Genoa Middle School’s sixth graders were extremely busy during the month of November, creating their own novels for NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month). Collectively, they wrote 1,211,471 words! All students who met their goal have received a code from CreateSpace, an online publishing site, to get their books published and receive five free copies.
Students experienced authentic learning as they created their own novels. They wrote by hand, on the computer, and on their electronic devices. They also took advantage of the Westerville City School District’s new Google Drive, which enabled them to access their stories and keep writing from multiple devices, including phones and tablets. They used Web 2.0 tools to communicate with other student writers, receive email from authors participating in NANOWRIMO, and to have virtual word wars with other classes.