Using Hot Topic Pages to Improve Student Writing
by:  Rachel Harrison and Bob Cole
Questions/comments?  Contact Rachel or Bob
Last updated:  8/9/00

Purpose:

The purpose of this WebQuest is to help you to create and incorporate Hot Topic web pages into instructional activities to improve the writing skills of our students.

Essential Questions:

• How can the use of technology incorporate writing activities into lessons?
• How can the use of technology promote higher-order thinking skills?
• How can the use of technology encourage student ownership of their work?
• How can the use of technology improve student achievement?

Introduction:

While grading your last unit test, you noticed that BCRs and ECRs were extremely poor!  Your students were only writing facts and not interpreting those facts into arguments.  They were not using research to support their statements and they did not document the source of their information.  You sat back in your chair and realized that if given today, your kids would not be able to pass these sections of the high school assessments.

Last night, you saw a TV news program in which teachers and students were working on computers in their classrooms to improve student achievement.  You brushed it off, thinking “when am I going to have time to teach that AND my content.”  But now, you are desperate...maybe you need to try something new to help your kids learn how to write better?

rcole/rharrison, created 8/00