What if on the Road

I am taking Whatifbag to a local middle school this Friday February 12th to present my website to one hundred 7th graders as part of their Language Arts course work! Very cool for them and for me. I did this back in October with about seventy students and it was a huge success.

The idea behind the Whatifbag site is in it's name. The words "what if" instantly take you or the reader to a place that gets you thinking, dreaming, using the imagination. A what if based question by it's very nature stimulates thought. I found that when if I frame a writing prompt for students as a What if, it allows the reader an opportunity to think freely. It opens them up. Students seem to forget about answering it right or wrong. As a result they can access their ideas with greater ease and fluency.

Most students, when asked, as I also do will tell you they don't like to write. That has been my experience with 13 year olds for sure. They appear to dread it, get stuck and have in turn have zero interest in writing. I get a lot of sighs. My website seems to have the exact opposite effect. Once they get going, students open up. They are actually excited by the question and their answer. I have found that students read a What if question, think for a moment and just write! They not only write, but they write with enthusiasm and energy. You can see it on their faces. They are having fun doing something most of them said the can't or don't like to do.

Why is my website writing any different from other writing prompt exercises. I believe it's in the question. It's dynamic and without traditional rules. I try to tap into their creative side or the right side of their brains. I stress to the students there are no wrong answers and that they are all capable of great thoughts. I also spend a great deal of time explaining the different hemispheres of the brain and the job they do. I reinforce we all of great ideas and wonderful imaginations. They begin to trust their ideas, they open up and they write! They also are very engaged in reading others responses as well. So as an educational tool. The website is accomplishing serveral things. I've got them writing and reading with excitement and smiles on their faces.

My ultimate goal is to show students writing is like art and within their reach. They just need to let go of old notions that they can't do it. I also want to introduce them to the idea that if they can think it, they can write. Just write! There are no wrong answers. No rules, no editing. The What if prompt sets the stage perfectly for this creative writing process to take place. The What if questions on my website provoke thought as well as entertains both reader and writer.

At the end of the presentation, I close by asking the students who likes to write? Almost every hand in the room goes up! If I can do that, then Mission accomplished.