Monday, June 4, 2012

Sharing student work digitally, Day #8--Top 10 Writing Apps

Unlike the traditional approach to sharing student work--making paper books of student work to send home, hanging posters on classroom walls, and holding class presentations--sharing 2.0 (as I call it) enables student work to be shared globally. Though traditional formats should still be used as they are useful within school walls, sharing 2.0 tools must also be utilized. This new sharing ability gives students a power and voice that they did not have before since traditional methods do not speak across the globe. This power is what spawns digital citizenship and digital literacy education. I have combined the sharing 2.0 resources within this writing series, but these methods of sharing can be applied to any content area and grade level.

So, what are some great methods to share? First, you need to remember the rules of digital citizenship--copyright, Web safety/filters, and appropriate content. Student work may only be shared with written consent from the student and parent (if under the age of 18). And, you should also inspect the safety of the sharing forum as you do not want students subjected to spam or their work used inappropriately.

And, where do you go to share?

Of course, one of the best places to begin sharing work is on Google Docs/Google Drive (beware--Google is updating Google Docs to Google Drive to give more innate syncing ability with files on your computer). With a Google Apps for Education account, you can limit access to the files down to the student or class. And, you can see who is accessing the documents and who is commenting on them. In terms of safety and collaborative ability, Google Docs/Drive is the best.

Other sites that allow for collaboration and a safe environment include:


And, some sites that offer insight on collaborative writing and sharing student work include:
Stay tuned for the best places to publish student writing! 

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