HyperDocs, GIFs, and Collaboration Boards: Online Writing Instruction Supports for English Learners
Abstract
During traditional, in-person writing instruction, teachers can quickly model tasks for students, students have clear directions for following lesson sequences step-by-step, and partner or group collaboration can begin by simply asking students to turn to whomever is sitting next to them. Online instruction poses challenges to these typical classroom dynamics, especially for teaching writing. This article highlights some tools (HyperDocs, GIFs, and collaboration boards, including Jamboard and Padlet) that I have integrated into the National Writing Project’s “College, Career, and Community Writer’s Program” (C3WP), an argument writing curriculum. In addition to making the units of instruction generally effective for online instruction, these specific adaptations are also designed to support English learners (ELs) as they learn writing skills in an online setting. In each section, I discuss the given tool, provide a rationale for why the tool fits the task originally outlined in the writing program, and explain the effectiveness of the tool for ELs.