Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Collaborative Writing Assignments

So this isn't so much school related but I am interested in creating either a wiki or a blog for our cabin recipes. We have good friends in Chicago and Milwaukee and we use my parents' cabin as a rendez-vous point several times a year.

Each time we get together we split up meals and cook for each other. Every time we get together we say we should start a cookbook with all our recipes. (Plus our friends Santi and Kristi are AMAZING cooks and we want their recipes!!!)

At first I thought about making a binder to keep at the cabin but that would make it hard to figure out what ingredients you need to buy with the recipes stored up there. So...I was thinking I could create a blog - this way we can add our recipes and pictures of what the dish should look like. I started the blog but am now wondering if a wiki would be a better choice.

What I would like to do:
- Be able to easily add recipes.
- Have friends be able to add their recipes.
- Be able to add pictures.

My question is - if I use the blog, will my friends be able to contribute or will I have to put all the recipes up?

As for a school project, I did like the idea about creating a collaborative digital writing piece (The Library Ghost) with a class from the Bledsoe article. In this article the 4th grade class worked through the brainstorming, writing and revising stages to create a script. I could definitely see how this could be a great way to model the writing process. I also liked the idea of the class turning the writing piece into a script and then acting out their masterpiece.

Positives:
- All students are involved in the creation process.
- Students work through all parts of the writing process.
- Multiple technologies can be used to create the project (Photostory, Voicethread etc.)

Negatives:
- When working with a full class it is hard to make sure every student is involved.
- As the article described, you need to decide if all students will be involved (thus making a long story) OR if some parts will be cut (making a more appropriate length but leaving some students out).

2 comments:

  1. On the non-school related note: I think a wiki is probably a great way to get that cabin recipe thing going. Maybe send your friends/family a link to that Common Craft video (wikis in plain english) along with an invitation to a wiki. You will be the digital queen of your social circle :)

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  2. I agree: wiki all the way! You could create a page for appetizers, another one for main courses or desserts, etc. It would be easy for anyone to add text or pictures. Will you invite us to the unveiling of the wiki? It will be a dinner celebration, right? ;)

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