Creating a Community of Digital Writers -- The Wiki

This is a wiki. If you have ideas to add, please do so, but try not to edit out any of the good ideas already here!

As teachers we endeavor to do two things: engage our students -- help them get fired up about something -- and help them learn how to do things better. Many teachers are successful at creating community within their physical classrooms and the principals they use to achieve success are the same in the digital classroom. Here is a quick run down of attributes and strategies:

• Create a sense of purpose. If the technology is only a place for creating homework or is something more for your convenience than theirs, it won't work as well. The space needs to have a purpose:  This space will give each participant an authentic audience. This space will help us learn how to be honest and supportive while not offending. This space will help us write better. Discuss this with the students; let them figure out the purpose. Have a plan for externally publishing or presenting their work for added audience and purpose.
• Share control. Let the students set up the rules; you will be amazed that they will gravitate to exactly what you want but because they did it, they will buy into it. Have them set the rules for commenting. Create opportunities for them to share work done outside the classroom. Encourage open brainstorming. Let them create exercises or polls or prompts. Let students pursue their interests. Many studies show; help them set their own ground rules for what's appropriate and what's not,
• Develop trust. Begin by NOT moderating their work, by believing that the students will naturally build community and behave appropriately. Interestingly, students believe that a safe online space is one where commenting is positive, honest, supportive and purposeful. They will take greater risk with their ideas if they know they will be positively received. This is vital for students to go beyond, to go deeper with their ideas, reflections and sharing. And trust will build as they get to know each other and get to know you more deeply.
• Commit to it. A digital classroom is more than testing a new cool Web app. This is a space that is going to grow in importance and you need to use it regularly and show its importance to the class. If you are using it, if you are writing on it, if you are participating in the exercises you set up, if you are commenting, they will see it as something worth investing their time and energy.
• Draft some student help. Every class has one or two or more students who are happy to be called "computer geeks" and who know how to use technology very well. Sometimes these kids are more isolated than others. Draft them as helpers. They will appreciate it. And they will be able to help you do things you never thought possible. For instance, never had the kids do a podcast? Get your student helpers involved before you do the exercise, and get them to help while you're doing it.
• Understand the students are different. Sounds obvious but develop strategies for each student because some students:
  • may not want to immediately make their work public (make sure your software allows students to NOT publish their work but still allow you to see it),
  • may not have Internet access at home,
  • may not have a natural ability to figure out technology,
  • may not be able to use a keyboard very well, and
  • may not like to write.
• Reward. One of the tenets of Young Writers Project is that students can recognize quality very quickly though they might not be able to understand how to articulate why they think something is good. Find ways to highlight quality work and involve students in that process -- electronic voting or rating is usually NOT the answer because sometimes kids just vote for their friends, but there is always the process of looking at the comments -- learning what the kids like -- or even asking them. Then publish that piece on the front page of your site (make it public) or on the school's Web site or even in a newsletter.