In the interest of transparency and web accessible documents I’m adding this overview of the WWP so we can easily refer to it.

Wireless Writing Project
Overview and Plan

In September, MacBooks will be distributed to all grades 6 and 7 classes.
The primary focus of MacBook use is for written expression.  Within a few months, students should be using the MacBooks for all (or almost all) writing activities.

Research Data Collection

September-October Cold Write (pretest; baseline)
·   Impromptu writing selection collected from each student, assessed by classroom teacher using BC Performance Standards, and submitted to district office by mid October.

May
Repeat of Cold Write (post test)
·   Impromptu writing selection collected from each student, assessed by classroom teacher using BC Performance Standards, and submitted to district office by mid May.

General Expectations

End of October
·   Students are actively using MacBooks at least 30 minutes per day
End of November
·   Students are actively using MacBooks at least 1 hour each day, including most writing activities in all subject areas.
End of January
·   Students use their MacBooks for all writing activities, as well as some research and note taking, typically for more than 1.5 hour a day
By June
·   Students use their MacBooks for all writing and an increasing range of other activities, which could be in various subject areas, typically for more than 2 hour each day.

Schedule and expectations

Introductory Session New Teachers September

Topics to be addressed
·   How to get started.  “In the Beginning” and setting up your classroom
·   Where and how to get help.
·   Introduction to MacBooks, including applications in dock, Macintosh HD, printing, etc.
·   Public Sharing and Memory Stick
·   Strategies for teaching keyboarding: All the Write Type
·   Word basics (enough to start journal writing in Word – put something in a word document, create a header, save into folders, and print)
·   Word editing tools including text to speech spell check: Readability Statistics
·   Using the performance standards templates and looking at exemplars for Grade 7
·   Using Moodle Site for communication
·   Set up Google Mail accounts and introduce Google calendars

Expectations for classroom use by end of October
·   Students acquire the basics of using their MacBooks
·   Students practice keyboarding
·   Students use their MacBooks for journal writing or other informal writing
·   They learn to create, save, and print a Word document
·   Students complete a piece of coldwrite impromptu writing following standard procedures
·   Students are actively using MacBooks at least 30 minutes per day

Required data collection
·   Impromptu writing selection collected from each student, assessed by classroom teacher using BC Performance Standards, and submitted to district office by mid October.  Note: Grade 6 students should have the choice of using MacBooks or writing longhand—whichever is most comfortable for them.

Expectations for project communication
Use of Moodle site to share ideas and concerns
Other
·   A visit with Toni Thompson who will model lesson of teacher’s choice

Second Session (October-November)

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers in morning
·   Trouble-shooting
·   Using Word for more purposes (e.g., hidden comments, track changes etc.)
·   Using Inspiration and PowerPoint
·   How to set up folders and save to the vault
·   Remote desktop (how to monitor use)
·   Presenting information in a variety of ways (Improving information writing; writing opinions)

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers and Veteran Teachers in pm
·   Using Moodle Site for communication
·   Using Inspiration and PowerPoint
·   Improving research writing
·   Using internet for research
·   Exporting from Inspiration into PowerPoint
·   Working with media: graphics, pictures and audio

Expectations for classroom use by end of November
·   Students learn to set up folders and save to the vault
·   Students begin using Inspiration for brainstorming, planning, making notes
·   Students use their MacBooks for a variety of genre of writing (personal, informative, narrative, or poetry)
·   Students use the performance standards templates for assessing their own writing
·   Students practice using editing tools, and determining what changes will improve a piece of writing
·   Students practice using editing and commenting features of Word
·   Students learn to conduct and evaluate Internet searches
·   Students use their MacBooks for making notes (they can use Inspiration and/or Word)
·   Students complete at least a short informational writing project using some web resources (e.g., report.)
·   Students are actively using MacBooks at least 1 hour each day, including most writing activities in all subject areas.

Expectations for project communication
·   Communicate with Moodle at least four times by January

Other
·   A visit with Toni Thompson who will model lesson of teacher’s choice

Third Session December/January

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers am
·   Trouble-shooting
·   Using the MacBook as an organizational tool (e.g., for preparing, distributing and collecting worksheets with links)
·   Writing stories, moving through the writing process
·   Revisit using Inspirations, and PowerPoint and introduction to Comic Life

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers and Veteran Teachers in pm
·   Using Moodle Site for communication
·   Using Inspiration and Comic Life to create a story
·   Improving narrative writing including plot development and character development

Expectations for classroom use by end of January
·   Students use their MacBooks to work on stories or simple picture books, (Teachers may vary the order of the genres according to their preferences)
·   Students learn to create a simple story using Inspiration and Comic Life
·   Students continue to practice using editing tools, and determining what changes will improve a piece of writing through self evaluation using the performance standards
·   Students use their MacBooks for all writing activities, as well as some research and note taking, typically for more than 1.5 hour a day

Expectations for project communication
·   Communicate with Moodle at least four times by March

Other
·   A visit with Toni Thompson who will model lesson of teacher’s choice

Fourth Session February/March

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers am
·   Trouble-shooting
·   Using Media in a variety of applications
·   Writing scripts for Personal Memoirs
·   Introduction to iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband (Podcasting)

Topics to be addressed for New Teachers and Veteran Teachers in pm
·   Using Moodle Site for communication
·   Using iPhoto, iMovie and Garageband (Podcasting)
·   Using media from a variety of sources

Expectations for classroom use by June
·   Students learn to create and present a simple iMovie
·   Students continue to practice using editing tools, and determining what changes will improve a piece of writing
·   Students use their MacBooks for all writing and an increasing range of other activities, which could be in various subject areas, typically for more than 2 hour each day.
·   Students continue to practice using editing tools, and determining what changes will improve a piece of writing
·   Students complete a piece of coldwrite impromptu writing following standard procedures.

Required data collection
·   Impromptu writing selection collected from each student, assessed by classroom teacher using BC Performance Standards, and submitted to district office by Mid May.

Expectations for project communication
·   Communicate with Moodle at least four times by June

Other
·   A visit with Toni Thompson who will model lesson of teacher’s choice