7-12+Tech+Writing

**Integrating Technology into the 6-Trait Writing Process**

**Information from: [|The Writing Fix] iPods: Poetry and and Writing Across the Curriculum Prompts ** **Using iPod technology to generate excitement about writing assignments in all curricular areas** ** "//Music is the last true voice of the human spirit. It can go beyond language, beyond age, and beyond color straight to the mind and heart of all people."// ** -- [|Ben Harper] The picture on the right is **Rob Stone**, a high school language arts and social studies teacher and the coordinator for this iPod-inspired //Poetry and Writing Across the Curriculum// page at [|Writingfix]. And here is what he believes…

If you asked today’s students to **rank the things that are most important to them**, two things are sure to make nearly every list. As a matter of fact, for them, these two things supersede any mere list and move into an almost spiritual realm that includes things that are vital to their very survival. Those two things, of course, are **technology** and **music.** The reality is that, though classic literature, chapter books and picture books will always maintain their well-deserved importance in growing minds, today’s students find inspiration in places beyond the published works traditionally used in the classroom. If we truly want to reach them and make connections, we have to meet them where they are and “link” our world as teachers to their world as millennial learners.

I passionately believe that one of the places to look for that missing link is where today’s technology meets music: the iPod. Skeptical? Pull out an iPod in class and watch the interest immediately appear on your students' faces. Put lyrics on the overhead and watch the focus in their eyes. Hit play and they are yours. Implement a well-designed lesson attached to that song and you can do magic…

So what would a lesson for students look like if it was inspired by something shared from the teacher's iPod? The purpose of this page is to answer that question. It contains many writing across the curriculum lessons created by many amazing teachers from nearly all curriculum areas. Each lesson is tied to the writing process, the writing traits and a “mentor text” which, in each poetry lesson below, is the song and its lyrics. Read, enjoy, and give some of them a try. We will consistently be adding great lessons to this page. Perhaps yours will be one of them.

  Song Lyrics Links:  **
 * **SmartBoard Survey Activity: [[file:graph-student selections.notebook]]**
 * **The Writing Fix Web Site:** http://www.writingfix.com/ipod_prompts.htm
 * [|With Your Own Two Hands Example:]
 * Smartboard Notebook Page for Classifying ** [[file:Categorize.notebook]]
 * Listing of Individuals Involved in Change --[|My Hero Site]**
 * **Lyrics to "With My Own Two Hands":** http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/benharper/withmyowntwohands.html
 * **Lyrics for "Waiting On the World to Change":** [|http://www.links2lov�18�e.com/lyrics-john-mayer-world.htm]
 * Reference Card of lyrics on table as a .pdf[[file:Song Lyrics.pdf]]

Take a stand..... complete a quickwrite in the **discussion tab at the top of this page.** > >
 * Quick Write Activity:  **
 * 1) At your table, brainstorm as many changes the world needs as you can
 * 2) Write a few sentences that explains what change needs to take place
 * 1) Describe how you can impact change in any of those areas that require change.
 * 1) Explain the tools you possess that could be used? (Honesty? Sense of humor? A certain skill or personality trait?)


 * Video Clip from Saturday Night Live:** [|Parody on Protest Songs]. (scroll to the middle of the page)


 * Interactive Writing Prompt:** [|With Your Own Two Hands Student Lesson & Writing Prompt]
 * Student Examples:** [[file:With_Own2_Hands_HS_Examples.pdf]]


 * [[image:ideabulb.gif width="89" height="67" align="left"]]Trait Focus: ** Idea Development & Voice