November 21

Composing online

Do you need ideas for your students to compose online? Sure, you can open up a blank document and give them a topic to type-but what if you make it a bit more exciting the same ol’ thing?

With the holidays approaching, ask your students to write a postcard to your family from the perspective of an object. For example, ask them to write it from the mind of a turkey, pumpkin or cranberry. Other options could include the football, football helmet, chair, table or floor. Talk to the students and see what else they can come up with.

To complete this exercise, open up Publisher and select Postcard. Select one of the many templates if you want to keep it uniform or have the students choose their own. Explain where to add the text, how to add a picture and how to fill in the address section. (Remind them that this isn’t going to be mailed and they can create their own address.)