Advice to Chit Chatters

One evening I was lamenting on the chit chat in my class, the kind that goes well beyond brainstorming and setting a mindset for writing. Well this 3rd grader is recalling a time, way back in Kindergarten, when she was one of those chit chatters. Her problem wasn't finishing her work but rather she distracted her tablemates. You know the kind. Maybe we do learn evertyhthing we need to in kindergarten. Since almost none of my students went to kindergarten, they are catching up for lost time. Oh the memories!

Electric Feedback

Blackboard isn't so sleek and stylish as many options for electronic communication via the internet. I am always looking for new options that will engage my HS ELLs. I think I found one. They were writing about place and identify in the class' discussion board. Usually I ask the students to respond to the ideas so they have a conversation over a period of time. That way irregular attendance won't hold up the conversation. They can pick it back up when they return that week. This way of using the DB has been about the topic rather than the writing. That changed when I gave them an electronic writing conference guide. I had 2 classes using the BB site so this was a great chance for them to see each other's writing. Here is what they used as a guide:
Tell them your overall impression* of the piece.
What is the best part?
What did they show you?
NOT -My grandfather was nice.
Yes - My grandfather took me to the ice cream shop and bought me a chocolate cone every Saturday. Then he took me to the park to play baseball.
*syn. feeling, idea, sense
This morning, when a student in read the feedback from the other class, she was buzzing. "Wow, R wants to try the meatballs." She read the comments on show not tell writing and began revising her story. I was thrilled to see she was excited to get feedback from other students. Maybe the students get bored of the sames responders and this is a change of pace. Maybe electronic writing conferences can cross classrooms and build writing communities.