Children appear fully invested in their story. They are serious about their writing work and recognise one-another's achievements when sharing outputs

What do I need to know to be able to do this?

Extended time is needed to build to the point where children can function independently as storywriters, having used a range of digital and non-digital resources
Individual ownership of technologies (e.g. Chromebooks) leads to independent use over time
Composing narrative with digital resources involves the construction of an holistic storywriting world that is complex and can involve resources and activities developed over time, and in a range of modes and formats
Children will occupy different roles as a ‘writers’, as they build towards composing a definitive piece of narrative (collaborator, feedback giver and receiver, curator, solitary composer, actor in role, writer in role, story participant, story watcher, discoverer)
The teacher will occupy different roles when working across digital and traditional resources to promote narrative writing
Children will need to draw on explicitly taught skills-based knowledge, e.g. pathetic fallacy, character study, which may be developed using traditional pedagogies for writing
Digital resources and traditional resources/ activities can be blended to scaffold narrative writing