Course Prototype: Course Profile for Creative Writing 20

Introduction to my ADDIE Template & The Background of My Choices

You will see in my ADDIE template that I envision this course prototype to be one that I eventually will use in my day-to-day teaching of this curriculum. Therefore, I started with a big vision of how I could structure a blended-learning Creative Writing 20 course with a focus on the Fiction Writing outcome (CW20.6). However, it was too big of a task for this particular project and I needed to narrow it down. I chose to work with the unit of Science Fiction writing. I find this one the most challenging to teach and engage students in. I have found that students either gravitate toward this style as their ‘niche’  or find it incredibly daunting and therefore struggle to venture into it – sometimes avoiding it altogether.

I am hopeful that through a blended learning structure that this particular writing style can become really fun, creative, inventive, and engaging for all students to explore!

In trying to become specific and choosing something that could fit within the construct of a single ‘lesson’, I chose to use the introductory phase of the unit and focus my energies on creating opportunities for students to engage in ‘world building’.
While this ‘lesson’ will essentially occur over the course of a few days in my classroom-teaching reality, I am hopeful that the choices I have made will help me accomplish the criteria within the ECI 834 project. With this being a blended course, students will be able to use their 1:1 technology provided by the school to access and explore EdTech that allows them to create a Science Fiction world–with the support of a face-to-face teacher as they progress through the semester.
I hope to keep inspired to continue to build this Moodle to its full potential, even after the course is over.

 Here is what I have come up with so far! The reality of this project is that it will be ever-changing as I learn and work within structuring successful modules for a blended learning class in Creative Writing 20. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts on how I can turn this dream into an EdTech-integrated, blended-learning reality.

Course Profile: Here We Go!

I find that Creative Writing 20 is an engaging elective course option for students outside of the mandated ELA courses and will be a good foundation for my project.
I am hopeful that this course will be able to reach its potential for EdTech integration in a blended learning environment.

Course Timeline: this course will take place in a single, ‘typical’ high school semester (i.e., Sept-Jan, Feb-June)

Insight(s) that inspired need for instruction: 

• Creating safe spaces for students to share their creative writing in all stages of the writing process

• Creating safe spaces for students to receive feedback on their work in all stages of the writing process

• Creating interactive and digital spaces for students to explore various ways to engage in all stages of the writing process (ie. creating, drafting, workshops, revision, peer and self feedback, etc.)

Target Audience: The Creative Writing 20 curriculum requires both* Grade 10 ELA as prerequisites. Therefore, the target audience would be any student who has met that criteria (likely in Grade 11 or 12).
*this may be subject to change due to recent curriculum renewal and changes in graduation requirements.

The outcomes of Creative Writing 20 for the 2 course prototype modules:
CW20.6: Compose a variety of written short fiction texts that explore identity and social responsibility
CW20.10: Establish goals and plans for language learning and use relevant to Creative Writing 20

The Modules: A (very) *Brief Overview
*please see the ADDIE for details

module 1: Creative Writing: Science Fiction unit introduction

• this module will host a lesson from the Science Fiction unit consisting of: Introductory notes available both on moodle and in person, peer-collaboration review activities via lumi, world building with ai and other edtec apps/programs*, and a Small short story excerpt assessment
  *I am still searching for some fun, free apps/programs for students to use to help with their world building – any suggestions are happily welcomed 🙂

Module 2: Creative Writing: Writer’s Workshops (Science fiction unit – initial assessment)

• this module will host a lesson wherein students will engage in a peer-peer (pair) writer’s workshop for the assessment attached to Module 1 within the Science Fiction unit

• This will be a necessary part of the course as writer’s workshops are a crucial part of not only the writing process, but also building classroom community

Learning experiences & Activities for creative writing 20 (Overall course prototype)

• lectures – genre-specific notes, interactive videos via lumi to enhance concepts

• student-led writers workshops

• use of ai and edtech apps to help with world building

• creative writing time for various stages of the writing process

• peer-collaboration (brainstorming, sharing, collaborating, etc)

• mentor texts: used for analysis, inspiration, and modeling of various genre-specific concepts

Major platforms (LMS & EDTech) *the ADDIe goes into detail on how each item listed below will be used throughout the course

• Moodle

• Google Drive

• Edsby

• Canva Pro

• Lumi

• Google (as search engine)

• ChatGPT

• AI – image generation

• *EdTech: I am currently looking into free apps and programs that students would be able to use to assist in creating the visuals, characters, settings, maps, etc of their worldbuilding journey.

Attendance
While this is a blended course, students are expected to be in attendance for our face-to-face class period and the Moodle will be used to compliment what is being done in this environment. That being said, students will be able to access 95% of the materials on the Moodle, and via Edsby, in order to stay caught up in class if they are unable to attend class for any reason. What absent students will miss out on, is the face-to-face engagement that occurs in the class through free writes, quick writes, student dialogue, etc. which is difficult to replicate on the Moodle in this particular course’s blended structure.

Assessments
The assessments throughout this course will be both formative and summative. In the context of the two modules, the assessments are as follows:

Module 1: Introduction to Science Fiction Writing (Lesson 1)
Formative: ‘Introduction to Creative Writing: All About Me & this Genre’; free writes/quick writes associated with science fiction writing prompts; Lumi Activities on the Moodle (i.e., introduction to the genre, etc); exploration of apps, programs, and AI to build the science fiction world that will be the basis of their story (see summative assessment below)
Summative: 1pg short story excerpt using the ‘world building‘ material they created throughout the course activities 
Module 2: Writer’s Workshop (Lesson 2)
Formative: engaging in Writer’s Workshop process (providing critical and constructive feedback to their peers’ writing via the ‘Workshop’ feature on Moodle & be able to speak to the feedback in face-to-face dialogue with their peers upon returning to class)
Summative: 1 revised copy of piece submitted to the Writer’s Workshop that communicates use of feedback (peer, teacher, & self); 1 Video Reflection: demonstrating growth throughout the workshop process, reflecting on ‘Final Workshop Piece’ – this will be submitted in company to their story  

Students

• English Language Learners:
  – Use of 1:1 technology (Chromebooks) will be a helpful aid (i.e., EAL, etc).
  – As well, students who require or prefer using speech-to-text/text-to-speech apps/extensions will be able to use them throughout all course work.
  – All learning support materials (i.e., Lumi videos, YouTube videos, articles, etc) will be close-captioned for additional support.
  – if any additional accommodations are needed, it will happen on a case-by-case basis
• Personal/Cultural Considerations:
  – any ROAs will be utilized so as to ensure individual student success
  – this is an elective course and therefore there are not as many ‘readily-available’ or ‘mandated’ materials. Sourcing out ethical examples for mentor texts will be a high priority
  – safe space is a clear structure and set up for a course like this to be successful due to the vulnerable nature in which students may feel themselves in due to sharing their personal writing creations
  – in the video reflections, students do not need to show their face at any point, they can be purely audio-based.
  – students will be encouraged to explore a variety of materials, perspectives, voices, etc. through the mentor texts that we use throughout the course. It is the hope that this will bring a harmony to the community of writers.
  – if any additional accommodations are needed, it will happen on a case-by-case basis to support student success!

Closing Remarks

I found this incredibly difficult to narrow down. It was almost easier for me to plan out my entire course and then pick and choose what I could manage in the timeframe to meet the criteria of the project. I feel as though I’m not doing the vision I have for the course justice, and it’s difficult when I know that things that are perfectly clear in my head are challenging to translate for someone else to understand – especially in the format of a course profile via this blog post.

It is my hope that I have provided enough information for my vision to be clear to you as a reader. I am looking forward to your feedback, thoughtful critiques, and constructive criticism as I venture into the designing of the course!