Guess Your Feedback I am currently reading Embedded Formative Assessment by Dylan William (2011). I came across these sentences about providing feedback on students’ writing: … instead of writing comments in the students’ notebooks, [the teacher] did so on strips of paper. That is so smart, isn’t it? First, I collected a group of five opinion essays from a fifth-grade teacher. Click to enlarge Or: Next, the five students met in a group, and each student was given the five pieces of feedback. Their job was to read the feedback statements and, through a group discussion, decide which feedback they thought went with their own essay. Here is some of what I overheard: Nolan: I think the last one is mine because I tend to do run-on sentences. Gavin: I think mine is the second one because I could see how it was hard to tell when one idea ended and another one started. Arianna: This is mine. Leilanni: That one isn’t mine. Like this: Like Loading...
50 Spooky Writing Prompts for Horror, Thriller, Ghost, and Mystery Stories If you’re looking for idea starters, writing prompts and plot ideas for a mystery novel, a horror novel, a thriller, or any kind of spooky screenplay, you might find what you’re looking for here! These are also great for creative writing exercises, especially around Halloween. If you are easily scared and have an over-active imagination, just skip this one. Some of these are skeletal (ha) plot ideas (or master plots), while others are images or suggestions. A musician practices. I hope this list was useful! If you don’t want to miss future posts about writing, follow my blog, if you aren’t already — there’s a place you can sign up below. Save Like this: Like Loading... Fall Picture Writing Prompts | Autumn Photo Journal Prompts for Kids September 18th, 2013 | Holiday & Seasonal Ideas, Writing & Journal Prompts GATHER ’round the table and let creativity bubble over with our fall picture writing prompts! For a change of pace, these journal prompts are inspired by interesting photos that will stir your child’s soul or spark flights of literary fancy! Autumn Walk Is this an ordinary walk in the woods, or does an adventure await you over the crest of the hill? Who (or what) is watching you from the trees? The Furry Messenger You’re exploring in the woods with your best friend when a chipmunk suddenly jumps up on a rock and starts shouting a warning! Fairy Secrets Use at least four of these words to tell a story about this photo: forest, explore, mushroom, fairies, fog, door, stairs, secret, ancient, lock, book Be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays! Photos: davharuk, Nina Stawski, & Brenda Clarke, courtesy of Creative Commons.
ListOfOpenSourcePrograms List Of Open-source Programs (LOOP) for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems What is the LOOP list? This is a list of the best open-source applications that run on Windows. Feel free to edit this list and add any programs that meet the criteria below. Instructions: Tell all your non-Linux friends and family about the LOOP list. Rules for adding programs to the LOOP list: Must be open-source. Communication Email Client = Thunderbird Compare to: Microsoft Outlook IRC Client = X-Chat 2, Bersirc Compare to: mIRC Universal Instant Messaging Client = Pidgin (formerly Gaim), Miranda IM Compare to: Trillian Web browser = Firefox, Chromium Compare to: Microsoft Internet Explorer Voice Over IP = QuteCom, Ekiga Compare to: Skype Engineering EDA = KiCad Compare to: Eagle Numeric Computation = SciLab Compare to: MatLab Educational Financial Games Productivity Management Misc Audio Drawing Other Video Security Software Development Utilities Content Management Database File Server Messaging Web These applications are awesome!
Letter to future self High school persuasive writing prompts • WriteShop High school students can practice their persuasive writing skills with these engaging persuasive writing prompts. Whether they’re trying to convince a friend to watch less TV, volunteer at the local food bank, or read an amazing book, they’ll find the perfect prompt below. 1. Teen Couch Potatoes Research shows that the average American teen spends up to 40 hours in front of television and computer screens each week. Do you think this is too much? 2. Many students volunteer their time to help others, either through nonprofit organizations, animal shelters, churches, or other charitable venues. 3. Your local Chamber of Commerce has asked you to create a brochure to attract visitors to your hometown. 4. Think of five unforgettable, inspirational, or life-changing books that have impacted you. If you enjoyed these journal prompts for high school, be sure to check back each week for more Writing Prompt Wednesdays!
Writing Exercises and Prompts Be a better writer in 15 minutes: 4 TED-Ed lessons on grammar and word choice There’s no denying it — the English language can be mighty tricky. When writing a paper, a novel or even an e-mail, you might look at a sentence you just wrote and think, “Is that comma supposed to be there?” or “Is that really the best word to use?” Fear not! TED-Ed has put together a list of four of our favorite grammar and language lessons to get your next piece of writing in tip-top shape. First, let’s look at the often-confusing comma. What about the Oxford comma? Now, take an adjective such as “implacable” or a verb like “proliferate” or even another noun “crony,” and add a suffix, such as “-ity” or “-tion” or “-ism.” Finally, when it comes to good writing, don’t take the easy route!
30 Sci Fi Writing Prompts I really had some fun creating my last list of writing prompts, so I decided to try some sci fi writing prompts this time around. NaNoWriMo is coming up and these could definitely be some great inspiration—but they’d work just as well for a short story or novella or full-blown novel any time of the year. Like the last set, these are available under a Creative Commons license, so share and share alike. A young lawyer graduates into a world where, for the first time, brain scans can accurately detect lies.A group of scientists discover a cheap, renewable energy source that when put into place across the world further destabilizes the oil-dependent Middle East.An army general leads a squad of aliens that have come to earth to assist the Allies during WWII in their fight against Hitler.“I can smell dark matter.”A man wakes to find himself trapped in a Holodeck-like virtual reality simulator.
77 More Teen Writing Prompts One of the more popular posts on my blog is 83 Teen Writing Prompts from way back in January of 2012. While it is titled for teens, really anyone can use it. Writing prompts are a great way to encourage daily journal writing and free flow thinking. There are no right and wrong answers. UPDATE: Make sure you check out my more recent post on Using Photos as Writing Prompts too! Teachers use writing prompts and journal starters in school regularly. Print out the writing prompts and then cut them into strips individually. Now let’s get to the list. How do you feel when the internet goes down? © 2014 – 2015, Robyn Wright. Related Using Photos for Writing Prompts for Kids, Teens, and Adults During summer break kids, of all ages, can really get creative with their writing. July 9, 2015 In "Living" Family Dinner Table Conversations: Tips and Ideas to Get Your Family Talking Family dinners are important. January 2, 2015 83 Teen Writing Prompts
Put yourself in the picture This is a speaking task that encourages students to empathise with other people and try to understand them better. The activity uses a number of visuals of migrants and the students have to imagine they are the person in the picture. The activity is based on themes from the British Council OPENCities project www.opencities.eu PreparationDownload the worksheet with the images of the people and make enough copies so that each students can have one image. Images worksheet (pdf 313k) Procedure Choose one of the images to model the procedure.
writing prompts — 18 writing prompts about reading Writing about Food and Culture | High School Writing Projects Do you have a teen gourmet or budding chef in the house? Have any of your kids traveled overseas? These writing activities invite them to explore recipes, describe travel experiences with food, or write a restaurant review. Encourage your high schoolers to explore their culinary passion or hobby with one of these projects that encourages writing about food and culture. This article contains affiliate links for books we think your family will enjoy. Writing Project: American As Apple Pie A well-rounded study of a geographic region or period of history can include maps, literature, art—even food! Search recipe files, family cookbooks, specialty cookbooks, and online sources to find some recipes that are uniquely American. If possible, choose a theme that ties into your current history or geography studies. Once you’ve chosen your topic and gathered your recipes, prepare three of them. Finally, make a booklet of your 10 recipes, designing or decorating it to match your theme. By Kim Kautzer
Story Starters: Creative Writing Prompts for Kids If you’re looking to inspire your students’ writing and creativity, turn to these fun and exciting writing prompts. Perfect for overcoming writer’s block or even starting a brand-new short story in a different narrative, creative writing prompts can help students begin a new piece with confidence. Plus, these story starters can also encourage students to explore different genres while honing their writing skills. There are a lot of ways you can use writing prompts in your classroom. Try: Reading a book in a genre, then having students use a story starter in that same genre. Take inspiration from classics like Treasure Island and newer popular series like The Bad Guys to explore how to write thrilling adventure stories. You’re part of a pirate crew in search of a long-lost storied treasure trove. Get students excited about adventure stories with these great books: If you’re looking to inspire your students’ writing and creativity, turn to these fun and exciting writing prompts.