Thank you for participating in the eSpark Writing beta launch! Here’s everything you need to know about this new subject and activity type.
How to Access eSpark Writing
Go to Small Group Skills
Search for “eSpark Writing”
Click on the eSpark Writing (beta) SGS
Preview the Activity
The SGS starts with a quick video to introduce students to eSpark Writing. Next, if you or your students have already co-created Reading Informational texts Choice Texts, you can jump to the writing portion of the activity. Otherwise, start with the Choice Text island. After the Choice Text is completed, you can move on to the writing island and begin the writing activity.
Once you have accessed the island labeled “Informative Writing,” follow the directions to select the text you’ll be writing about and choose your prompt.
Willow, our friendly writing tutor, will guide you through the writing process. Notice how Willow provides suggestions and sentence starters early in the activity and gradually releases more responsibility to you as you work through the activity. If a sentence requires revisions after it is submitted, Willow will nudge you in the right direction with hints and tips referring back to the original text.
Assign and Monitor the Activity
Click the Assign button at the top-right of the preview.
Click the checkbox next to the appropriate section.
If you wish to assign to a subset of students, click Edit Students and select which students you want to receive the assignment. After selecting students, click Done.
Click Schedule or Assign immediately to assign the activity.
Once the SGS has been assigned, you can monitor the status by clicking the My Small Group Skills button from your Small Group Skills home screen.
Review Completed Work
Upon completion of the activity, your students’ published work will be accessible under the Student Work tab of your teacher dashboard. Simply click link under TITLE to see the completed writing assignment.
A Note About Beta Activities
The goal of this initial rollout is to identify any significant bugs, challenges, or concerns before we move forward with the launch of this exciting new subject. We will reach out during the beta period to collect your feedback—the more details you can provide, the better. If you encounter anything time-sensitive that prevents your students from moving forward or hampers your ability to use eSpark effectively, please contact our support team. We can be reached using the blue chat on the bottom right side of the screen or by email at support@esparklearning.com!
