Many students are fascinated by technology, and the use of Twitter is no exception. There is something alluring about fitting thoughts into 140 characters or less and then watching for responses. This fascination can be used to motivate students during a creative writing assignment.
Planning the Creative Writing Assignment
Twitter's real-time, 140 character bursts of information is not ideal for a standard writing assignment. It can, however, work well when adapted more like a screen play. Students will need to choose their entries carefully so that the plot moves forward and readers do not loose interest. Action stories and careful attention to plot details are ideal.
Provide students with a scene for which to write. For example, a diner in Chicago close to closing time, the Ferris Wheel at a traveling carnival in the summer, or a group of teens at a LAN party at someone's house. Another idea is to have students write as if the story is a current event, such as a crime in progress.
Plan for students to be able to use a form of technology. This can be Twitter, but it is frequently blocked in public high schools and not all students will have access to the Internet from home. Other technologies may be available within school, such as a blog or forum, that could be used in a similar manner. The goal is to have students write short entries and have the opportunity to receive feedback from peers.
Using Twitter to Write the Short Story
To use Twitter for the creative writing assignment students and the teacher will need to have a Twitter account. Everyone should both follow and be followed by each other, or the teacher and a select few from the group. Depending on the age and maturity of the students, this account might need to be a new account and accepts no other followers during the assignment.
Students should post 3 to 5 times a day during the time allotted for the assignment. This allows time for comments and suggestions from their readers. It also will keep readers from becoming lost in multiple posts.
Alternatives to Using Technologies to Write a Twitter Novel
Not all classrooms or schools are set up for this assignment to be successful using technology. An alternative is to have students submit written entries.
One way to do this is to have students keep a journal book. They would write short entries, 140 characters or less, 3 to 5 times a day with space between each one for peer comments and suggestions. The journal would be passed during class to members of a peer edit group, who will write 140 characters or less comments for the entries.
Twitter Novels are still a new concept, but using the idea for a creative writing assignment is a way to motivate students to write using technology. The short entries encourage students to focus on details and events to keep the plot moving. Peer comments and suggestions will help them further hone their writing abilities.
References: Twitip: How to Start a Twitter Novel and ReadWriteWeb.
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