Revealing their thoughts in OneNote

Once a week for the last several weeks, I've been giving my students one writing prompt in OneNote. It is something I found on TPT. It's called 300 Common Core Creative Writing Prompts. I've been able to pick one a week to have the students respond to the picture prompt. I'm really enjoying these. I feel like they are even useful in my writing practice.

I can honestly say I'm so excited about their progress. I'm able to get a better quality answer from many of my students. I find that the quality is better instead of just "how much" they write.  Some of the prompts are challenging for my students, but most seem to be easy for them to understand.

How does OneNote make this process more meaningful in the classroom? Honestly, I feel that OneNote has given me better insight into what my students are thinking. I have a group of students who thrive in being able to use their laptops in class. I see the benefit of having students typing their answers into OneNote. It gives them a place to write without feeling judged. As a teacher, I can see what they are working on in real time. I can see their thought process as it unfolds. I feel that it's less pressure for them feeling as tough I'm hovering over their shoulder.

I have students who don't typically write anything. Some of my students struggle to write legibly. Using OneNote has given me opportunities as a teacher that I feel I didn't have before. I really like having the opportunity to have access to their binder at all times. I can go back and reread something, leave feedback for students, and help them with organization.

Here are some student samples.