Bridget Dalton
berdwyer
Blaine Smith
danagrisham
jillcastek
TDWolseyBy Thomas DeVere Wolsey
In this post, I share an infographic representing the ideas in the article,
“Accuracy in Digital Writing Environments: Read Up, Ask Around, Double-Check”. Access the article by clicking here and scrolling down to the article.
You are welcome to share this infographic in your classroom or for nonprofit educational purposes.
Read Up, Ask Around, Double-Check
Infographic design by Getty Creations
Read Up, Ask Around, Double-Check by @TDWolsey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at literacybeat.com/2019/03/26/read-up-ask-around-double-check/.
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Filed under: Critical Evaluation, digital resources, digital tools, disciplinary literacy, writing | Tagged: infographic, Wolsey |
Literacy Beat 
Thanks for sharing this infographic. As a teacher, I cannot stress enough to my students about the importance of double-checking their work. The middle-schoolers that I teach seem to rush to get finished as opposed to finishing to be proficient. As with anything, I know these skills have to be taught. A lot of what was mentioned in this article I have learned through my own teaching experiences within the classroom. I agree that students should read widely as you’ve mentioned. With a majority of my students growing up in poverty, they come to me lacking background knowledge on a lot of things. It is my duty to expose them to a variety of texts, bridge the gap, and help them make those connections for comprehension.
I also agree with you about your statement regarding thinking, reading and writing are not mirrors of one another. Some of my best readers are not my best writers. Some of my students who have the highest lexiles stick to what they like and lose interest and motivation when presented with anything else. It is true that every person can be a struggling reader or writer depending on the topic at hand. It’s definitely imperative to do as you mentioned and read widely.
I also like that you mentioned asking peers for advice and direction when writing. Especially in middle schools, students place a lot of value in what their peers think. I have seen much success in my classroom when I have had essays peer evaluated.
Hi Brittany, I am glad you liked the infographic! I have a black and white version if you need it in that form, as well. Feel free to print this and use it in your classroom. Your students are fortunate to have you as their teacher!
Thank you for sharing the infographic. I teach first grade, but even at a young age I am already talking about these concepts with my students. We have 1:1 iPads in our classroom and use them quite a bit for research. While we are not yet citing sources, we are beginning to do all of these other things. Since technology is so prevalent and relevant to learning, we must begin to teach our students about accessing and evaluating information critically from an early age.
Right now, we are specifically working on reading for specific information. My students are working on generating questions and then trying to find answers for those questions, using a variety of texts. In your article, you talk about using school databases for research and information. Since my students are very young, we use Epic!, Pebblego and National Geographic Kids in a similar way. I also like your suggestion of asking peers and asking experts for information as well. This has motivated me to make sure I allow time for my students to share what they have learned with one another. It has also motivated me to work harder at accessing outside experts to talk with my students. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the feedback, Sarah. It is great to know that the principles are being used in the primary grades!
The infographic caught my attention about reminding students ways to ensure accuracy, even in their digital writings. It will be a great reminder for students that doing the “leg-work” for their writing is important especially when they are putting it out on social media or blog posts for others to read and evaluate at the stroke of a key. It is a refreshing way to introduce the editing and revising process. Students in today’s 21st century don’t want to learn editing marks, but they do want to get their message out there for others to see and comprehend.
In the related article I particularly appreciated how you discussed how easy it is today to find resources online, get feedback, and actually publish your message. In addition, you remind us that it is sometimes not the amount of resources we need, but rather the quality of those resources. Emphasizing to students that they must take the time to do the “fact checking” and “detail” homework for their writing is also an important element I want my students to learn. Most would agree that it is better to take a second look yourself, rather than being corrected by a peer after publishing or posting.
Overall, my favorite aspect of your article centers on that idea of “slow writing.” Like many of my students, sometimes I just want to get-it-done…and I rush to hit that “submit” button. I think we can all benefit from writing in stages and leaving it off for a while, so that it can ruminate and bounce around in our minds for a bit. It’s funny to me how when I’m reading and writing about a topic that some tangent idea will come up in conversation at the most unusual times, yet those ideas help to connect and solidify those ideas I want to express. In the same way, if students delay hitting that submit button, and give some additional time and thought to a topic, I think it adds depth to their clarity and coherence in the writing.
Hi Shannon, thank you for your thoughts and insights. I hope that you and your students find Read Up, Ask Around, Double-Check a useful approach. Keep up the “slow writing!”