The third Ed Tech Digest Awards winner we bring to you is:
Earlier posts from this series: Arcademic Skill Builders, Learnist
BoomWriter is a creative, online storytelling application. Teachers can select from one of the numerous story starters or enter their own text, and then students use the the story creation tools to finish the tale how they see fit. Students can choose from a variety of illustrative tools, avatars, and of course, writing original text. Teachers are able to control what kind of content students start with, as well as the quantity of text and illustration they are expected to complete. Once students have completed their story, the collective stories (all starting from the same first chapter assigned by the teacher) are put to a student vote and the winning story is published on BoomWriter! Each student receives their own BoomWriter account, which is contained within the larger school account and is maintained by the teacher or school.
Teachers interested in meeting the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts will be pleased to find that it explicitly aligns with:
Grade 3
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3 - Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Grade 5
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 - Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Grade 6
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 - Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Grade 7
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
BoomWriter can be used to support evidence-based writing strategies which as Prewriting, Drafting, Reviewing, and is an excellent tool to enhance Visualizing strategies. Add a comment below to let us know how you use BoomWriter and PowerUp to bring technology into your classroom and help struggling students and those with disabilities meet the Common Core State Standards.
Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Michael McGarrah for helping to compile this post.
AIR Informs Episode #6: Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities During COVID-19
Remote learning requires adjustment for all students, but students with disabilities face additional challenges during the COVID-19 quarantine. In the latest episode of AIR Informs, Allison Gandhi, managing researcher and director of AIR’s special education practice area, describes some of these obstacles and shares strategies to help students make the most of this time.
