NWP's Digital Is: A Tool for Writing, Learning, Connecting, and Sharing in the Digital Age
Publication: U.S. Department of Education
Date: April 25, 2013
Summary: Author Margarita Melendez discusses the difficulty for teachers in designing writing instruction for students in the digital world, and how the National Writing Project's Digital Is website provides a forum for teachers to share and engage with other educators in the field of digital writing.
Excerpt from Article
The portal is an open forum for the exploration of inquiries and sharing of examples of practice by educators across all grade levels and disciplines, as well as those who work with young people in schools and in museums, libraries, and other out-of-school settings. The driving question behind the portal is: "If 'digital' is a primary means of conveying the written word, how do we collaborate, write, publish, and share today, and what does this mean for the teaching of writing and connected learning?" NWP's Digital Is website was designed to explore this question within a supportive community of colleagues.
Within Digital Is, educators are encouraged to share and discuss important evidence of the visionary, innovative, and dedicated work and approaches they bring to their professional practices, especially important in a rapidly changing media and information landscape. All content within the website is contributed by the community and curated by NWP teacher-leaders. It is a work in progress and a growing collection that currently involves several thousand educators, writers, and learners. In addition, it provides a forum for the NWP community that is using this medium to enhance their teaching effectiveness. Specific examples that are linked to improved classroom practice and/or student achievement are highlighted throughout this article.
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Read "Feature: Writing and Learning in the Digital Age – 'Digital Is'" in U.S. Department of Education .