Appendix B
Appendix B
A Guide for Book Studies
The Multimedia Writing Toolkit is ideally suited for groups of elementary and middle school teachers who are interested in helping their students incorporate multimedia into their writing in ways that are both purposeful and engaging and who want to work together as a book-study group. If you are using this text for a book study, I recommend you and your group members reflect on important issues in the book at three distinct stages: before reading, during reading, and after reading. The following sections provide key points to consider before examining the text, while you’re reading it, and once you’ve completed it. Before Reading
Before reading this text, I suggest activating your prior knowledge of this book’s central points by considering these key ideas: ◆
How have you incorporated technology into your writing instruction? ◆ Of these forms of technology integration, which have struck you as most successful? Why? ◆ What are some forms of technology integration you’ve used in your writing instruction that have not been particularly successful? Why do you believe this is? ◆ How would you describe your beliefs on teaching with technology?
During Reading
After reading the book’s introductory chapter, answer the following questions: ◆
What did you notice about the description at the beginning of the book of students creating websites they’ll use to share their argument essays? ◆ Early in the introduction, we meet a teacher named Kimberly who described both opportunities and challenges associated with incorporating technology into her instruction. What are some comments she makes to which you can relate? © 2017, The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, Sean Ruday, Taylor & Francis
Next, I recommend answering the two questions below with your book group members at the conclusion of each chapter between Chapter One and Chapter Six: ◆
How can the multimedia use described in this chapter enhance a piece of writing? ◆ What are some specific adaptations to the ideas and recommendations described in this chapter that you’d make when teaching your students about its topic? Next, read Chapter Seven and discuss the following questions with the other members of your book-study group: ◆
What are some challenges you believe exist when it comes to evaluating students’ multimedia use? ◆ Why do you think it’s important to align instruction and assessment when evaluating students’ use of multimedia in their writings? ◆ What are some benefits that can come from separately evaluating each aspect of effective multimedia use? Next, read Chapter Eight and discuss the following with your group members: ◆
How do you feel the ideas discussed in Chapter Eight work together to create strong multimedia-infused writing instruction?
After Reading
Now that you’ve finished The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, talk with your book-study group about your responses to these four questions: ◆ ◆ ◆
◆
◆
How did the ideas in this book enhance your understanding of how to use multimedia in writing instruction? Why do you think this book emphasizes the purposeful use of multimedia integration so much? Which of the multimedia tools described in this book do you see as having the greatest relevance to your students’ interests and ability levels? Reflection is a major part of this book; students reflect on the importance of each multimedia tool after using it in their works. How will you help your students reflect on the multimedia forms you teach them? What is one way you feel this book will immediately impact the way you integrate technology into your writing instruction?
© 2017, The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, Sean Ruday, Taylor & Francis
A Guide for Book Studies
The Multimedia Writing Toolkit is ideally suited for groups of elementary and middle school teachers who are interested in helping their students incorporate multimedia into their writing in ways that are both purposeful and engaging and who want to work together as a book-study group. If you are using this text for a book study, I recommend you and your group members reflect on important issues in the book at three distinct stages: before reading, during reading, and after reading. The following sections provide key points to consider before examining the text, while you’re reading it, and once you’ve completed it. Before Reading
Before reading this text, I suggest activating your prior knowledge of this book’s central points by considering these key ideas: ◆
How have you incorporated technology into your writing instruction? ◆ Of these forms of technology integration, which have struck you as most successful? Why? ◆ What are some forms of technology integration you’ve used in your writing instruction that have not been particularly successful? Why do you believe this is? ◆ How would you describe your beliefs on teaching with technology?
During Reading
After reading the book’s introductory chapter, answer the following questions: ◆
What did you notice about the description at the beginning of the book of students creating websites they’ll use to share their argument essays? ◆ Early in the introduction, we meet a teacher named Kimberly who described both opportunities and challenges associated with incorporating technology into her instruction. What are some comments she makes to which you can relate? © 2017, The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, Sean Ruday, Taylor & Francis
Next, I recommend answering the two questions below with your book group members at the conclusion of each chapter between Chapter One and Chapter Six: ◆
How can the multimedia use described in this chapter enhance a piece of writing? ◆ What are some specific adaptations to the ideas and recommendations described in this chapter that you’d make when teaching your students about its topic? Next, read Chapter Seven and discuss the following questions with the other members of your book-study group: ◆
What are some challenges you believe exist when it comes to evaluating students’ multimedia use? ◆ Why do you think it’s important to align instruction and assessment when evaluating students’ use of multimedia in their writings? ◆ What are some benefits that can come from separately evaluating each aspect of effective multimedia use? Next, read Chapter Eight and discuss the following with your group members: ◆
How do you feel the ideas discussed in Chapter Eight work together to create strong multimedia-infused writing instruction?
After Reading
Now that you’ve finished The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, talk with your book-study group about your responses to these four questions: ◆ ◆ ◆
◆
◆
How did the ideas in this book enhance your understanding of how to use multimedia in writing instruction? Why do you think this book emphasizes the purposeful use of multimedia integration so much? Which of the multimedia tools described in this book do you see as having the greatest relevance to your students’ interests and ability levels? Reflection is a major part of this book; students reflect on the importance of each multimedia tool after using it in their works. How will you help your students reflect on the multimedia forms you teach them? What is one way you feel this book will immediately impact the way you integrate technology into your writing instruction?
© 2017, The Multimedia Writing Toolkit, Sean Ruday, Taylor & Francis
