Context

The facilitators of the project both write fiction and had recently started their own blogs as a way of recording the experience of writing their novels.  They both also ran a creative writing group at a local primary school and had discussed a group magazine or blog page as a way of presenting children’s writing, and in this way devised the idea of using blogging as a way of creating a virtual creative writing club for all children in the Bodmin area. Drawing on their experience of working for extended services they envisaged a way of using a group of blogs as an inclusive extra-curricular club that would offer the opportunity for all children to express their creativity. 

The original concept was to create a ‘virtual’ after school club for children in the Bodmin area that offered a forum for students to have their writing published, encouraging reading, writing and creativity in all age groups and abilities.  By enabling participation by using a computer the involvement in this club could be at lunch times, after school, at home, in the library or in an internet cafe. With support from schools and the library service, participation wouldn’t be limited to those children who had their own computers, helping to eliminate a socio-economic boundary.  The Bodmin Bookworm aimed to provide the opportunity to showcase work and express creativity and opinions outside the constraints of the national curriculum and SATS.

The idea was to have a main blog that would act as a central focus point for the project. This blog would include: a monthly theme; editorial and suggestions for contributions and book suggestions on a monthly theme from the Bodmin library manager.  This main blog would then link to 12 “feeder” blogs; one for each school, and any home school students. Each school taking part in the Bodmin Bookworm project would have an individual blog and be able to post their pupils’ work online in response to the creative stimuli on the main site. The main blog therefore became a series of interlinked blog pages, resembling a website.

It was important to have head teacher support so that the project could be accessible to all. The Bodmin library’s involvement enabled added computer access and an opportunity to encourage children to make use of the library’s facilities and resources.

Aims & principles

The Bodmin Bookworm aims to be available to all children in the Bodmin area regardless of socio-economic status or educational ability. From the beginning the project stressed that it did not matter if a student was ‘good’ at the technical aspects of writing - more that they enjoyed expressing their ideas. 

“Writing shouldn’t just be about grammar, spelling and FULL STOPS. We think it should be about your ideas, your imagination, creativity, community and most of all, FUN!

You don’t have to be a JK Rowling to write something great. Everyone has something unique and interesting to say.” From Bodmin Bookworm promotional material

The aim from the beginning was to encourage both confident writers and those who would not normally choose to write.

In making presentations to the schools before launching the project the facilitators asked students why they liked and disliked reading and writing. Answers to the latter usually centred on fears over spelling, grammar and getting things wrong.  The facilitators explained that they wanted to read all writing, ideas and opinions, whether the spelling and presentation were perfect or not. They also suggested that younger students, not yet able to write confidently, might dictate their writing to an adult. This way they could still contribute their ideas to the blogs. This also aimed to help support family learning when parents were involved with helping younger children to write or/and send their contributions.

Other fears over writing tended to come from the idea that writing just meant writing at school or writing fiction stories. Bodmin Bookworm aimed to broaden young peoples’ perceptions of writing by explaining that:

“Writing can be stories, poems, articles, real life experiences, jokes, song lyrics, plays, radio/TV/theatre scripts, letters, journal/diary entries, entertainment reviews (e.g. favourite film or TV programme), character creations, book reviews or news reports.”

This freed some students, who perhaps loved jokes but disliked writing stories, to consider that they may have something to write after all.

As well as promoting writing Bodmin Bookworm also wanted to encourage students to read and comment on each other’s work. Children who didn’t feel compelled to read often for pleasure might be inspired to read other childrens’ writing.  Using the ‘Comments’ facility available at the end of each blog writing submission, children and adults were offered the opportunity to leave positive feedback for others. This encouraged literacy skills, positive encouragement and the opportunity to create a community amongst writers and readers.

Summary

Bodmin Bookworm was created using the free ‘Blogger’ software at http://www.blogger.com chosen for its zero cost, reasonable template software and ease of use.

Launched in September 2008, the main Bodmin Bookworm site http://www.bodminbookworm.blogspot.com was designed by linking four blog pages together. The four main pages are:

Main page - offering links to school blog pages and other main pages; editorial on the monthly creative writing theme; a central focal point for navigating the project.
EXTRA page - Library book recommendations; Bookworm and student book recommendations; relevant website links; details of competitions and activities.
Information page - submission guidelines; community terms of use; help topics.
HIT page - Hints, Inspiration and Tips. A place to share hints and tips that inspire writing. This page includes advice from the Bookworm, published author, students and teachers.

The email address   was created. To submit writing all students have to do is send their writing to this email address. It is possible to also attach pictures as long as they accompany writing. (For instance, some children have sent their own illustrations).

The Bodmin Bookworm manager then reads the writing and checks for suitability of content. Occasionally slight alterations are made for the sake of readability but as far as possible editing is very minimal.  The writing is then transferred into a blog post on the child’s school blog page. Each school page has two contents facilities that reference by class/year and monthly by individual entry.

In Practice

The Bodmin Bookworm was officially launched in September 2008

School visits were arranged and presentations of the Bodmin Bookworm project were given to students and teachers.

Posters and leaflets were distributed to schools and libraries.

A competition was launched that involved every student who submitted writing in the first couple of months being entered into a prize draw to win book vouchers.

Students began to email their writing submissions.  The writing submissions increased directly after a school visit.  Students emailed from home, school and library.  Younger students had assistance but many of junior age seemed to email independently. 

The writing was published on the relevant school blog pages and so the school pages began to take individual shape.

A newsletter was started to keep all head teachers informed of the monthly themes, progress of the project and to act as a visual reminder of the Bodmin Bookworm. 
The blog pages were regularly updated and improved in order to keep the content as fresh, relevant and informative as possible.

Children, parents and teachers left comments on writing.

The Bodmin Bookworm email was also used by children and adults to ask questions, make suggestions and discuss writing and reading.

Partnerships

Bodmin Bookworm is in partnership with and funded by North Cornwall Activities Network and Cornwall County Council (including Bodmin Library).

Outcomes

At the time of writing the Bodmin Bookworm has been active and online for seven months.

Eight primary schools have become regular contributors.

The project has received a huge variety of writing from children aged from between 4 and 11.

Writing submitted has varied from two lines to stories broken into chapters and books.

Writing has been submitted by individuals and also submitted in groups by teachers from their class or club.

Comments are left by children and adults for writers from their own schools and other schools.

Email correspondence with the editor has shown that there are children in Bodmin with a passion for writing, reading and for learning about how authors write.

Students with poor grammatical/spelling skills are still keen to write – and submissions from this group are full of imagination.

A small group of students appear to have a passion for writing and use the Bookworm to display large volumes of admirably crafted writing.

Schools from other areas in Cornwall have been asking when the project can expand to include their area. Meetings and discussions have already begun to find ways of enabling the project to work county-wide.

What the children have to say:

These quotes are a selection of answers to an email questionnaire sent out to student users of the Bookworm in February 2009

“It is very exciting to think that anyone in the world just needs to type in the web address and they can see my story.”

”....you can basically write about anything you want and you can share your writing with others”

“It’s good at curing my boredom.”

”....being able to have your writing published without fuss and have people see it.”

“It means a lot to me, I love reading and writing and the other student’s work is fantastic.”

(re :reading other students writing) ”...it can give me inspiration and I learn a lot about writing just by reading one story, no matter who wrote it.”

”...I like to tell people what I think about their writing and I like people telling me what they think of my writing.”

(re: comments facility) “I know how excited I get when one of my stories gets a comment, and I want other writers to have confidence in themselves, and they may only get that by hearing other say there stories are good.”

“I like the box about the themes, because they have bright pictures and you are always pleasantly surprised by the new theme.”

“I like writing because it takes me to faraway, unimaginable questions; it makes me feel happy.”

Goals for the project:

• The project aims to involve all schools in the Cornwall area. 
• Greater communication - ideas are being explored to maximise communication so that participation and enjoyment are encouraged.  One of these ideas involves Bookworm monitors and clubs.
• Developing community - the facilitators would like to encourage more comments and communication between schools and are considering workshops and larger gatherings.
• They would like to develop greater dialogue and discussion on reading.  This may involve developing the EXTRA site by encouraging student comments and reviews.
• Activity sheets, monthly challenges and competitions are starting to be facilitated.

Resources

Home page for the Bodmin Bookworm: http://www.bodminbookworm.blogspot.com

Email contact for Bodmin Bookworm:

Blogging software used: http://www.blogger.com

Contacts

Katina Wright (Manager/Editor of the Bodmin Bookworm) and Michelle Minniss (Extended Services - Bodmin area)

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