Shana Holley

Bibliography
Wilber, D. J. (2010). iWrite. Portsmouth.

In this book the author talks about the importance of a incorporating all aspects of technology into the writing process. She starts off by explaining the importance of reading and writing in our world today. Everything we do is consumed by technology and therefore the written words are becoming less and less significant. For example, cursive handwriting has been taken out of the curriculum for elementary age students. Most of todays graduating class cannot write a single letter in cursive. Chapter after chapter, she tries to morph our mind into changing with society and technology to better our students. If we are on the same page, the students wont be too far ahead, and we the teachers wont be too far behind. It is important to connect to the digital world because written, visual, and oral language is used not only by students but colleagues as well. Think about it, students read, write, create, post, and comment all day long on social media networks. It is a form of literacy. It is THE form of literacy in our world today. Literacy is changing every day and as teachers it our job to stay on top of it as best we can. She talks about skeptics and the negativity people of a different generation can portray about todays teaching techniques. Giving examples of how not to get discouraged in a world that is changing so fast, she tells us to be familiar with networks such as MySpace and Facebook. These are the websites our children spend a lot of their time on. Make a class webpage where you and the students write blogs about what youre learning in school together. This is something they are familiar with and are interested in. Are they still writing? Of course they are! They are building identities in the classroom of themselves and with each other as writers. This is a natural connection for them to make with the outside world and in the classroom. Here they can build their technological expertise. She gives examples of how to make Wikis, Blogs, and Digital Stories and the tools we can use to access these for a classroom setting. She concludes to stress the importance of keeping books and papers in the classroom, but to also make use of what the world around us has to offer for future generations to teach.

This kind of connecting through digital language-messaging, emailing, and posting- has become central to our lives, and while it may not represent the kind of language we most want our students using in the classroom, it does reveal the centrality of reading and writing digitally in their lives. (p.13). As compared to authors who write for a living, and publish to a larger, often unknown audience, publication in a classroom is a limited experience that only reaches peers in that setting or school.(p.39). Students express great interest in making digital stories and not only because they will be shown to others. In a world where collaboration and creativity are increasingly valued, digital

Shana Holley stories push students to script, shoot, edit and produce something that feels important to them. (p.59) Its important to be aware of newer technologies as they appear for two reasons: first, because they may be of use in your classroom, and second, because they may become an important part of students lives that we can build on to motivate and engage students in literacy learning. (p.93). We can build on student interest and expertise to make them a bigger part of what we do when we teach and learn reading and writing. (p.111).

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Morgan, H. (Winter 2010/11). Using Handheld Wireless Technologies in School: Advantagous or Disadvantagous. Childhood Education. 25(4) 415-418.

This article discusses the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom. It is important to incorporate technology in the classroom because it is the way of the world and students need to be exposed to it. Morgan talks about how having students use handheld computers, not only are we giving students those opportunities, but we are going green. Some of the disadvantages discussed in using this much technology in the classroom is over the distractions they can cause with social media and texting, create bad habits, and ever dreaded cyber offenses. As teachers it is our job to be the mediator and give our students opportunities to become tech savvy without allowing for such activities. Nevertheless, the author concludes by explaining how important teaching our students to use these devises is and to be prepared and educated on these resources. It is the way of the world.

Allowing students to develop skills to access and learn from the increasing number of digital literacies.

Interactive tools invite readers to physically interact with the text through inserting, deleting, or replacing text; etc.

Software is available that permits teachers to keep track of student attendance on a handheld device, and to take notes on student progress. Teachers can also keep records of important information on students, such as reading levels, contact numbers, and medical needs, and this can be sent electronically when necessary to other teachers or administrators.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Yancy, K.B. (2005). Using Multiple Technologies to Teach Writing. Educational Leadership. Article. 1-3.

In this article, the author writes about the ever changing world of technology and the influence it has on students in the classroom today. Students write through various uses of technology such as email, texts, blogs, etc. She talks about how teachers can help writers develop fluency through technology with things such as digital portfolios. She goes into depth the aspects of a digital classroom and things teachers can do to be prepared for them. When students create digital portfolios they are given freedom to personalize and add things that they wouldnt normally be able to do with pencil and paper, which gets them more excited about the writing process. Giving students access to using visual imagery in their writing helps inspire creativity. Students are able to revise and edit using various computer tools and share their writing digitally to the classroom. She then goes on to talk about envisionment. Envisionment is the ability to use a given technology for a purpose other than its intended use. With her student centered focus, she writes about enhancing students writing by use of technology and how great it is that students find it cool. The article is then concluded by an inspiring pep talk. She tells us to find the want to help your students by learning the ways of today. It is up to us to help transform our classrooms and use digital curriculum.

I see students working on the various stages of the writing process, some using keyboards for prewriting, some editing and revising with pencil, some conferencing with teacher using printed copies of their writing, and some beaming to the printer for publishing. Helping writers develop fluency and competence in a variety of technologies is a key part of teaching writing in this century. To raise students comfort level with writing and technology, teachers must help students use technology skillfully without being wedded to any specific tool.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Heitin, L. (2011). Writing Re-Launched: Teaching with Digital Tools. Education Week. Article.

This article discusses techniques in using technology in the writing process. There is an ongoing struggle for schools to catch up on implementing instruction that entails today s fast paced, tech-savvy society. Heitin says the reasoning for this is lack of funds, training, and definitely the pressures of standardized testing. Nevertheless, it is important that we work with what we have and positively influence writing by using familiar outlines. When we teach digital writing skills, we set goals for our students that prepare them for college and career readiness. Digitally, whether we realize it or not we are always composing, revising, editing, publishing (the whole process) through online and digital formats. A huge benefit to teaching writing through technology is that it enables collaboration, another life skill. Used to when we wrote in school, we werent necessarily writing to an audience. Now, by using technology, there is more room for collaboration. They can create texts together, shared website documents, or even collective blogs. Collaborative writing is huge. Now theyre writing has more of a purpose than ever before. Its so much easier teaching writing when youve got kids feeling purposeful. She talks about using iPads for prewriting activities and how the program is designated to help students hear what their story would sound like to other readers. Then teachers are able to have more meaningful conferences with their students through their writing process.

So why does writing in school still so often involve a pen, paper, and a hardbound print dictionary? Tech-savvy teachers tend to agree that digital writing differs from conventional composition in ways that can spur student engagement and creativity. Once they describe it aloud, I am able to help them understand how to incorporate those details into their writing. Spend the beginning of the year teaching students to use organized, formulaic, writing structures. When they become comfortable with the structure, students can focus on creativity and analysis instead of worrying about where to put each sentence.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Coskie, T.L. & Hornof, H. M. (2012). Infusing Technology into the Writing Workshop. Article. 1-6.

This article is about maintaining effectiveness in the writing process through technology. Rethink a classroom setting by implementing technology in to each step of the writing process. It is important to not rely on students to learn upcoming and new technologies, be prepared and proactive. Develop a digital writing workshop: Typing, Microsoft Office, Word Art, Clipart, photoboarders, background colors, font colors. These digital attributes captivate learners in the writing process and inspire creativity. With this teaching technique, students are able to learn from one another in a more collaborative setting. Using tools that can spark ambition to write while developing collaboration skills. Teach technology explicitly: Students need to be taught how to properly use technology in the classroom, and when they become tech savvy, they open a door to a world of possibilities in their writing. The integration of technology in to the classrooms helps teachers as well as students stay in line with what is good practice. This is our students future, and why wouldnt we use technology to our advantage academically?

To be fully literate in todays world, students must become proficient in the new literacies of 21st century technologies. As a result, literacy educators have a responsibility to effectively integrate these new technologies into the curriculum, preparing students for the literacy future they deserve. It helps to have an each one, teach one approach when using a program or technology new to students. They teach each other. However, no matter what technologies you bring in, they should never cause you to compromise what you know is effective writing instruction.

Shana Holley

Biography
Corbett, S. J. (2011). Technology and Teaching Writing. Inside Higher Ed. Article.

In this article, Corbett discusses the enhancement technology brings into teaching writing. It makes the experience more real to the outside world. By teaching tools necessary to todays field of writing, we will successfully prepare them for later life endeavors. He says that if you dont teach todays tools with technology, then you arent teaching writing at all to students. The input of his students on digital instruction has had a positive outcome. Most students undertake the writing process using technology with ease, while others only lack explicit instruction on using tools to do so. He talks about his experience with a paperless classroom and how his students were involved every step of the way and stayed engaged throughout the year simply because they were learning familiar tools to use when writing and then getting to collaborate with peers on assignments. He also talks about the potential downs to using todays practices and how hard it is to be patient in a paperless classroom. You must develop back up plans if something doesnt work, understand that students are at varying levels of technological proficiency, and notice that students can easily be distracted by social media networks while in the classroom. Solve those problems intellectually. Walk around the classroom and make yourself available to questions, teaching opportunities, and to manage acceptable use of the technology. His strategies for teaching writing incorporate dos and donts in the classroom and helps teachers evaluate what kinds of writers they want their students to be.

To teach writing, you need to teach the tools available now and not teach or allow the tools on their way out (pen, pencil), because if you arent teaching the tools, you arent teaching writing.

Online writing environments do not magically produce better student writing -or better teaching practices-but can allow for practice with different composing and teaching skills, which can lead to better writing, teaching and administering depending on the form.

The main piece of advice I would give to fellow teachers interested in implementing tech in to their teaching is to be patient. Learning and teaching with technology is like nothing else. So take it slow and easy, rather than diving full-tilt into every application.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Merchant, G. (2007). Digital Writing in the Early Years. Article. https://www.google.com/#q=guy+merchant+digital+writing+in+the+early+years

In this article, Merchant discusses the different developmental stages in young writers and the strategies used to implement specific forms of technologies at different times accordingly. Literacy is changing and children need to be exposed to proper uses of technologies in school as well as home life. It is the world in which they are growing up and need this instruction to become technologically savvy. Issues with providing this explicit instruction entails lack of costs in school budget for up grading. Technology is moving so fast it is hard for schools to keep up. Make use of what the school does have to offer and have students become experts on what they can get their hands on. He talks about curriculum goals and standards for implementing technology into the writing process. Having students transfer from pencil to keyboard, and from print to screen-based text is helping develop digital skills. Curriculum model entails: Sequential introduction of digital writing, parallel introduction of digital writing, and infusion of curriculum with digital writing. Taking his strategies step by step can help writers develop significant routines to writing that will come second nature.

Children and their families inhabit an increasingly digitalized world.

E-communication is a transparent example of literacy as a social practice. Educators concerns have tended to focus on whether such social interaction has educative function, or whether frivolous message exchange is the equivalent of unproductive classroom talk.

Given the centrality of new literacies in everyday life and the unevenness of provision, access and use, a failure to embed digital writing in classroom practices may simply perpetuate disadvantage.

Changes in written communication that are taking place and looking for new ways to extend the experience of young writers in school settings are rising to the challenge.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Israelson, M. (2012). Why Blog with Students? Digital Writin in Elementary School. Article. 1-7.

In this article the writer discusses the value of introducing blogging to early elementary students to implement aspects of the writing process. She discusses how to talk to your students about who your audience is, what your purpose is, as well as modeling grammar, spelling, punctuation, and voice. Here are some things you can use blogging and or podcasts for in early elementary grades: You can use it to describe a field trip. Blogging to invite parents to special events. You can discuss a book you read as a class or science experiments. Blog classroom poems with images and sounds. Describe your day as a class.

She talks about the concerns of lack of privacy and confidentiality of your students. Many blog spots offer ways to limit access to certain audiences. Privatizing your classroom as a whole with teaching writing. She also describes how to use wikis and comics through technology to influence writing.

Blogging is one of the most common technology tools students will use in school. Usually upper grades.

Blogging does not mean you cant model aspects of writing you model in traditional print forms, you can model all aspects of the writing process and you can model and talk about asking questions to the reader.

It is always a good idea to communicate with parents about what technology you are using and how you are using it.

Comics. You can create opportunities to expose students to composing in this genre that will support vocabulary development and comprehension skills as well as phonemic awareness and decoding.

Shana Holley

Bibliography
Nagel, D. (2013). Teachers: Technology Encourages Student Creativity, Makes Teaching Writing Easier. the JOURNAL.

Nagel writes about the benefits to teaching writing using technology. The students are being provided the ability to include creativity and personal expression, collaboration, and the ability to share work with a wider audience. In a few short paragraphs, Nagel expresses his research on the benefits teachers experience that make teaching the writing process easier. Use new digital tools to inspire creativity in student writing and use technology to assess. When students create work digitally they are more likely to share it to others using blogs, wikis, and other types of sites. Because students are required to write on standardized tests by hand, it is important to not leave this aspect out of teaching writing only through technology and digitalized classrooms. Use technology as an assist and allow students to become as creative of writers as they wish. Teachers must provide opportunities for exploring different creative processes. There are many debates on how to create an effective balance between technology and the writing process. It is important to implement handwriting as well as typing to practice becoming strategic writers.

When educators have opportunities to integrate new technologies into teaching and learning, they are the most optimistic about the impact of digital tools on student writing and their value in teaching the art of writing.

Are digital tools like cell phones and social networking sites undermining students writing skills or helping to improve them?

Teachers do have concerns that digital tools are blurring the lines between formal and informal writing and see writing skills that need improvement, but they also see the benefit of students having more people to respond to their writing and the increased opportunities for expression these digital tools offer.