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Using Technology to Help Struggling Writers



Digital Storytelling What is it?

Digital storytelling is “multimedia text consisting of still images complemented by a narrated soundtrack to tell a story.” (Greenidge, 384) It is considered one of the most helpful technological tools for all writers, and especially struggling writers. The reasoning for this is that it helps students with voice, point of view, pacing, and emotional content. Digital stories can be created using software already featured on most computers: programs like [|Windows Movie Maker] and [|Mac iMovie]. There is a process for creating digital stories, just like there is a traditional writing process. Students create a first copy, which will be edited, revised, and ultimately used for the voice-over narration. Next, they create a storyboard with illustrations or photographs. Finally, students record themselves reading the story. Once this is all completed, students use the software discussed above to video-edit. The publishing component of the writing process is presenting the digital story to the entire class, or even putting it online for all to see.

How exactly does it help struggling writers?

According to Greenidge and Sylvester, “struggling writers view capable writers as students who work hard, have good penmanship, and write long compositions.” (396) Digital storytelling eliminates some of that worry since the finished product is read, not written, and handwriting is not a factor. Struggling writers often have difficulty finding a point of view and voice. Digital storytelling helps writers with point of view by allowing them to speak directly to their audience in first person. It is like giving a presentation, but without the nervousness associated with speaking live in front of a class. Struggling writers can find their voice in digital storytelling because they have the opportunity to narrate their own story.

Writers are much more conscious of their audience when writing digital stories, and they have more interest in creating a “better product” if the audience is more than just a teacher. Digital storytelling ensures that students follow a writing process, and the finished product is read aloud. If the pace isn’t correct, or the story rambles on, or the conflict isn’t present to grab the reader’s attention, it is more obvious when listening.

How can we adopt this into classroom practice?

Below I have linked a number of tutorials for creating digital books. The links are from the Greenidge and Sylvester article. Allowing a class to use this digital technology to work on their writing requires more effort and creativity from the teacher’s side of things, and maybe that is one reason that it is not used as frequently as traditional writing. There is research to prove that digital storytelling can help struggling writers become competent writers. Writers gain strategies, are more likely to write sequentially due to the storyboarding component, and use more figurative language. In addition, it motivates students who may not otherwise care about writing.

[|Adobe Digital Kids Club]

[|Atomic Learning]

[|Windows Movie Maker tutorial- Youtube]

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Email

This is a use of technology called // envisionment // by researcher Donald Leu. Envisionment is "the ability to use a given technology for a purpose other than its intended purpose." (Yancey, 39) Email is a use of technology for struggling writers primarily at the middle and high school level. By this age, students are overwhelmingly familiar with email, and with that familiarity comes comfort. Students can use email as a way to formulate their ideas when they face writer's block. Yancey suggests that struggling writers compose an email about the topic at hand to send to someone interested in the topic, but not an expert. By doing this, students will have a built-in audience and will likely get a response.

If a 7th grader has to write a persuasive essay on a topic, why not have them compose an email to someone who works at the company or organization? This is a way to have students jump-start their writing process and also get some ideas from an outside source. The comments and questions received from the outside source can help formulate a second draft of the writing piece. While there is not much research to back up the use of email for struggling writers, it makes sense on nearly every level. It is practical, useful, and familiar to most students. More importantly, it could possibly be used as a motivational tool for struggling writers who do not know where to begin a writing task. Students are more likely to put effort into their first draft here too, since they know that the email will be read by an outside party that they are hoping to receive information and guidance from.

Use of Technology with Special Education Students The simple use of word processing can be a significant aid to special education students who are struggling writers. According to Graham, Harris, and Larsen, word processing presents three benefits to special education students. First, revision is less tedious when using a computer, and therefore, students are more willing to revise and edit due to lower frustration levels with the act of typing versus rewriting. Also, typing is an easier way of producing text for students with fine motor impairments. The authors also mention that spellchecking tools present on computers, along with grammar and style checkers, are useful to special education students with writing weaknesses.

If you decide to use computers or word processors with special education students, the authors warn that writing instruction does not then become unnecessary. Teachers must instruct students in the same way as they would using the pencil-and-paper method. Some students believe that if they are using a computer and nothing is highlighted, then there are no "mistakes." The distinction between editing and revising must be made abundantly clear to students, according to Graham, Harris, and Larsen. Most schools have computer labs accessible for teachers and students. Using word processors has been proven to aid struggling writers of all types, not just struggling writers with learning disabilities. When using computers, it is essential, however, to make sure that students are still going through the writing process. Kathleen Yancey suggests visual highlighting for students. All revisions are highlighted in yellow or another bright color on the computer, so that when students look from draft to draft through the writing process they can see where and when revisions were made.

The National Writing Project

On the group home page, I provided a link to The National Writing Project. The link takes you to a website with dozens of ideas for ways to incorporate technology into your writing instruction. Below I will discuss a couple of the ideas discussed on the National Writing Project website.

Digital Comics Fourth-grade teacher Glen Bledsoe of Molalla, Oregon uses digital comic strips as a part of the writing process. Using a program called [|Comic Life] he has his students create digital comic strips. Students create the comic strip first, including speech bubbles and plot twists. Bledsoe explains that the use of digital comics has encouraged the use of dialogue in his students' writing, among other positive influences. This is yet another form of technology being incorporated into the writing process. Many teachers have their students create comics or cartoons using pencil-and-paper as a brainstorming technique. This just takes it to the next level. The digital comic is their actual story. There is setting, plot, character, voice, and dialogue. Digital comics could be used to motivate students, especially struggling writers, to write. Although digital comics and digital storyboards sound similar, they are not. Digital storyboards have voice-overs and fewer animation. Digital comics are very similar to traditional comic strips, the only difference being that they are created entirely on the computer. The use of computers could motivate students who may otherwise be hesitant to create a comic because of, say, limited artistic ability

​ Weblogs Weblogs, more commonly known simply as // blogs, // are incredibly popular websites typically associated with pop culture, sports, music, and news. They are also a type of technology that teachers are beginning to use in their Language Arts classrooms. Teachers can create a classroom blog for students' work to be displayed online. In middle and high school classrooms, students can create their own blogs to publish their work. One praise of blogs as a form of publication has more to do with the environment than anything else, since they are paperless.

Blogs can motivate struggling writers because they are entirely based around typing and not handwriting. Blogs also allow for the use of multimedia such as audio, video, and images. Not all struggling writers are struggling readers, and even those that are may still subscribe to or browse blogs in their free time. The familiarity with blogs may motivate students to create a blog of their own. Blogs can really be used as interactive, multimedia Writer's Notebooks. [|Wordpress] and [|Blogger] are two of the more popular and easy-to-use blogging sites. They are free and allow for teacher controls. Teachers can be site supervisors and monitor and edit content.

Blogs are online and can be available for everyone to read or limited to subscribers only. Teachers at the elementary and middle school levels would probably want to limit access of blogs to only students, teachers, and possibly parents. However, in high school, that access could possibly expand. One of the appeals of blogs is that there is a wide audience. Students are likely to put more effort and thought into a blog since it will be read by a wide audience. Blogs also allow for comments, so students could type their thoughts on a classmate's work right there on the blog itself.

Resources Faulkner, G. Digital Comics Spur Students' Interest in Writing. January 29, 2009. http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2811 Fink-Chorzempa, B., Graham, S., Harris, K.R. (2005) What Can I do to Help Children Who Struggle with Writing? // Teaching Exceptional Children. // Volume 37 Issue 4, 64-66. Fleischman, S. (2006) Technology to Help Struggling Students. // Educational Leadership. // Volume 16 Issue 2, 74-84. Greenidge, M., Sylvester, R. (2009) Digital Storytelling: Extending the Potential for Struggling Writers. // Reading Teacher. // Volume 63 Issue 4, 384-395. Tompkins, G.E. (2002). Struggling Readers are Struggling Writers, Too. // Reading and // // Writing Quarterly, 18, 175-193. // Yancey, K.B. (2004). Using Multiple Technologies to Teach Writing. // Educational Leadership. // Volume 62 Issue 2, 38-40.