Times New Roman Poetry or Fun Poetry?

What do we want our students to learn? What does the 21st century require? What do children enjoy? Striking a balance is essential for educators, but when all three questions can be fulfilled together, everyone succeeds.

Compare the two versions of this 6th grader's autobiographic poem. The words are the same. Which would you read first? Which better represents the personality of the author? Which do you think the student is most proud of and enjoyed working on?

Quality writing is essential, but how it is presented is also important. When we teach our students to express themselves with their writing beyond Times New Roman on a white sheet of paper, we are preparing them for their future. Michael Jack will be looking for a job someday or bidding on a contract or starting his own business. Learning to convey his message in a creative and appealing way will serve him well. In the meantime, he just thinks that working with Graphics-Toolbox is, "Cool!"