826 National’s platform for teachers, 826 Digital, recently received a makeover.
The new platform boasts increased accessibility, a new resource library with advanced search capacities, new features for sharing and saving resources—including adding resources to Google Classroom—and more opportunities for connection between teachers and their peers.
826 Digital is a free platform for educators from 826 National that features adaptable, standards-based writing resources designed to ignite a love of writing in every student. 826 National first launched the digital platform in 2017 with the aim of reaching educators in cities without an 826 chapter.
Over the years, the platform expanded to feature hundreds of writing resources from the 826 Network, including:
- Sparks — quick, adaptable writing prompts and activities
- New and improved Lessons — best used to engage students deeply in the writing process
- Projects — multi-session units on a topic or theme that help teach process and revision while students produce polished pieces
- Additional Student Writing — pieces that showcase the power, brilliance, and joy of young authors and are offered as mentor texts throughout 826 Digital resources
826 Digital quickly grew to serve over 15,000 educators from all 50 states and 60 countries. 826 Digital and its resources now reach over 450,000 students annually, transforming our reach and impact.
Last year, the 826 Digital team began to redesign the platform with the aim to continue to bring the 826 approach to teaching writing to educators, students, and communities that need it most. 826 Digital 2.0 was designed with the theme of “connection” in mind. We asked:
- How can we continue to connect educators to the 826 approach to teaching writing, and to quality resources that embrace that approach?
- How can we increase accessibility of the platform to serve more types of educators and learners?
- How can we continue to uplift and amplify student writing and voices on the platform?
- How can we celebrate and connect educators using 826 Digital to each other?
In the spirit of connection, we are thrilled to invite you to explore the new 826 Digital and its new resources:
- Videos — critically acclaimed authors and educators, including Jason Reynolds and Ada Limón, providing their own twist on Sparks and other writing activities
- Educator Tools — innovative strategies and best practices from 826, designed for every educator to get to the next level in their writing instruction
Don’t miss these exciting new features now on 826 Digital:
- Browse Page — featuring new content collections
- Advanced Search — a new search bar and additional filters to find resources by skills (communication, revision, empathy, and more), literary device (personification, plot development, imagery, amongst others), and more
- Community Gallery — educators can get inspired by their peers, building a community of practice through discussion and shared resources. We currently have.We have 12 members of our inaugural cohort, representing grades K-12 in serving across the U.S. in 8 states.
- Student Writing — students, ages 13-18, can submit writing inspired by an 826 Digital prompt all year-round. All student submissions will be reviewed before being published on 826 Digital’s Writing Gallery. In the fall, students can submit to be published in 826 National’s yearly printed anthology.
- Bookmark, download, and share — add resources directly to your Google Classroom and share with colleagues
