Writing with Technology

Writing has been around for centuries; as long as people have had a message to share, there has been a need to write. As we move into the 21^st century there are more opportunities for us to write in various ways. Writers now have technology to share their writing through e-mail, blogs, wikis, pen pals, etc. Technology gives writers the opportunity to share their thoughts with multiple viewers and these viewers can reciprocate by adding their thoughts. There is a bigger sense of immediacy with the use of technology because of the ability to give or receive immediate feedback. With technology, there are more reasons to write. This allows for different styles of writing, and often, gives more motivation to write.

The use of technology presents some challenges, especially for teachers of primary children. Many children have used a computer before entering school, but not typically for composing a piece of writing. Teachers must teach both writing and word processing skills. Stories written on a computer tend to be shorter than those that are handwritten. This is due to younger children spending more time and focus on looking at their fingers to ensure they are using the correct keys. Revision for handwritten pieces is typically for reflection, a student determines what should come next in the story. With word processed stories, revision becomes a spell/grammar check to make sure the content typed matches the content intended.

Despite these challenges, there are many benefits of writing and publishing with technology. Children are exposed to writing conventions and technology basics which are critical because they are going to be expected to know and use both in the future. Students develop problem solving skills by determining the importance of other’s writing. They also evaluate their own writing to determine if it can be comprehended or clarification is necessary. Technology has allowed for more social networking. Children have become peer coaches when composing writing and are given social interaction by the ways they can comment and add to other’s writing. When reading and responding to books online, children gain deeper knowledge reading, writing about, and possibly writing in different genres. Discussions with others allows for multiple perspectives and learning from cultural differences.

Blogging is becoming increasingly popular both with teachers and students. Amongst the many reasons to use them, blogs can be used as responses for books. This online form of communication stems from the reading comprehension process. The reader analyzes the information, evaluates it, synthesizes a response, and then uses a blog to communicate this response. This involves many higher order thinking skills. They may post questions they encounter, and by using this avenue, they will receive responses from classmates as well as their teacher. Once again, this allows for input from multiple perspectives. Through this kind of interaction, students gain a better understanding of the text, their peers, and the world around them.