Chapter 4

Supporting writing with technology was the focus of chapter 4. I really enjoyed this chapter because I learned about several different tools available in technology that help make writing more fun for students. Writing is a critical skill that everyone needs to have in order to be successful, not only in the classroom, but in today’s society. I have always struggled with writing as a child. I would always get anxious and ended up taking hours and hours to come up with an idea. As I got older, I became a little more at ease because of all the practice that I had accumulated throughout the years. But there are still times many times that I find myself struggling with writing. Students today are given so many tools in technology to help break down what can sometimes be an overwhelming process into an easier, step by step, development.

The chapter begins by introducing concept maps. These are helpful in organizing ideas prior to writing. When I was in elementary school, I remember doing concept maps in my notebook. But today, there are many programs online, such as Inspiration and Semantica that allow these maps to be made. These kinds of programs give students the opportunity to be creative and make the process a little more enjoyable. I have recently discovered in one of my other classes a concept map website called, Webspiration. I really enjoyed using this program to make something that I used to think was helpful, but tended to get messy and boring, into something really great. Concept maps are the structure for many writing activities and give students the chance to organize ideas as they think of them. The book provides details on how students can use these tools to help generate organized writing. As a future teacher, I plan to use concept maps through websites to help my students with the organization process.

The next section of the chapter talks about supporting presentation writing. Through out my time in school and until this day, I have always used PowerPoint for presentations. This chapter mentions many of the pros and cons of this program. I had never thought of the cons presented in the book. I never imagined that the amount of fonts and the different features that the program offers could be negative. Even though the book does mention PowerPoint’s cons, it does say that with regulation it can be a very useful resource for certain projects. Before reading this chapter and being in this class, I had never really been shown any other methods of presentation. But just in the past four weeks of class, I have been exposed to so many different programs that can be used for presentation, such as Prezi and Animoto. I plan on using these new programs for my future presentations in college and in my future classroom. I will also expose my students to these programs and show them how they can be used for their own presentations.

Another point that the chapter touches upon, one in which I had never thought of prior, is using technology tools to motivate students by publishing their work. I really love this idea of publishing student work. I feel that it gives them a sense of pride and motivates them to work hard. It also offers children the opportunity to look at other children’s writing. This is also a motivating factor because they will see that students, just like them, are writing and they may be encouraged to do so as well. Looking back, I remember spending so much time on a paper and then feeling unmotivated to continue writing because I knew that only my teacher would read it. Publishing student work can truly change this common frustration that many feel and encourage them to keep writing.

The book mentions many different programs such as Kidscribe, Poetry Forge, and the Scholastic site. After reading the chapter, I visited these websites and I was delightfully surprised in what I found. I was able to read student papers from all over the nation. I think that Kidscribe is a great website because it not only offers students the opportunity to publish writing in English, but it is also a bilingual site and allows for writing to be published in Spanish as well. This is a great resource for English Language Learners. Students who want to express themselves, but are still learning English, have the chance to do so on this site. The Scholastic website is great because along with student publication, it also provides teachers with sample lessons that they can use to teach different aspects of writing. Poetry Forge is also a great resource because students are able to learn and practice many different structures and styles of poetry.

I really enjoyed learning about collaborative writing with technology. As with most of what the chapter mentioned, I had never thought of this concept before. Students are able to learn from each other and see individual writing styles, compiling it all in one final paper. They have the opportunity to share their opinions or ideas about certain topics. This sections mentions that collaborative writing can either occur synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous writing is when an individual or a group of people are sitting together and writing. I have been exposed to this kind of writing in some of my past classes. Asynchronous writing is writing that is not necessarily done in “real time.” The book mentions a type of asynchronous writing called global collaborative writing. I had never heard of this kind of writing. This is very interesting to me because people in different parts of the world come together, via internet, to collaborate on an idea. Global collaborative writing also increases different cultural perspectives.

Collaborative writing not only provides students with support in writing, but it also helps build social skills. I personally feel that this is the most important aspect of collaborating writing. It is a skill that is essential for students of all ages. They learn to work together and respect each others opinions. The book provides some helpful guidelines for successful social building skills through writing. As a teacher, I will incorporate collaborative writing in my curriculum using the books guide for student success.

The final section of the chapter is supporting peer feedback on writing. I have experienced this in some of my classes in the past and currently in this one. The book mentions that student feedback has been documented as more valuable in improving their writing than feedback from teachers. I was truly amazed at this statement because in my own past experiences, I remember not truly knowing whether to trust my peers. But as a future teacher and after reading the chapter, I feel that this is actually very important because students learn to evaluate writing and to build trust among their peers.

Chapter 4, supporting writing with technology, has exposed me to many new and valuable ideas. As I mentioned earlier, writing was not always very easy to me and I still find myself struggling at times. I plan on using what this chapter has offered in my future classroom because I feel that by using technology to support my student’s writing, I will essentially help them become great writers.