| Writing & Technology | Introduction | - | |
| Help | [Orientation] Support | Lesson | Practice | - |
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This module explores the rich body of research on "teaching writing" and "learning writing." It provides more meaningful ways to access and apply results of research. The material encourages consideration of scientific evidence as a basis for thoughtful changes in instruction. Overall, the module brings teachers a report of current research-based writing and a context to understand technology practices for students with diverse learning needs. The information should help teachers connect research to practice. Vignette 1. What first comes to mind when you think of "writing"? Although people usually associate to paper and pencil tasks or computer keyboards, this module embraces a broader concept of writing. Think of Professor Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist and astronomer and a well-known writer. Without benefit of pencil and paper, or keyboard, he has authored a number of scholarly works, including A Brief History of Time (1993) and Black Holes, Baby Universes, and Other Essays (1998). He "writes" by a computer system run from batteries on his wheel chair. His computer system includes a program that moves the cursor across the upper part of the screen until he stops it by pressing a switch in his hand. The switch interfaces with the computer to select words, which are printed on screen to build up a sentence. One sentence at the time, he composes and sends sentences to his speech synthesizer. This renowned scientist has no difficulty selecting the flow of words and ideas for his internationally known scholarly work and knowledge documentation. Instead, his writing struggle is to physically represent the words to be written. It is only through the assistance of sophisticated computerized writing tools that Stephen Hawking's academic audience has the privilege of listening to his "writing voice." Vignette 2. Which associations come to your mind when you hear the terms "writing problems" or "writing disabilities"? A nationally prominent spokesperson for writing and technology, Richard Wanderman, reports that he has struggled with a learning disability throughout his life. His writing challenge has been to overcome the cognitive demands of choosing letters to form words and connecting ideas in print. He can say what he means, but cannot write it. Overcoming this difficulty has required technology such as modified word processors, text-talkers (speech synthesis systems), word prediction programs, outliners, spelling checkers, and grammar checkers. Vignette 3. What do you associate with the term "writing instruction"? Five-year-old Anna Florissant, on her first day in kindergarten, got a writing assignment to copy "A" many times in large print with a fat pencil. The second day of class she gave her teacher an innocent suggestion that if the teacher wanted so many copies of the same letter "we could photocopy it for you. How many would you like?" The third day, Anna invited all her classmates in kindergarten to dictate a story to a family member in the evening after school, and then to drop it in a story box by the kindergarten door the next morning. The decorated box with a slot on top was stuffed full the next morning, so she put out a bigger box. Her classmates' stories ranged in length from one line to three pages. Anna enlisted her mother's help to make a Table of Contents on the word processor with each child's story title, author name, and page number in the journal. By the end of the first week, the inaugural issue of the new Rainbow Storybook Club showcased the work of these young authors, who could not read, print, or spell the stories they were "writing." By the second week 100% of the kindergarten students participated. Over the subsequent weeks, the popularity expanded, such that the Parent-Teacher Association agreed to fund the copy costs in return for a reading [by parents] of two students' works per monthly PTA meeting. Over that year, at the end of the school day, while waiting for the bus to load, the teachers would read from the most recent week's issue to the rapt class. Throughout elementary and junior high years, Anna used her laptop computer for writing everything: science experiment reports, mock Supreme Court debates, classroom assignments, school newsletter (of which she was the co-editor), school yearbook (of which she was the editor), and more. By age fourteen, she joined the high school writers' club with certificates of membership called a "Poetic License." Also, Anna and her friends in the drama class created entirely original play scripts and song lyrics. They composed on laptops and performed their innovative sequel plays [titled "Under Age I," "Under Age II," and so on] every year to a pack house of peers. By age fifteen, with her teachers' encouragement, she published poems widely read in her community and won a school poetry award. For Anna, the "struggle of writing" with excellence was the source of pleasure. She adored seeking out just the right word and turn of the phrase. Her writing challenge in K-12 school was to get uninterrupted time on the laptop that she carried everywhere in her backpack. In some parts of the country, Stephen, Richard, and Anna would be schooled in special education services for physical disabilities, learning disabilities, and gifted and talented. In other parts of the country, they would be schooled in general education classes with accommodations and support services. Now, make all three of these individuals--Stephen, Richard, and Anna--the age of the students you teach, or plan to teach, and imagine them in your class. Mix in twenty other students with an array of interests and diverse learning needs. Whether you consider yourself a special education or general education teacher, or both, ask yourself how you can prepare to teach writing and technology to all the students in your class. Three vignettes evoke consideration of writing and technology from the perspective of individual differences and research-based "best practices." As you do this module, keep in mind that while your instruction may be delivered to a whole class at a time, learning takes place in the heart and mind of one individual at a time. The "best practice" for one student may not be appropriate for another student in your class. Teaching requires a broad repertoire of research-based alternatives to meet the diverse learning needs of students. |
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