Using GAFE in the Writer’s Workshop Classroom
Debra Kojima, 6th Grade
Teaching Point: Good writers increase the level of learning by organizing their learning into sections.
Common Core State Standards:
- W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
- W.6.6 Use technology, including the internet to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
- RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of the text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinctly from personal opinions or judgments.
- RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
- RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats.
Tools Used:
- Google Apps for Education (GAFE): is a cloud-based educational service offered to schools. At its core, Google blends powerful programs such as Google Classroom, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Calendar and other Google applications to save time, keep classwork organized, and communicate effectively with students.
- Google Classroom: is a learning platform designed to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignments by hosting them on a private Google web server/Google Drive.
Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) Model: (Learn more here)
- Substitution: iPads give students a choice for how they prefer organizing their notes, as opposed to just on paper.
- Augmentation: GAFE allows for editing, copy/paste features, adding colors/fonts/text features.
- Modification: GAFE allows for collaborating and communicating through “shared documents” with peers and teacher. Work on the projects can be done synchronously during class time, as well as asynchronously out of class.
- Redefinition: See Other Information below.
Lesson Background:
This was day-two of the informational writing unit for Units of Study with Lucy Calkins. On day one, students were reintroduced to informational writing and taught how power note-taking can enhance their learning. Then they practiced this independently. Students organized their information from day one into usable chunks. Then the students had their choice to organize their learning electronically or on paper. Google Classroom is used as an avenue for the teacher to electronically send out documents and collect work.
Other Information:
At the end of this unit of study, students publish eBooks on teen activism with active links to teaching lessons (Educreations, Explain Everything, etc), text features, and information learned throughout the unit. **Redefinition** They publicly share their eBooks on their own personal Google Sites. Students also share their writing with one another. The 6th-grade classes in the district share and receive feedback.
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Student Examples:
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- Students shared documents at the end of the Writers Workshop lesson. The students could reflect on their work from the mini lesson. During the lesson, students shared with their writing partners their “before” and “after” revision piece. Students commented on their revisions and what they noticed as writers.
- Students shared documents from their triads and read aloud their essays. The documents were sent and received electronically via Google Classroom. In groups, students could access these shared documents for feedback.
- Google Academic Site for publishing work.
Learn more about Writer’s Workshop here