Collaborative writing in real time
Learning Scores
Classroom feedback
Further application
Small group
Whole class
ELL
General
Low literacy
How I Use It
I used PrimaryPad two different ways with 2nd graders, although there are probably many more.
First I
assigned them the task of creating a class "I Wish" poem. Each student was to contribute one line that began with the words "I wish..."
Chaos ensued as students accidently deleted each other’s work.
I think this might not be a problem with older students, or might be solved by giving them a the simple rule of "no deleting."
For the next
class, I set up five different pages with different general interest topics. Not having so many writers on a page at once helped, but it still took awhile for them to learn how to avoid deleting each other’s work.
When I facilitated the group discussing sharks, PrimaryPad became a chat tool to develop oral and written language skills. Students were excited to read my questions, and were eager to respond, all the while picking up new spelling words.
With the timeline slider, I could go back and review how the written discussion
unfolded and developed. Next time I use this will be for groups of older
students working on a report or a project.
My Take
This is an excellent tool to promote collaboration in your classroom. Similar to GoogleDocs, PrimaryPad has a number of neat features that teachers will appreciate. First of all, students do not need an account, and logging in is a breeze. Secondly, Primary Pad saves a new version after each revision. With a sliding timeline, a teacher can see the document being drafted, revised, and edited. And because each contributor is highlighted with a different color, it's easy to see who did what.
Also, the chat feature allows a teacher to assist with mechanical and grammatical errors right a the moment they occur.
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