Lessons & Web Tools

ReadWriteThink
Though written for K-12 settings, many of these lessons are easily adaptable for adult education contexts; all have been reviewed by literacy experts and are aligned to college and career readiness standards. The site also offers interactive online tools.

Our Voices, Our Lives, Our Communities
This civics-focused curriculum from Prince William County integrates process writing into lessons for beginning and intermediate/advanced adult ESOL students.

Florida GED Lesson Plans
Florida’s adult education instructor handbook includes sample lesson plans focused on the 2014 series GED^® test and address writing in different subject areas.

Graphic Organizers
A variety of websites offer free graphic organizers that can help students plan and organize their writing.

• Teachnology’s Graphic Organizers
• Teachnology’s Graphic Organizer Makers
• Graphic Organizers from edHelper.com
• Freeology’s Free Graphic Organizers

RubiStar Rubric Creator
Rubrics make expectations and progress clear for student writers. This site allows teachers to create custom rubrics and search a large rubric library.

The OWL at Purdue (Purdue University Online Writing Lab)
The OWL is an online writing handbook, reference guide, and activity sourcebook. Topic areas include grammar, mechanics, research and citation, job search writing, and English as a Second Language. Resources include exercises for students and information for instructors.

Grammar Bytes!
This student-targeted website features interactive web-based activities, worksheets, and videos addressing many grammar skills.

Quill
Quill provides interactive online grammar correction and proofreading activities. With a free account, teachers can create their own activities and assign existing activities to student accounts.

Writing@CSU (Colorodo State University)
The Writing Studio provides a variety of interactive writing activities and guides for learners.

Digital Publishing Platforms
The publishing stage is where writing connects with its audience. Using online publishing platforms can motivate learners with a sense of accomplishment, help them make real-world connections, and promote digital literacy skills. Options exist for writers at all levels.

• Google Drive and Google Docs: a free word processor and document storage platform with robust tools for collaborative writing
• Blogger: an easy-to-use blog creator
• Edublogs: an educator-friendly site for creating blogs
• WordPress: a blog platform with helpful built-in tools and analytics
• PBWorks: an educator-friendly site for creating wikis
• Storybird: a collaborative storytelling site that provides the artwork for student-created online books
• MakeBeliefsComix: an interactive site for creating comics to be printed or saved via email

Published Writing by Adult Education Students
Digitally published work by adult learners can provide models for student writers. Additionally, some of the sites below accept submissions from current learners.

• The Change Agent is a national adult education magazine for social justice, published twice a year by the New England Literacy Resource Center. Check out their most recent call for articles; students whose work is accepted for publication are paid a stipend.
• The Multi-Cultural Brief publishes writing by the Charlottesville Adult Learning Center's ESOL students.
• TOPICS Online Magazine for Learners of English published writing by and for English language learners. The website archives a variety of class writing projects.
• PEN Prison Writing Award Winners Archive collects work by incarcerated writers that has been recognized through PEN’s annual writing contest.

Digital Is
This website from the National Writing Project gives ideas and tips for using digital tools in the writing classroom.