Whenever I hear “Step by Step” by the New Kids On The Block, I can’t help but swoon. I’m a complete sucker for boy bands. On my list of favorite things, they’re pretty high up there, somewhere near cheeseburgers and creative writing. Because of that, I became insanely jealous when I discovered that students from grades four through 12 were being given the opportunity by BoomWriter to get creative and write with NKOTB’s Jordan Knight.
Launched this March by Chris Twyman in Cambridge, BoomWriter blends social media and education, providing schools with a free, interactive creative writing program. Comprised of a group of educators and technology experts who share a passion for reading, writing, learning and social media, the team has been able to provide global support for teachers and students with more than 500 schools, both local and abroad, currently using the program. Between 30 and 40 countries are involved, including Russia, Australia, Iceland and India, and 20 to 50 new schools are signing up for the program every day.
Through the program, guest authors write the first chapter of a story. From there, each student in the class writes what they think should be the next chapter and then submits it online through BoomWriter. Once all of the second chapters are in, BoomWriter uses an algorithm to send them out in chunks of four, allowing students to read and vote on the chapters they enjoy the most. Gradually, students start communicating with each other through creative writing, but in a form that’s fun, fresh and interactive, providing an alternative to boredom in the classroom.
After each winning chapter is determined, the class can choose to write off of that or finish their book. The average number of chapters in one BoomWriter book is around six, and there have, so far, been 80 completed books published in total. Because students sign up with an avatar, the site is also safe for everyone to use.
With all of BoomWriter’s recent success, Twyman said he began approaching local celebrities to make the program even more appealing for kids. Jordan Knight, who has children the age of the students using the program, agreed to kick off the celebrity series and penned the first chapter of a book called “The Dark Star Rises.” The contest will be launched on Halloween, and BoomWriter will formally publish the final book and give copies of it to winning participants.
“I’m really excited to help BoomWriter promote this contest,” Knight said in a press release. “It is a really innovative and creative way to help school age kids better develop their writing skills leveraging social media in a collaborative environment. I just posted this on my Facebook page to get the word out to my fans.”
When talking to Twyman, he told me a story of one project being completed inside a Brookline school. A teacher phoned him and told him to listen in.
“I can’t hear anything,” Twyman said.
“I know. That’s because all 30 students are writing.”
Source: http://bostinnovation.com/2011/10/28/boomwriter-gets-boston-students-writing-with-new-kids-on-the-blocks-jordan-knight/
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