I liked the quote from Lewis in the
chapter. The setting of Fan Fiction does not require students to start from
scratch to begin writing their stories. Students are still building their
“writing muscles” as they continue the plot of the story and develop characters.
In the classroom, it is important for students to practice skills but they need
to have opportunities to build their “writing muscles” too.
Similar
to how Tiana and Jandalf commented on supporting each others weaknesses in
writing, I think co writing between peers could be a positive classroom
practice. The system that the two girls designed to write their narratives is
ingenious. Tiana and Jandalf focus on the plot and story between their
characters rather than specific grammatical elements, but they have still seen
improvement in their writing abilities. The in and out of character notations
used by these writers allows them to effectively communicate but stay focused
on the overall goal. Also, the depth that the girls feel towards there characters
is significant. The authors draw upon their knowledge of stories and characters
but also their personal experiences in order to tie in emotion and create an
interesting story.
In
addition to writing and posting Fan Fiction stories, the author also describes
how Tyana and Jandalf create avatars, preview posters, sample clips, and
character images. I think these would be fun activities to do in the classroom
to accommodate a written piece.
Fan
fiction provides a setting and writing structure that can be adapted to fit
classroom instruction. Communication between writers and supporting writing exercises
allow students to practice their skills and build their “writing muscles.” I like
the writing structure of fan fiction, and I think it could be used starting
around the second grade.
I wrote in my blog that fanfiction writing could be used in lower elementary schools also. I think it is a great outlet for students especially because they aren't having to "start from scratch" as the author said. Fanfiction writing takes characters they know and creates new storylines. What a creative way to incorporate writing in the classroom. It definitely beats the 'journal prompt of the day'. ;)
ReplyDeleteI have read other blog posts and there seems to be a genuine theme.... most have never heard of fan fiction (including myself) and most are starting to like it. The use of such a resources if great for all of the activities you mentioned using in your class. I think this is a great tool to keep in mind for all of us. It's also something they might want to use in professional development to get the word out there that it even exists.
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