Chapter 8 focuses on the idea of using word processing to improve early writer's writing styles. With the increase of state testing, teachers must teach students in Grades K-2 to master the organizational patterns of writing. Young students can easily master how to write creatively, with lots of voice, yet they need help to understand the structure of sentences and paragraphs - how information is organized. I found it interesting that schools today are using word processing to help young student's understand and ultimately improve their writing. It makes sense! Word processing can easily and very clearly help young writers understand sentence structure through mapping, tables, and colors.
In grade school, we broke down sentences using different color chalk on the board, yet after reading Chapter 8 I found that word processing programs can do the same thing - only faster and easier. I also loved that the chapter included other programs that help with pre-writing or brainstorming. Those programs alone would be enough to convince me that technology can improve the writing skills of small children.
2 comments:
I agree with the fact that students can easily write creatively at that age, but they don't know how to write with structure. Word processing is a great way to help students understand and improve their writing. There are so many options in teaching with technology. It is easier to reach out to students of all different learning types when using the computer. That's great that you guys used the color system for learning how to write. I wish we had done that!
I think what word processing offers to students is a new and improved way of the methods we had in the past. Allowing students at such a young age to use and understand technology will help them in the future because technology is becoming more prevalent in today's society. Therefore, by teaching your elementary schoolers how to learn sentence structure using word processing, you are not only teaching them English, you are also teaching them how to use a computer program that will be advantageous for them to know in the future. It's GREAT!
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