Today we began the process of writing the story. I helped my student brainstorm for topics that he would like to write about. We were having some difficulty coming across something that peaked his interest, so I asked him to tell me about the 1 thing that he would love to talk to his classmates about. His choice was "Halo 3". This a video game that is popular amongst kids his age and is based upon space travel and adventures.
Once we decided on a topic, my student became a waterfall of information. I asked him to tell me the plot of the game and to include all important characters and events. I had him write a lot of this information down. It amazed me how much of this storyline he could recall off of the top of his head without hesitation, but how much he would struggle with reading passages at times. This clearly speaks to his motivation being a decisive factor in his success, or lack thereof, in the classroom.
To start off, I had my student create a list of "likes" and "dislikes" about the game/plot. With this information in hand I was able find my starting point. I asked my student to put himself in the main character's shoes. He had to write down what special powers he would like, his hero name, and any other information that he would like to add. We finished by creating a Venn Diagram of his hero character and the original main character in the story.
I got a lot more done than I expected to on this day. We were able to find a topic and establish a baseline for the next session. From the looks of things, my student is extremely interested in the assignment. In fact, there were other students who were asking if they could participate and have me help them put a story of their own together.
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