I Can WriteTutorial www'icanwriteonline'com

1
I Can WriteTutorialwww.icanwriteonline.com

• Shaw-Phillips Learning Associates, Inc.
• icanwriteonline_at_bellsouth.net

2
Credits

• Andy Bauer - Flash Architect and Graphic Designer
• Daniel Nitsch - Administrative Portal Software
  Engineer
• Art Gressick - Software Engineer
• Leslye Wilkins - Graphic Designer
• Stephen Phillips - Technical Consultant to the
  Project
• Dr. Tom Reeves, Consultant, University of Georgia
  - Department of Instructional Technology
• Li Zhu -Original Prototype Developer - University
  of Georgia - Department of Instructional
  Technology

3
Welcome to www.icanwriteonline.com! This
tutorial will guide you and your students through
each frame of the software. You will also find
Help options on each screen. Once you understand
how the software works, you can use this Tutorial
on a computer or LCD projector to orient your
students. We suggest you model the type of
writing (e.g., descriptive, narrative,
expository, persuasive) for students before you
have them write in that genre on the
software. We have found from our own teaching
and testing of the software it is easier to
introduce www. icanwriteonline.com beginning with
Description of an Object under Descriptive
Writing. All students know and should be able to
use their five senses more easily in describing
an object. After youve modeled describing an
object, you might have them brainstorm their own
objects to describe and begin writing using
www.icanwriteonline. As you move through the
software you will notice various tips and prompts
that make the softer user friendly. Students in
a Usability Study who were given no instructions
moved through the software with ease (Zhu,
2004). Students can find help on each screen by
clicking on the Freddy the Frog icon to receive
verbal instructions. Written and/or verbal
instructions are also provided by clicking on the
Lily Pad Help icon. When a student is writing a
piece, his work is automatically saved when he
advances to the next screen.
4
To use the software, click on Enter. You may
need to click twice, depending on your
computer. You may be prompted to download
Macromedia Flash Player 8 and/or Adobe Acrobat
Reader. Both are free and are widely used on the
Internet. Both of these applications can be
downloaded at www.adobe.com.
5
You will assign each student a username and
password before he gets to this screen. Each
student should memorize his own password. Be
sure to keep a list of these in case a student
forgets. Freddy the Frog gives students his first
instructions on this screen. He talks
immediately. He can be silenced with one click
on his body.
6
When students click the Lily Pad Help button,
Freddy, along with written directions, drops down
from the top of the screen. Just below Freddy
are three buttons ? plays Freddys verbal
instructions ? stops Freddys verbal
instructions X makes the Help screen
disappear Students may only want to listen to
Freddy the first time they use the software.
7
Students may choose to begin a new piece of
writing or choose a piece theyve already
written. Once they make their choice they should
click Next.
8
Students who choose to work on an existing
project are taken to a list that contains only
their writing. This list displays the title of
each writing piece, the genre and the status of
each piece. To select a particular piece, the
student highlights (clicks) the title and then
clicks Next to see the entire piece. On the
right side of the screen is the Control Panel
which gives students reminders about the
different buttons.
9
To begin a new piece, students must first choose
a topic. If they do not have a topic in mind,
have them click on I need help choosing a topic
and then click Next.
10
The Tips for Topics screen provides topic
suggestions in each of the four writing genres.
Topic choices will appear as the cursor is moved
across each genre. Students may choose one of
these topics or select a topic of their own.
Once a topic has been selected, it needs to be
entered in the topic box at the bottom of the
screen.
11
The students chosen topic appears in the next
screen. Here the student must select one of the
four writing genres. We recommend the
descriptive genre as it seems easier for
students the first time they use this software.
Have them click Next to move to the next screen.
12
If the student chose narrative writing, she has
a choice between story narrative, personal
narrative and other type of narrative. Once the
student clicks on a type of narrative writing,
she will move to a screen with a graphic
organizer for that type.
13
When a student clicks on Other on the previous
screen, she is taken to this generic web. The
student can organize her writing in a way that
makes sense to her. Ultimately, we want all
students to be able to draw their own graphic
organizers rather than using those we assign.
When they do this well, they have taken a giant
step to becoming advanced writers.
14
This student chose the story narrative on the
Getting Started screen and wants to write about
princesses. The graphic organizer on this
screen helps her write the basic information for
her story. Every box of the organizer must be
filled in before she can move to the next (Draft)
screen. Students may choose to write words or
phrases in these boxes. They will change these
into complete sentences on the next screen.
Each time the student advances to the next
screen, her work is automatically saved.
15
As the student completes each box, the story
begins to take shape.
16
Note the Red/Green button at the bottom right
corner of the page. Here the student can choose
Save, Print or Log Out. These options are
important if the writing period is ending. These
options will disappear by clicking on the X.
17
Once the student has written ideas in each box,
she now has a completed graphic organizer and can
move to the Draft stage. The text in each box
can be moved up and down by clicking on the
particular box and using the keyboards up and
down arrows.
18
The Control Panel on the right contains the
students ideas from the Pre-Write Screen so she
can see her ideas as he begins his first draft.
She can use the scroll bar and the arrows to see
all of the text.
19
The student finishes her first draft and can now
click on Next to go to the Revise Screen.
20
Before revising his work the student is prompted
to write a title for his piece at the top of the
screen. When he clicks OK, the prompt
disappears.
21

• The Revise screen provides two sources of
  information to help students revise their
  writing Traits of Good Writing and Teachers
  Comments. If the Teachers Comments icon is
  blinking the student clicks on that icon.

22
When the student clicks on the Teachers
Comments, a notepad appears with the teachers
comments and suggested changes. The teacher can
continue to add comments as the student makes
changes in her story. Each comment box is dated,
and she can see all of her written comments on
the Teacher Administrative Screens. Everything
is saved on the www.icanwriteonline.com server
and is available to the teacher or student
wherever they log in. Parents can also look at
their childs writing to see how she is
progressing.
23
The student can also click on the Traits of Good
Writing to help her revise her piece.
24
After reading the Organization Trait tips, the
student decides to write a new beginning or
lead. She asks a question Have you ever
wanted to be a princess? Its not as much fun as
you would think. The purpose of the lead is to
get the reader to want to read more. Why would
being a princess not be fun?
25
The Edit Screen contains the Editors Checklist
located beside the students writing. The
Checklist is composed of items pre-selected by
the teacher on one of the Teacher Administrative
Screens. The teacher may select any six items
from a list of sixteen and can change those items
as needed. When each student has edited her
writing against each Checklist item, she checks
the box by that item. The student may not
proceed to the next screen until all six items
have been checked.
26
Students have two options when publishing their
writing. They may choose from a variety of page
borders or Draw Your Own, a picture book format
in which they create their own illustrations.
27
Once the student clicks on Choose a Border, he
can scroll over thumbnails of screen borders to
choose one. He can preview how his published
writing will look by clicking the Print Preview
icon.
28
Prior to printing, the student may choose to
preview his writing with the border or page
format he has chosen. If the student wishes to
save a copy onto his computer, he may do so by
clicking on Save a Copy in the top left corner
of the screen. If the student wishes to print his
piece, he clicks on the printer at the top of the
screen.
29
If the student chooses, Draw Your Own the story
is shown In this picture book format. The font
is larger in this picture book style. The
student prints out the complete story and
illustrates it with any art tools she chooses.
30
Each students writing is saved in that students
portfolio. When the student clicks on Open Your
Portfolio, the screen opens to reveal her writing
on the left side. Her writing is categorized
according to genre on the right side of the
portfolio. The large colored tabs on the right
allow the student to choose which genre of
writing she wishes to review.
31
On this example screen, the student clicked on
the descriptive writing tab. He also clicked on
the title of his piece which now appears on the
left side of the portfolio.
32
The student can click on the thinking bubble at
the bottom of the screen, and a reflections box
will appear on the right side. The student can
write her thoughts about her story. When she
clicks on Save Close, the reflection is saved
with the story. She can read it again the next
time she opens her portfolio.
33
Students may not revise their work on the
portfolio screen. To make revisions they must
click on the pencil at the bottom of the screen
and they will see their writing appear in the
Edit Screen where they can make needed changes.
They will then proceed to the Publish Screen by
clicking Next.
34
If a student wishes to work on previously saved
writing, she can click on the eyes at the bottom
of the portfolio screen, and her writing list
will appear. She can then click on a particular
title and revise the piece before saving it again
in her portfolio.
35
This screen example indicates the student has
worked on at least 11 pieces of writing so far.
Students may have several pieces they are working
on that are in different stages of the writing
process. Students do not need to publish every
piece of writing. Students may ask the teacher
to delete a piece of writing from their list if
they are no longer interested in working on it.
Deleting a piece of writing is done by the
teacher on her Administrative Screens.
36
Helpful Tips to Remember

• Teachers
• For better viewing, use an LCD projector when
  showing the software application to the students
  for the first time.
• Keep a copy of all student passwords and
  usernames in case a student forgets his.
• If students are writing in a lab setting, you may
  want them to use computer headphones in order to
  hear Freddy more clearly and not disturb others.
• When using the software for the first time we
  suggest you have all students work on the same
  genre of writing.
• Use the Teacher Administrative screens to develop
  your own Editors Checklist to meet the needs of
  your students.
• Use the Teacher Administrative screens to view
  student writing and write comments that will be
  sent over the Internet to their Teacher Comments
  box on the Revise Screen.
• Remember that students who have computers with
  Internet connections at home may work on their
  writing there.
• A parent orientation to the software would help
  parents understand the writing process and the
  goals you are setting for student writing.

• Students
• Keep a copy of your username and password in a
  safe place.
• If you have Internet access at home you can also
  use the software there by using the same username
  and password you used at school
• You must complete every section of Pre-Write
  before moving on.
• You cannot skip a stage in the writing process.
• Real authors make many revisions in their writing
  before they are satisfied with its quality.
• Your Teachers Comments on the Revise Screen may
  require that you make several revisions in a
  piece before moving to the Edit Screen.
• Your teacher will teach you the Traits of Good
  Writing which will be very helpful to you in
  making revisions.
• Do not expect to master each trait in one lesson.
  
• You must complete the Editors Checklist before
  moving to the Publish stage of writing.
• You may ask your teacher to delete a piece of
  writing from your list if you and she agree that
  the piece is not one you wish to publish.

37
Writing is thinking. Thinking requires that a
person evaluate and organize his thoughts. We
have attempted to provide a variety of ways for
students to do that in the four major writing
modes.At the same time we have given students
freedom to create their own structures, decide on
their own topics and how they will write about
them.We believe that if children are to become
good at writing they need much practice. This
program alone does not require a certain amount
of practice, but provides ways for practice to
happen in a variety of ways.Thus, we have not
created a tool that removes the teacher from the
act of teaching writing. The teacher is a
critical decision maker in planning how to
demonstrate the software, what genres to focus on
first, what traits to teach and how to teach
them, which conventions to teach and how to teach
them and the type and amount of feedback to
provide each student. It
is our hope that this software will not only help
students to write richer and
larger pieces, but will put tools in teachers
hands that will result in more effective ways to
teach writing. Mary D. Phillips, Ed.D.Ann H.
Shaw, Ed.D.