Another technology that I feel has large potential in the classroom is Inform 7. It is a free, and very simple to use interactive fiction (IF) software. In interactive fiction, students create text-based worlds by creating rooms and spaces, and filling those spaces with objects and people. Without pictures and sound as a crutch, students become motivated to create environments that will engage their peers. With some creative thinking, IF can be used for expository and persuasive writing, where each ‘room’ could be a new piece of evidence or support. Additionally, IF is well suited for recreating historical events.
Used in these ways, Inform 7 meets NETS 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity; 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments; and 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Inform 7 also aligns with the ISBE English Language Arts standards:
1B —Students who meet the standard can apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
2A —Students who meet the standard can understand how literary elements and techniques are used to convey meaning.
3A —Students who meet the standard can use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3B —Students who meet the standard can compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3C —Students who meet the standard can communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
5C —Students who meet the standard can apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.
To play through an interactive fiction based on the Aristotelian appeals, please click here or the image below:
Mahara, an free, online e-portfolio software also shows great potential for students. The interface is intuitive and the creation and linking of pages makes it easy to expand the possibilities for students. The multi-column layouts and options make it ideal for organizing large quantities of information. Mahara would be a easy way for students to create a website with multiple pages and artifacts, or, as the site suggests, to begin building a resume online.
Mahara has great potential, and meets NETS 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning and 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Mahara aligns with the ISBE English Language Arts standards:
3B —Students who meet the standard can compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3C —Students who meet the standard can communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
5B —Students who meet the standard can analyze and evaluate information acquired from various sources.
Explore a Mahara site I devoted to Rhetorical Analysis here, or by clicking the image below. As an aside, I have had students e-mail me letting me know that when they Googled ‘exigence, audience purpose’, this site was the first that came up!:
