Participate and share: Interactive session 
The purpose of this session is to show how Google Docs can be used for creative student learning activities. Each activity uses tools already included in Google Docs, so no additional extensions or add-ons are needed. The activities focus on ways to help students improve their reading comprehension, summarization skills, writing skills, creativity, and expression beyond just text.
The activities explored will include:
1) Highlighting for Summarization
Description: In this activity we use the highlighter tool to black out any text that is not critical, leaving behind just the main ideas, to improve reading comprehension.
2) Black Out Poetry
Description: In this activity we use the highlighting tool to create a new poem out of an existing text.
3) Emoji Learning Activities
Description: In this activity we use special characters to insert emojis to summarize stories, write creatively, explore character emotions, understand math variables, and more.
4) Cloze Reading Activities
Description: In this activity we learn how to use the dropdown tool and checklist features to create cloze reading activities to develop comprehension and content knowledge in any subject area.
5) Choose Your Own Adventure Stories
Description: In this activity we use headings and hyperlinks to create interactive stories in Google Docs, for creative, non-linear storytelling.
6) Pre-writing with Embedded Graphic Organizers
Description: In this activity we use the option to embed Google Drawings into a Doc to add interactive graphic organizers for students to use to prepare their ideas before writing.
7) Have Students Write Better by Writing Less
Description: In this activity we use the word count tool to write within a character limit or word limit, to develop summarization skills.
This session will be entirely hands-on as participants engage in each of the Google Docs activities. The time will be divided as follows:
1) Highlighting for Summarization - 10 minutes
2) Black Out Poetry- 15 minutes
3) Emoji Learning Activities - 15 minutes
4) Cloze Reading Activities - 15 minutes
5) Choose Your Own Adventure Stories - 15 minutes
6) Pre-writing with Embedded Graphic Organizers - 15 minutes
7) Have Students Write Better by Writing Less - 5 minutes
Details and resources for each of these activities can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IdnRvozUHByB4nl9yZoHbT_kBa8bcmcxilr6upN6tAc/edit
The benefits of using technology to engage students in learning activities are well supported by research. The website Reading Rockets includes an article ( at http://www.readingrockets.org/article/literacy-instruction-digital-and-media-technologies ) addressing many of these benefits with cited research and practical examples. Example effects include improvements in comprehension, motivation, writing competency, and critical thinking.
Additionally the website TeachThought includes an article ( at https://www.teachthought.com/literacy/use-text-reduction-strategy-improve-reading-comprehension/ ) that explores the benefits of text-reduction strategy to improve reading comprehension and summarization skills. This article was the motivation for the "Black Out" activities I developed with Google Docs.
In addition, several of the resources and approaches demonstrated in my session are listed as positive influences on student achievement in James Hattie's "Visible Learning" study including:
Interventions for students with learning needs
Summarization
Concept mapping
Vocabulary programs
Creativity programs
Underlining and highlighting
Technology in writing
Comprehension programs
Exposure to reading
https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/
Return
Trips and Tours