Digital media can encourage social interaction and promote learning outcomes. Teacher-librarians at four Brisbane schools – two boys' and two girls' schools - initiated a collaborative project to foster creative writing in Year 8 students. This project explored the notion of shared writing, challenging students to produce a joint story.
1. Spring Hill Young Writers
Promoting an engaging and collaborative writing experience
Brisbane Girls Terrace All Hallows Brisbane
Grammar School (St Joseph’s College) School Grammar School
ASLA XXII Biennial Conference, 2-5 October 2011
2. The teacher librarians at four inner city schools – two girls’ schools
and two boys’ schools – initiated a collaborative writing project for
Year 8 students to investigate if it would improve their enjoyment
of and success in writing.
Eight students from each school were divided into groups of four –
one from each school. Over two days, and with the guidance of
author, Brian Falkner, each had to write the same story, but from
the voice of a different character.
A shared wiki was set up where students could write their stories,
and some of the final stories were published. Parents were invited
to an initial dinner and a final awards evening.
Feedback from students, parents, TLs and author all supported the
idea that collaboration promotes an engaging writing experience.
3. What we did…
How and why we did it…
What they said…
What worked well…
6. Basic Organisational Decisions
What we did …
• 32 students • wiki
• groups of 4 • TL input
• author • celebration
• parental involvement • publication
• scenario • timing
7. The Program
• Welcome function – Wednesday evening
• Writing day #1 – Thursday
• Writing day #2 – Friday [last days of Term 1]
• Holiday – time to write, collaborate and edit
• Presentation evening – Thursday [week 2 of Term 2]
38. It’s not about the tool,
It’s about the learning purpose....
Collaborative
writing Wiki
Aim:
32 students, from 4 schools, collaborating in groups
about writing, both online and in person, at school and
outside school, to increase engagement, improve
writing, for an authentic audience.
Blurb
So what tools and why?
40. Why Collaborative Writing?
Collaboration
– aids in problem finding as well as problem solving.
– aids in learning abstractions.
– aids in transfer and assimilation; it fosters interdisciplinary thinking.
– leads not only to sharper, more critical thinking (students must
explain, defend, adapt), but to a deeper understanding of others.
– leads to higher achievement in general. . . .
– promotes excellence. In this regard, I am fond of quoting Hannah
Arendt: 'For excellence, the presence of others [collaboration] is
always required.‘
– engages the whole student and encourages active learning; it
combines reading, talking, writing, thinking; it provides practice in
both synthetic and analytic skills."
(Andrea Lunsford, "Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of a Writing Center."
The Writing Center Journal, 1991) http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/Collaborative-Writing.htm
41. Writing is increasingly digital, collaborative and online
http://www.fanfiction.net/
http://www.fictionpress.com/ original
43. Collectively, The Mortal Instruments series of books have spent
28 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers List.
http://screenrant.com/mortal-instruments-movie-next-twilight-robf-32936/
44. “You and I grew up with the notion of the little girl [boy] curled up in her chair
reading, or the writer in her garret, right?”… “But what we’ve discovered is that
when you move the function of reading and writing online, the social aspect comes
forward.”
http://spotlight.macfound.org/featured-stories/entry/the-future-of-reading-and-writing-is-
collaborative/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20macfound/iQaL%20Spotlight%20on%20Digital%20Media
%20and%20Learning
45. Collaborative writing on mobile phones
At the end of 2010, one of the 2 best selling books in Japan was a 142-page
hardback book that was originally typed on a mobile phone. Rin’s Moshimo
Kimiga (If You …) began as a series of instalments that was sent out to the
phones of thousands of subscribers. When it was converted into a hardcopy
book, it sold more than 420,000 copies in the first 2 months.
“It might seem strange that young readers are going out and buying the book after
they’ve already read the story on their mobile. Often it’s because they email
suggestions and criticisms to the author on the novel website as the story is
unfolding, so they feel like they’ve contributed to the final product, and they
want a hardcopy keepsake of it.” http://www.smh.com.au/news/mobiles–
handhelds/in-japan-cellular-storytelling-is-all-the-
rage/2007/12/03/1196530522543.html
Five of the ten best selling novels in Japan in 2007 were keitai shousetsu or
cellphone novels. These novels were originally written and published to phones
via text messaging, by and for young adults. This phenomenon began in 2003,
and spread to countries such as South Korea, China and South Africa.
Maho no i-rando (Magic Island) is a site that has free tools to help readers create
their own mobile phone novels. It has accumulated nearly 1 million works in its
first 7 years of operation.
48. Wikis, Blogs, Google Docs?
Issues
• Control of information – if we delete the wiki, who owns
the content? Facebook.
• No spellcheck - need to produce it first in Word for
spellchecking. Google docs has its own spellcheck .
• Formatting.
• Privacy.
• Ease of use – problems with passwords.
• May need it unblocked.
http://blogswikisdocs.wikispaces.com/
58. Here is an example of Issuu online only - no
hardcover book – pdf format only.
http://issuu.com/mrburrettsclass/docs/ictmagic_sh
ow_jun_11?mode=embed&showFlipBtn=true
The other 2 options are Blurb and Lulu. Both
provide online plus hard-cover books.
http://photos.timchuma.com/advice/blurb_vs_lulu.
htm
Blurb – can copy and paste, pdf or own design.
Must order print copy within 2 weeks or book will
be deleted – load to Issuu first
66. Here is an example of issuu online only - no
hardcover book – pdf format only
http://issuu.com/mrburrettsclass/docs/ictmagic_sh
ow_jun_11?mode=embed&showFlipBtn=true
The other 2 options are blurb and lulu. Both provide
online plus hard cover books.
http://photos.timchuma.com/advice/blurb_vs_lulu.
htm
Blurb – can copy and paste, pdf or own design -
have to order print copy within 2 weeks, or book
will be deleted – load to issuu first
67. Authentic Audiences
Our print book, ordered July 10, arrived on
July 14
Can be shared online with everyone and anyone
at no cost (for 2 weeks anyway with Blurb)
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/invited/18173
05/33dc7953dc4f71571d8a041e9378dc8abf65
220f
71. Q1 - What did you learn from the opportunity of working with
an accomplished author?
72. Q1: Notes
• Inspiration & getting started
I learnt how to start every story idea with 'what if..‘
• Planning a story
• Plot structure
• I learnt a lot from Brian, but the thing that will stay with me forever is the
structure of the story. I've learnt a lot of story structures but Brian's was
different and fun, and I will use it in other stories I write.
• Opening lines
I learnt some useful tips about the climax of the story and a lot about opening
lines.
73. Q1: Notes
• Story Climax
• Character development
• I learnt how to write a story with an engaging plot, and also how to form my
characters over a space of time.
• Effective descriptions
• Stories are complicated to write and require effort
I learnt that to produce a good story you have to think outside your comfort zone.
• Authors
That authors are cool :)
accomplished writers are a little strange!
74. Q1 - What did you learn from the opportunity of working with
an accomplished author?
I learnt how to start every story idea with
'what if..‘
75. Q1 - What did you learn from the opportunity of working with
an accomplished author?
Newberg, Kim 2011, Building StructureSeries, Public Domain Pictures, viewed 25 July 2011, <<a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-
image.php?image=8465&picture=building-structure-series">BuildingStructure Series</a> by Kim Newberg>.
76. Q1 - What did you learn from the opportunity of working with
an accomplished author?
That authors are cool :)
Accomplished writers are a little strange!
77. Q2 - What did you gain from the opportunity to work with
other people your age who are also interested in writing
creatively?
78. Q2: Notes
• New approaches & techniques
I think I learnt a lot of new words, phrases and methods
that I wouldn't have thought of.
• Different ideas
• Companionship & fun
It was great working with the other writers. We share the
same passion and I could really connect with them. I gained
more knowledge from them.
79. Q2: Notes
• Cooperation skills
Accepting other people’s opinions and being helped by them.
For the first time, writing has reached the heights of a team sport for me, and
compromise and negotiation can be both good and bad.
It was great working with the other writers. We share the same passion and I could
really connect with them. I gained more knowledge from them.
• Connections with like-minded peers
I now know that there really are others like me, who enjoy writing as much as I do
and who can write stories that I can go "that's brilliant, why didn't I think of that?"
80. Q2 - What did you gain from the opportunity to work with
other people your age who are also interested in writing
creatively?
I now know that there really are others like me,
who enjoy writing as much as I do and who can
write stories that I can go "that's brilliant, why
didn't I think of that?"
81. Q2 - What did you gain from the opportunity to work with
other people your age who are also interested in writing
creatively?
Image from Microsoft Office
82. Q3 - What was the most difficult of challenging aspect of the
workshop?
83. Q3: Notes
• Getting started
• Working with a given scenario
• The time limit
• Finishing the story
• Meeting a deadline
• Editing
84. Q3: Notes
Group work (most students found this difficult)
The most difficult aspect of the workshop was working in groups because
not everything we talked about was agreed with.
In my opinion, the most challenging part of this workshop was attempting
to collaborate our stories without meeting up with my other group
members and asking their opinions.
The most challenging part of the workshop was communicating with my
group (my story had nothing to do with theirs).
85. Q3 - What was the most difficult or challenging aspect of the
workshop?
Image from Microsoft Office
86. Q3 - What was the most difficult or challenging aspect of the
workshop?
The most challenging part of the workshop
was communicating with my group
(my story had nothing to do with theirs).
87. Q4 - In your opinion, what was the best aspect of the
workshop?
88. Q4: Notes
• Working with an accomplished author. They all enjoyed
Brian.
• Working with like-minded peers.
• Group work (some of the same kids who found this the most
difficult aspect also found it the most rewarding).
The best aspect of the workshop was meeting new people
who have a keen interest in writing and gaining new friends.
Also it has been a great honour working with a well-known
author such as Brian Falkner.
89. Q4 - In your opinion, what was the best aspect of the
workshop?
The best aspect of the workshop was meeting
new people who have a keen interest in writing,
and gaining new friends. Also, it has been a
great honour working with a well known author
such as Brian Falkner.
90. Q5 - How has your writing changed since attending the
workshop?
91. Q5: Notes
• More planning
• Improved descriptions
• More structure
• Attempt different perspectives
• Improved dialogue
• Consider reader engagement
• More editing
I now realise why editing is so important, and why authors
hate editors.
92. Q5 - How has your writing changed since attending the
workshop?
I now realise why editing is so important, and
why authors hate editors.
93. Q6 - Do you think the wiki was a useful tool for a group of
people working on a combined project?
94. Q6: Notes
YES because:
• Easy to access
• Enabled students to communicate
• Could view each other’s work
NO because:
• Editing was difficult
• No spell check
Yes and No. Yes because it was very interactive and No because there were
certain restrictions like no spell-check.
95. Q6 - Do you think the Wiki was a useful tool for a group of
people working on a combined project?
Yes and No. Yes because it was very interactive
and No because there were certain restrictions
like no spell-check.
96. Q7 - Would you recommend this workshop to other students if
it was offered again?
97. Q7: Notes
• Fun
• Great to work with an author
• Improve creative writing
Yes. They would gain a lot of things from doing this
workshop and it really would strengthen relationships
between students and librarians.
98. Q7 - Would you recommend this workshop to other students if
it was offered again?
Yes. They would gain a lot of things from doing
this workshop and it really would strengthen
relationships between students and librarians.
101. PQ1: Notes
• Dynamic, published author
• Collaborative school approach
• Well planned program
• Workshop style
• Team work
• Range of venues
• Opportunity for students to work with peer group sharing similar interests
• Including parents at opening and closing events
• Students grew in confidence
• High quality of end product
• Opportunity based on desire/passion for writing
• Required effort to achieve the finished product
103. PQ2: Notes
• The opening night – teacher librarians’ input, author’s introduction and
ice-breaker game.
• Presentation evening showcasing writing and celebrating efforts.
• Having time on holidays away from other commitments to complete
writin.g
• The use of each location and transport provided.
• Author related well to students.
• Interaction between four schools.
• Using technology – wiki.
105. PQ3: Notes
• Wiki – worthwhile but students weren’t clear on use as a communication
tool – more explanation needed
• Make presentation power point available on College websites
• More assistance with editing
• One more working session
• Give parents more information about the final written product – 1 story
with four contributors or four separate stories?
• Catering on final night
• Team story – all four have to be committed or do individual stories
• Impetus & some enthusiasm lost on holidays
107. Brian: Notes
What pleased you about the workshops?
• The enthusiasm of everyone concerned was wonderful to see. I
really appreciated the effort put in by the teachers, and the energy
and enthusiasm displayed by the students.
What worked well?
• The best aspect of the workshops was the ability to spend a
number of days with the participants, developing their stories over
a sustained period of time.
• Another excellent aspect was the final day, after they had had time
to work on their stories over a number of weeks.
What do you suggest we do differently next time?
• I don’t really have any suggestions here. This would have been the
best multi-day workshop with students that I have ever done. I felt
it was a great success.
110. The author
• Brian Falkner was very
enthusiastic and
inspiring.
• He is a published author
and the students
respected his ability.
111. The team
• This was a great way to
work together with
other teacher librarians.
• We were doing
something
collaborative, not
competitive.
• Involving a team took
the pressure off one
school doing all the
organising.
112. Involving the parents
• Parents were invited to
the first evening and
the final evening.
• Letters were sent home
explaining the process
and seeking permission
for publishing stories
and photos.
• Parent feedback was
given at the end of the
project.
113. The groups
• One student from each
school was alphabetically
allocated to each group.
• Each group was made up of
two boys and two girls.
• The students at times found
it challenging to
compromise their own
ideas and work as a group,
but this is a model of what
will happen in their future
careers.
• They enjoyed the social
interactions in their groups.
114. The story development
• On the first night Brian
introduced the students
to a story structure.
• At the beginning of
each session he
introduced new story
elements so the
students were able to
keep adding to and
improving their initial
writing.
115. The social interaction
• The students were a
little shy at first, but
after the first two
sessions they felt very
comfortable talking to
students from other
schools.
• One of the selection
criteria was for students
to be happy to work in a
group setting.
116. The different venues
• All four schools involved
hosted a session.
• The students enjoyed
going to the different
schools, and it gave
them a sense of shared
community.
• This also took the
pressure off any one
school to organise all
the events.
117. The food
• On the first night, parents
and students were invited
to a buffet dinner at
BGGS.
• Terrace and All Hallows
provided morning tea and
lunch on the writing days.
• BGS provided supper for
the Presentation Evening.
• Costs were then shared
equally between the four
schools.
118. The activities
• Brian used activities to
introduce humour and
fun into each of his
sessions.
• These helped the
students to relax and
feel comfortable with
each other.
• Prizes were edible!
119. The awards
• Parents were invited.
• Pens, trophies and
certificates were awarded.
• Supper was provided.
• Best Individual Story
• Best Group Story
• Best Title
• Best Opening Line
• Funniest Line
• Ickiest Line
• Best Concluding Line
122. Some aspects of the wiki
• Permission was blocked
for students with Hotmail
addresses.
• There was no spell-
checker. Text created in
Word and pasted into the
wiki often had trouble
with formatting.
• We needed to first
demonstrate how to use
the wiki to comment on
other students’ work, and
to message each other.
123. Not all groups ‘pushed the boundaries’
• We wanted to extend the
students out of their
comfort zones.
• Not all felt comfortable to
work with other students’
ideas.
• Not all were happy to write
about the character that
was allocated to them, so
they wrote a story they felt
comfortable with. This
won’t be allowed next time.
124. The length of the stories
• Students wrote too
much – one story was
15 pages long!
• There needs to be a
definite length set from
the beginning to
encourage precise
writing.
• It took a lot of time for
the author to read all of
the stories.
125. The amount of time to edit
• Editing was very time-
consuming.
• It was difficult to
contact students from
other schools after the
workshop.
• It was difficult to find
time to meet with the
other TLs.
127. • Writing is essentially a personal and potentially lonely
experience, but students love collaboration and working in
groups.
• This type of project works better in a face-to-face
environment, rather than with schools in other
cities/countries.
• It’s best to choose highly-motivated, capable students as a
trial, otherwise there may be possible behavioural issues
and extensive editing.
• It’s important to have an author who teaches narrative
crafting and story construction, rather than a teacher.
• There needs to be a shared online space for writing,
viewing and editing.
• Make time for a wiki exercise and encourage students to
use it as a communication tool for commenting on each
other’s stories.
128. • Allow a few days for the students to write their stories,
however it’s essential to set a word limit.
• It would have been good to have allowed one more
day for editing and to show the students how to
publish their stories online.
• It would be possible to reduce costs by cutting down
on food and accommodation provided.
• The final presentation evening, with parents invited,
worked very well.
• It was a good way to establish strong ties with other
schools and colleagues, and to share the tasks.
• It was an innovative way to improve literacy and
enthusiasm, and to incorporate ICT skills into the
curriculum.
131. Presenters
Kristine Cooke Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Anne Weaver All Hallows School
http://readingpower.wordpress.com
Helen Stower Mt Alvernia College
Cathy Oxley Brisbane Grammar School
http://libguides.brisbanegrammar.com
132. ‘Pushing the boundaries’
Brisbane Girls Terrace All Hallows Brisbane
Grammar School (St Joseph’s College) School Grammar School
Promoting an engaging and collaborative writing experience