9:15 am- My arrival, Aleigha told me about her new haircut

9:20 am- Good morning meeting and sharing (Jeremy shared about video games and being at Hunter's house) Lights were off with a few scattered lights on

9:25 am- Spelling Test (No excuse words), Tables quiet, Kallie on floor doing independenet task, Mrs. Shea walks around the room making sure they are behaving.

9:30 am- Classroom Meeting with Mrs. Doyle about personal saftey, drugs, and alcohol. Personal goals.  (Kelsey-soccer goals, Nick-homerun, Aleigha-get 1st in math, Keyson-Dirt bike, Aaron-sign people up for Upword sports, Brynn-training wheels off)

10:00 am- Mid Chapter math practice

10:20 am - Played Mancala with Hailey.  She won and really broke out of her shy shell with me today

10:30 am- Played Snap it up with Brynn.  She won and was really excited

10:40 am- Snack and word problem.  Carson having a hard time trying to focus

10:45 am- Rescess

11:00 am- Music Class

11:30am- Social Studies lesson on salmon and Native Americans

11:45 am- worked with Hunter, Hailey, and Emilee on social studies lesson.  Helped Emilee read the passages

11:55 am- Aleigha and Kelsey joined the group and had group discussions about what was the importiant peices of what we learned.

12:05 pm- Class disscussion about salmon and Native Americans

12:15 pm- Video with Mrs. C's Class

12:30 pm- Video over and class instructed to meet in large group so that Madison can share about her camping trip that she had over the spring break

12:40 pm- Aleigha an Nick had a fight where Aleigha shoved Nick into the coat closet. 

12:45 pm- Lunch/Recess

1:20 pm- DOL/REad to self.  Talked to Nick about Greek Mythology, helped Emma with her DOL, helped Bethany with a book choice, had a talk with Carson about his focusing

2:00 pm- Checked and Corrected DOL

2:05 pm- Finished Spelling test

2:15 pm- Tapped books together

2:35 pm- Read a story written by Nick

3:00 pm- Bucket fillers

I think it is amazing that at a young age they are talking to the students about personal saftey when it comes to drugs, alcohol and being safe citizens. 

I didn't know that D.A.R.E was implimented in 1983 and that it is all over the United States.  I was a dare graduate in Spokane about 10 years ago.  That was the only experiance with learning drugs and alcohol growing up other then the information that my mom and dad had given me. I think that this program is benificial but it needs to be implimented at younger ages.

I like the program that our school has going.  Our guidence counsler at the end of the year comes in every friday for a month and talks to the students about drugs, alcohol and being safe when playing.  In this program they some of the following topics:

• Nutrition
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Being good citizens
• Being good friends

So not only are they talking about drugs and alcohol but how to be good members of society.

D.A.R.E. Goes Way Beyond Drug &
Alcohol Prevention

Since its inception in 1983, the D.A.R.E. program has continuously responded to the most important challenges facing our children.  While D.A.R.E. remains the largest and most comprehensive anti-drug, alcohol, and violence education program in the world, D.A.R.E is also tackling major problems facing our children including abuse of prescription drugs, bullying, and internet safety through special supplemental curricula.  No other organization offers such comprehensive educational lessons.

The Presidential Proclamation declaring April 8, 2010, as National D.A.R.E. Day is a reflection of and testament to the regard in which D.A.R.E. is held. President Barack Obama joins every U.S. president since the inception of D.A.R.E. in 1983 – Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush – in endorsing the D.A.R.E. program.  Our American Presidents are in good company. Major law enforcement agencies, educational and scientific organizations, and state legislatures have recognized D.A.R.E.’s effectiveness including the National Sheriff’s Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Journal of Medicine, and even the United Nations.

Alternatives to  the Failed DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program

The popular Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program has consistently and without exception been found by scientific research to be ineffective and sometimes counterproductive -- that is, worse than doing nothing. That’s the conclusion of the US Department of Education (DOE), the US Surgeon General, the US General Accountability Office (GAO), and the American Academy of Sciences,  among others. The Department of Education strictly prohibits the use of any of its funding  to support DARE in any school.

Fortunately, schools are not faced with the choice between DARE and no program. A federal agency  (SAMSHA) has identified 66 model programs, any one of which would be preferable to the ineffective DARE program

Amanda Note:  They have alternatives to the D.A.R.E program listed on the follwing website.

Source: http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/controversies/20070111184521.html

Using Book Clubs to Increase Multicultural Students’ Interests in Reading

Jennifer Miller and Nicole Ogranovitch

Glen Forest Elementary School

Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools

Submitted June 2001

Introduction

            In a nine-month study, multicultural students participated in an interactive book club meeting every two weeks.  About forty students previously taught by the book club leaders were invited to complete an application to participate in the club.  Out of the approximate forty students who received applications, eleven were returned.  At the first book club meeting and at the last meeting, students completed reading interest surveys.  The surveys’ focus was the students’ personal reading habits as well as their enjoyment in pleasure reading.  The ten students participating in the club represented the cultures of Egypt, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, the United States, and several countries in Latin America.  Throughout the nine months, students read books ranging in genres from science fiction to fantasy and realistic fiction.  After completing each book, students participated in a discussion followed by an interactive language arts activity.  The selection of books was chosen by the teachers with the exception of the final book being student chosen.  At the close of the book club, students showed an increase in student-initiated reading for pleasure.

The Question

            Does membership in an interactive book club increase multicultural students’ enjoyment of pleasure reading?

Research

            In today’s society children’s desire and motivation for pleasure reading is declining.  There are several factors that contribute to this decrease: the advanced technology that is at their fingertips: televisions, VCRs, computers, Internet, Nintendo, and other electronic games and all of these choices to consume their time with now.   

            Still another factor that effects pleasure reading is the child’s family dynamics.  The dynamics are the child’s social, cultural, and economical statuses.  Families that are led by a single parent, and even some working class families, may be limited at times by money.  Children who have working parents may have increased responsibility at home such as watching younger siblings and cooking meals. 

            Parents have a great influence on younger children and their reading habits.  Homes in which pleasure reading occurs on a regular basis and there is reading material readily available for the children greatly influences their desire for pleasure reading.  As for older children, peers are the greater influence for motivation to pleasure read.  For this reason, books clubs offer motivation for pleasure reading in older children.

            Book clubs offer students a new arena to enjoy recreational reading and to interact with other students.  In particular, book clubs offer multicultural students an informal, natural setting in which to interact and learn the new language.  Throughout the duration of book club meetings, research has shown that students’ participation, self-confidence and initiation within the book club groups have increased because of students’ increased comfort level with discussing and sharing about texts. 

            Many articles have cited that teaching students to acquire a new language is difficult, and there are many ways to increase their success.  Many factors that add to the success of second language learners acquiring a second language can be found in book clubs. 

For individuals to successfully acquire a second language, there needs to be some form of motivation for their learning the new language.  Book clubs provide motivation for students learning a second language because of the interactions between group members through the activities and sharing.  Within peer groups, children feel less pressure coming from the teacher.  The interaction within the peer group is more often in the form of dialogue, as opposed to teacher directed instruction.  Book clubs are a social aspect of school in which second language learners can participate in meaningful discussions about literature.  The social interactions and discussions serve as motivation for students to acquire their new language.

            Collaboration to complete specific tasks also assists second language learners in learning the new language.  The collaboration assists all students in interacting and creating meaning of the text with the help of their peers.  By utilizing peer groups, there is a larger range of background knowledge and experiences to assist students in creating meaning of text.  It has been found that having students attempt to become actively engaged in reading is not as effective without the help of the students’ peer group.  Simply the chance to interact and collaborate with peers is motivation for all students, especially multicultural students, to read more often.

            Another aspect found in book clubs which increases enjoyment of reading among students, is the presence of a stimulating, high interest reading program for students to participate in.  The program should include the discussion of books from a variety of genres.  Often students should be given choices as to which books they read.  Within this high-interest reading program, teachers should model reading as well as reading activities for the students to learn from.  Creating a high-interest reading program allows students to collaborate and interact with the texts to create comprehension.

            In conclusion, to increase students’ enjoyment of reading, especially multicultural students, a few factors must be present.  Students must be given opportunities to collaborate and interact with their peers.  Utilizing a stimulating, high interest program and allowing students to choose some of the books increases motivation for reading.  Books and reading programs are a source of motivation for students.  Books help students relate to one another, create meaning of text, and increase enjoyment of pleasure reading.

Students

The students that were selected for this project were previous students of the teachers.  About forty fourth and fifth graders received applications to participate in the book club.  These students represented all reading levels from apprentice (first grade) to young adult (sixth).  Out of the forty applications distributed, eleven were returned, five of which were from fourth grade and six from fifth grade.  Throughout the course of the year, one fourth grader did not attend the meetings and the book club requested him not to participate.  One fifth grader moved to another school half way through the year and another chose not to participate in the book club.  In return, another fifth grader that did not receive an application requested to become a member of the book club.  The book club voted on this and unanimously agreed to admit him.  At the close of the year, there were eight fully active members.  These eight members represented eight different nationalities. 

Program

            The book club’s program consisted of 45 minute meetings before school every two weeks.  During these meetings, children were engaged in discussions as well as hands-on activities relating to the assigned book.  Some of these activities included creating questions for game shows, locating unknown vocabulary, creating drawings to connect personal experiences with the novels, using Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast novels and their movies, and creating television advertisements for individually read books.  These books focused on areas such as realistic issues, creativity and imagination, and the importance of literacy.  On average, six students attended each meeting.  In the middle of the year, the teachers found that not having full attendance was due to students’ inability to complete the books in the allotted time.  After realizing students’ inability to complete the books within the two weeks allotted, the teachers extended the allotted time to three or four weeks between books.  This change allowed students to increase their comprehension of each book as well as increase their level of enjoyment of pleasure reading, as opposed to feeling as though the books were class assignments.  Changing the frequency of book club meetings increased student participation and decreased absenteeism.             

Results

The teachers had the students complete a reading interest survey at the start of the  school year (see Appendix A).  Students’ devotion towards pleasure reading, on average, fell within the middle of the scale provided.  At the close of the book club, the students completed the same reading interest survey.  The end of the year surveys indicated that the students’ interest in pleasure reading increased throughout the year.  Out of eight Book Club members, three students’ amount of enjoyment in pleasure reading increased, two decreased, and three students’ rating remained the same.  Two of the three students whose ratings remained the same indicated that their enjoyment surpassed the allotted scale so they chose the highest rating possible, which was equal to their pre- Book Club survey.  The teachers observed that throughout the year various book club members became more involved in the book discussions and activities by making connections between the books and their personal experiences. 

Conclusion

            Book Clubs offer multicultural students an opportunity to informally discuss books that are read and the connections that are made.  Through the course of the year, Book Club members became more insightful and took more initiative during each meeting.  The students in the book club showed an increased enjoyment in pleasure reading.  For the two students whose enjoyment in pleasure reading did not increase, television and video games were found to be more of a priority than reading.  It is also possible that in these few cases, reading was not a priority partly because the students’ parents are not proficient in English and do not model reading for their children. 

The book club yielded positive results, 75% of the participants either increased their enjoyment for pleasure reading or remained the same.  Students spent more time reading independently, became more comfortable participating in oral discussions conducted in English, and increased their English vocabulary.  Perhaps most importantly these children learned that reading can be fun - a lesson that can potentially impact them for years to come.

References

Angeletti, N. et al. (1996).  Improving Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Recreational Reading. Action Research Project. 

French, Michael P. et al. (1989). “Using Children’s Literature.”  The Reading Teacher, 90-92.

Haverty, Lisa et al. (1996). “Improving Elementary School Students’ Attitudes toward Voluntary Reading.”  M.A. Project, Saint Xavier University.

Jensen, K., Papp, S. & Richmond, B. (1998). Improving Children’s Habits in Recreational Reading. Action Research Project, Saint Xavier University and IRI/Skylight. 67

Raphael, T. & Brock, C. & Mei, H. (1992). Learning the Literacy Culture in an Urban Elementary School. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Reading Conference.  20.

Strickland, D. et al. (1994). School Book Clubs and Literacy Development: A Descriptive Study.  National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning.  81.

Appendix A

Using Book Clubs to Increase Multicultural Students’ Interests in Reading

The objective: to discover whether an interactive book would increase multicultural students’ enjoyment of pleasure reading.

Research: parental influence, family dynamics, social culture, economic status, motivation, and active involvement in reading

Student population of book club

Program of book club (activities)

Results of book club

Conclusions from book club

8:45am- arrive at school

9:05 am- students start filing into the classroom, very excited about the trip

9:10 am- find my group of students that I am in charge of

9:15 am- led studnets to the bus

10:00 am- arrived at the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center

10:05 am- Introduced to our teachers for the day and went over iteneray

10:15 am- Disscussion about what we have been learning about Native Americans

10:30 am- Head outside for the first station

10:35 am- Head out to the pond where we are told that we are going to be fishing like the Native Americans.  (I got soaking wet from the kids!)

11:00 am- Head over to the archary station

11:05 am- Told that we are going to be hunting the way that the NA did, with bows and arrows (100% safe I assure you!)

12:00 pm- Head over to the garden center

12:05 pm- Told a folk tale about three sisters: corn, bean and squash.  The kids then draw and color their own version of what they think the three sisters looked like and recieved beans to plant on their own.

12:30 pm: Time for lunch and a break

1:00 pm- Clean up lunch and head to the WVOLC classroom

1:10 pm- Kids are asked to make their own land based on different senarios

1:20 pm kids present and are given a different senario that they have to impliment into their new land.

1:30 pm-Kids are instucted that there is one more station that they are going to visit.

1:35 pm- kids arrive at the Teepee and are told an old indian folk tale.

2:00 pm- head back to the WVOLC classroom for the last time.

2:05 pm- kids make their very own NA game that the kids would have played to pass the time:

2:15 pm- board the bus back to Ponderosa

3:00pm- Arrive back to the school and have kids write down their experiances from the trip.

3:10pm Dissmissed

If I had it my way we would have feild trips everyday.  I found that the students were actualy retaining the information that was being given to them in the classroom.  When the teacher was asking my students in particular different questions pertaining to the Native Americans they were answering them.  More importiantly the students labled as "problimatic" were participating and answering questions, something they usualy don't do in the classroom. 

I agree with the article that states that feild trips can effect the cognative learning plus add a motivation for learning.  I also noted that our feild trip did exactly what they article said feild trips should do/be and that is to be incorporated into a unit lesson plan.  We have spent the last month or so talking about the Native Americans of the Northwest and to be able to go to the WVOLC was a great way to close up the unit. 

Enhancing Natural Resource Programs with Field Trips¹

Most educators are familiar with what has become a childhood ritual—the field trip. Taking youth to parks, school camps, nature centers, and other outdoor settings provides an important contribution to the learning process (See Figure 1). Researchers have documented the cognitive and affective benefits of field trips, including increased motivation for learning (Kern and Carpenter, 1984), a more positive attitude toward science and environmental concepts (Bitgood, 1989), and the acquisition of knowledge and skills (Mackenzie and White, 1981). Further, field trips can stimulate interest for natural resource-related careers and result in an improved attitude toward the site visited (Knapp, 2000). But not all field trips result in these benefits. A field trip can easily turn into nothing more than a day off from school. This fact sheet explains how to maximize learning during the field trip to ensure that students gain its cognitive and affective benefits.

1. Ensure that the Field Trip Is an Integral Part of the Broader Curriculum

Too often, field trips are isolated from the rest of the school curriculum. Research, however, has shown that there is less transfer of learning and less meaning when the field trip is not related to classroom teaching (Ferry, 1995). The field trip should be integrated into the broader instructional program and be used only when it is the most effective and efficient procedure for fulfilling the learning objectives. When working within the formal education setting, make sure field trips are relevant to the school's curriculum and that they support state education standards and current reform efforts.

Figure 1. 

Field trips provide youth with new experiences, like walking across a beaver dam.

Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards provide a statewide guide to curriculum in public schools. Of course science standards are readily met on natural resource field trips, but it is also possible to develop a natural resource-focused field program that helps teachers meet standards in language arts, mathematics, and social studies. For example, a trip to a nature center for fourth-grade students could include an exploration of the forest ecosystem, collecting impressions to write a story, and calculating how many insects might be in a rotting log. The trip could then address the following standards:

SC.4.L.17.2: Explain that animals, including humans, cannot make their own food and that when animals eat plants or other animals, the energy stored in the food source is passed to them.

LA.4.4.2.1: Write in a variety of informational/expository forms.

MA.4.A.6.6: Estimate and describe reasonableness of estimates; determine the appropriateness of an estimate versus an exact answer.

2. Integrate the Field Trip into an Instructional Unit

Orion (1993) offers a three-part model that can be used to integrate field trips into the curriculum. Each part is a structured, independent learning unit, yet each links naturally to the next part of the model. The first part, the preparatory unit, prepares students for the field trip with targeted learning activities—usually incorporating some “hands-on” tasks. Learners might work with materials and equipment that will be used in the field and gain the basic concepts and skills necessary for the completion of field activities.

The field trip is the second and central part of the model. It serves as a concrete bridge toward more abstract learning levels. Making the field trip the central part of the instructional program, rather than using it as a summary or enrichment activity, provides the concretization learners need to move on to higher levels of cognitive learning when they return from the field.

The third part of Orion's model, the summary unit, includes more complex and abstract concepts, aiming toward helping learners to use their field trip learning and to transfer it to new situations. This component is usually conducted in the classroom.

While it may appear simple and intuitive at first glance, in fact this model advocates a significant departure from the typical stand-alone field trip. By including pre- and post-trip elements, the teacher becomes involved in the instruction of the field trip concepts, and students are more likely to make connections to other topics in the curriculum.

3. Familiarize Students with the Field Trip Site and Trip Expectations

The relative novelty or familiarity of the field trip setting affects learning. Settings that are too novel cause fear and nervousness; settings that are too familiar cause boredom, fatigue, and diversionary activities (Falk and Balling, 1980). Students learn best in a moderately novel field trip setting. It's best to familiarize them first by showing slides or a video of the field trip site and locating the field trip area and route on a map. Educators can also provide students with an itinerary of activities and details regarding the type of work they will be expected to do at each learning station, possible weather conditions, safety hazards and precautions, location of restrooms, and lunch or snacks (Figure 2).

Figure 2. 

Water quality testing equipment can be introduced before the trip to make more efficient use of time in the field.

Staff at the field trip site can provide teachers with pre-trip materials, maps, and resources that can help teachers prepare students for the field experience. In addition to suggesting content-based activities that would introduce topics, vocabulary, and concepts (see section 2), staff might provide a map of the route the bus could take and a map of the facility's trails that will orient students to the site. Teachers may be able to provide a slide show of last year's field trip, or readings from those students' reports. A letter to parents is another strategy to prepare youth for the upcoming field trip. It alerts parents to the event and encourages them to make sure students have appropriate clothing and necessary equipment. If the bus route passes an area of interest, such as a river, a former wildfire site, or a wetland, teachers may be able to point out these landmarks as students make observations.

4. Design the Field Trip as a Learning Experience Based on Educational Theory

The main instructional strategy of the field trip should be hands-on experience, focusing on activities that cannot be conducted in the classroom or laboratory (Orion, 1993). Rather than passively absorbing information through guided tours or participating in simulations, students should be actively constructing knowledge through their interactions with the environment. This strategy relies on a process-oriented rather than a content-oriented approach, incorporating activities such as observing, identifying, measuring, and comparing. Instructors should build in opportunities for structured exploration, such as scavenger hunts or sensory awareness activities. Further, the actual site of the field trip should be conducive to learning. Terrain that is too difficult, learning stations that are separated by great distances, extreme weather conditions, and constant pestering by mosquitoes make learning difficult.

The "stop and talk" approach many naturalists use is not sufficiently engaging for young learners. Consider asking students to find examples of insect feeding, three different shades of green, or animal homes. Readily available activities from Project Learning Tree, Project WET, and Project WILD offer ideas for outdoor games and exercises that bring concepts like camouflage, watershed, and population growth to life (Figure 3 ).

Figure 3. 

Youth at this Environmental Education Center play a game to reinforce the concept of energy flow.

5. Provide Students with Multiple Exposures to and Experience in Natural Settings

Some students, often those from urban backgrounds, arrive at the park or natural area with negative preconceptions and fears that interfere with the effectiveness of the field trip program (Bixler, Carlisle, Hammitt, and Floyd, 1994). These students need repeated positive exposures to natural settings to lower the novelty of these settings and help them “unlearn” misconceptions. Direct experiences can be planned to counter perceived threats, such as encountering dirt and germs, getting lost, and being attacked by venomous snakes or ravenous wolves. When possible, field trips should be provided to young children (as young as preschool and kindergarten) to prevent their developing these fears in the first place. With enough exposure and support, these students may be able to introduce their families to positive encounters with nature.

With the rising cost of bus transportation for field trips, it can be difficult for teachers to make multiple trips to natural settings. It may be wise to help teachers develop natural areas on their school sites. Also called "outdoor classrooms" and "land labs," these nearby locations can give teachers a place to conduct a variety of environmental activities. Similarly, a city park or cemetery can also provide areas to explore insects, plants, soil, and trees. The more comfortable youth become with these familiar, nearby locations, the better they will be able to appreciate more wild environments.

Figure 4. 

What better way to explore aquatic organisms than to wade in after them?

Summary

Field trips can be a valuable method of instruction, providing students with important cognitive and affective benefits. To help ensure that students actually gain these potential benefits, instructors must consider the factors that influence the educational effectiveness of field trips. They must integrate the field trip into the curriculum and align it with national and state education standards using pre- and post-visit activities; familiarize students with the field trip site and trip expectations; base the field trip on solid educational theory; and provide students with multiple experiences in natural settings. Extension agents, club leaders, agency staff, and classroom teachers aware of the importance of these factors can collectively plan and implement field trips that achieve optimal cognitive and effect results, as well as provide youth with the opportunities to enjoy and explore an outdoor environment.

References

Bitgood, S. (1989). School field trips: An overview. Visitor Behavior, 4(2), 3-6.

Bixler, R., C. Carlisle, W. Hammitt, and M. Floyd. (1994). Observed fears and discomfort among urban students on field trips to wildland areas. The Journal of Environmental Education, 26(1), 24-33.

Falk, J. and J. Balling. (1980). The school field trip: Where you go makes a difference. Science and Children, 6-8.

Ferry, B. (1995). Enhancing environmental experiences through effective partnerships among teacher educators, field study centers, and schools. The Journal of Experiential Education, 18(3), 133-137.

Kern, E. and J. Carpenter. (1984). Enhancement of student values, interests, and attitudes in earth science through a field-oriented approach. Journal of Geological Education, 32, 299-305.

Knapp, D. (2000). Memorable experiences of a science field trip. School Science and Mathematics, 11(2), 65-71.

Mackenzie, A. and R. White. (April 1981). Fieldwork in geography and long-term memory structures. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association, Los Angeles, CA.

Orion, N. (1993). A model for the development and implementation of field trips as an integral part of the science curriculum. School Science and Mathematics, 93(6), 325-331.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.

Improving Student Writing Using Technology

From WikEd

Introduction

Over the last five years, great strides have been made in finding ways to integrate technology into all parts of the academic curriculum. There are multiple opportunities for improving student writing through the use of technology. While some criticize technology for spell- and grammar-checkers that lessen students' reliance on their own capabilities, research shows that students who use word processing programs to develop writing skills are able to write better compositions (Kulik). The tools available to teachers to develop and improve writing skills abound, through word processing programs and the Internet.

Application in classrooms and similar settings

Technology provides boundless opportunties for teachers to improve writing instruction. Teachers can model writing through the use of a computer connected to an LCD projector. Students can view and learn from the writing process as it is projected. Students can see the writing processes from drafting, to expanding, to editing and revising. Students can use Kidspiration or Inspiration software to brainstorm ideas and create story maps. As a proofreading strategy, students can listen to their writing read back to them by text-to-speech software. Students can peer edit through e-mail, and learn outlining techniques using Powerpoint (Austin). Online journals can be created using blogging, and students can comment on eachother's work. There are numerous websites available for publishing student work.

Readability Statistics. Microsoft Word is equipped with this handy little tool. The tool will count your words, characters, sentences, words per sentence, among other things. Within Readability Statistics, you can find the Flesch-Kincaid grade level, which is a rough calculation that tells the equivalent grade level of the reader to read the particular selection. The readability statistics occur at the end of a spell check. You may have to change your settings to find them (Tools, Options, Spelling and Grammar, Show Readability Statistics). This tool can be used as a motivator for students to improve their writing, by expanding vocabulary, and writing more complex sentences.

Spell Check and Grammar Check. These tools are found on most word processing software. They are certainly not "foolproof," but they can help point students in the right direction in their composition. Critics say that spell check and grammar check cannot replace the "complexity of the human mind," which is no surprise.

Thesis Builder and Online Outline Builder. This website, found at http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html, is a great tool for students to organize their thoughts with the purpose of creating a persuasive essay.

Citation Machine. Here is an Internet resource that can build citations in either MLA or APA style for a variety of resources, including books, magazines, websites and many more. Find it at http://citationmachine.net. (Site verified March 25, 2006).

EndNote. While this is not free software, as is citation machine, it is a wonderful way to teach students to store their resources. There are also fields which allow students to write a paragraph summary, for ease of an annotated bibliography. Students can choose from a variety of output styles, including APA, MLA, and many, many others. Students are able to create a different library for each paper or research project, and can easily insert both in-text citation and create bibliography in Word automatically. While it is not free, it is well worth the price!

Paragraph Punch and Essay Punch. Two great websites to help students organized their thoughts on a specific topic. Paragraph Punch can be found at http://www.paragraphpunch.com/. This site helps students write a topic sentence and develop an idea into a well-written paragraph. Essay Punch (http://www.essaypunch.com/) guides students through the procedure of writing an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph.

Writing Fix is an incredible site sponsored by the Northern Nevada Writing Project and the National Writing Project. Visit it at http://www.writingfix.com/. Whether you're a writer or a teacher of writing, you will discover not only "Logical and Structured Writing Ideas," but also "Recklessly Creative Writing Ideas." This site does a great job with interactive writing prompts as well as an Interactive Instant Plot, where writers can "get a setting, character, and conflict that inspires a story . . ."

Read, Write and Think, sponsored by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English provides a multitude of lesson plans and ideas for teaching writing at all grade levels. Visit it at http://www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp.

Writing Bugs. This is a wonderful website for primary teachers to find writing ideas for writers just getting started. Printable pages on a variety of topics are included at this website: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/archives/writing_bugs.shtml.

Read Please. Read Please is award-winning text-to-speech software made for Windows. The free version comes with a couple voices to choose from and will read anything you can copy and paste into it. It's a great way to motivate your students to proofread what they've written.

Turnitin Write Cycle, not only is an online service that automatically checks for plagiarism, thus eliminating the ease of copy/paste, but also allows the online collaboration of peer feedback which can be used to improve a student's writing ability. Although the program is not free, you can find out additional information about the program's function, research, and pricing here.

Evidence of effectiveness

From an efficiency standpoint, it would be hard to argue the ease with which students can draft, edit, and finalize a written report using a simple word processing program compared to the pencil and paper methods of the past. If equipped with basic keyboarding skills, students can easily type an assignment and revise endlessly, continuing to improve the finished product. With good and reasonable use of spelling and grammar checking software, students receive immediate feedback on those aspects of their work. Admittedly, they cannot rely completely on these tools, but must have a fairly good basis in spelling, grammar, and punctuation to effectively make use of these tools. Further, they can utilize readability statistics to place their writing at a particular grade level, and explore the statistics related to the assignment, such as number of words, sentences, etc.

Within a creative writing assignment, those students and other writers who experience "writers' block" can find online a variety of story starters, ideas and much more to start the flow of creative expression. Thanks to the sharing component of the Internet, teachers of writing can capitalize on the experiences of other teachers, sharing lesson plans and ideas for improving their students' writing capabilities.

Critics and their rationale

The effect of spell check on writing was analyzed in a study at the University of Pittsburgh. It was found that, among the graduate students surveyed, too heavy a reliance was placed on spell-checking software, and some of those surveyed made changes to text that were already correct. Richard Stern, of Carnegie Mellon University said that "grammar and spelling software will never reach the complexity of the human mind." (Study, CNN).

"Dew knot trussed yore spell chequer two fined awl yore mistakes," is an interesting quote by Brendan Hills that exemplifies the problems with automated spell checking (Quote of the Week). Students can be easily fooled into believing the spell check and grammar check will take care of all their technical problems.

There are conflicting accounts of the impact of technology on writing. Researchers suggest that the effectiveness of technology on the writing process depends on how the teacher implements technology. Simply replacing drill and practice worksheets with drill and practice software is not effective. Teachers need to use technology to enhance instruction and promote active learning (Austin).

Another issue occurs when students, who use computer technology so often for personal communication, bring that type of slang and "half-speak" into educationally viable written texts. The computer is now so much more than a word processor that it is now common place in our society. Like sending an email to a friend, students will crank out a written assignment so fast they might not even read it over before they turn it in. Finding and teaching the line between chatting and writing will make the difference in whether technology is actually helping writing or not.

Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations

The writing curriculum has been improved for students with disabilities through the use of technology. Pen to paper writing assignments have been difficult for students with motor problems to accomplish successfully in the past. Now, touch screens are available, as are voice activated word processing programs. Students with vision impairments can use screen reading programs. Specialized programs have been developed for students with learning disabilities, not to mention the benefits of spell-check and grammar-check for learners with difficulties in these areas. The bridge from home to school has been shortened, providing opportunities for students to spend additional time outside the school day completing assignments. Specialized software that develops language skills is available, not only for students with learning disabilities, but also for those learning English as a second language. While assistive technologies support students with disabilities in many ways, teachers need to continue to modify and adjust the curriculum for students with special needs.

Signed "life experiences", testimonies and stories

Testimonial of Pat Reed:

It has been my experience that a strong language arts curriculum that includes spelling, phonics, grammar, writing skills and literature is necessary to cultivate good writers. This curriculum can be enriched through the use of technology, but technology alone cannot replace the curriculum. The particular tools and websites described above are just a few of the multitude available to students and teachers to improve student writing. A teacher knowledgeable in the many facets of a language arts curriculum and well-versed in the wide array of technological resources available can educate better writers than a teacher who does not utilize the available technology.

Student motivation is a key factor. Desk work can be tedious, and handwriting and rewriting with pen or pencil often becomes a painful task for students. Teachers are frustrated at their students handwriting, and at times they overlook good content due to poor handwriting. Language arts software and the Internet provide interactive opportunities for students to improve their skills with immediate and individual feedback that is rarely available in a traditional classroom. Students become engaged learners, actively striving to improve their abilities, while having fun at the same time.

Over the last nine years, I worked as the technology coordinator at an elementary school. It was my job to work closely with all subject and grade level teachers to develop lesson plans which integrated technology into all areas of the curriculum. Writing has been a focus for years, as we strive to help our students become good communicators in a digital world. Not only have students developed their writing skills, but also their research skills due to the nature of information available to them with a click of the mouse.

Over the last two years, our school has developed a writing curriculum for seventh and eighth grade entitled "12 Simple Steps to Writing a Research Paper with Technology" (Reed&Darche, 2003). This project, coordinated jointly by the language arts and technology departments, has been quite successful in helping the students prepare for high school. Their writing has become more organized, they know the mechanics of introductory paragraphs, thesis statements, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraphs. They can evaluate the content of websites, and determine what information is reliable and what isn't. They know how to properly cite their sources, and are taught what constitutes plagiarism, and how and why to avoid it.

Is there a downside to using technology in writing? Of course. My frustration level has reached its peak when students replace a misspelled word with another incorrect word using spell check, or when they write "u" instead of "you" in a formal paper because they have spent too much time the night before instant messaging. However, I feel the benefits far outweigh the problem areas (AccessSTEM - Writing Assignments).

Technology does no make the skill of writing easier, but it does remove some of the drudgery. Many of my students type faster than they write, so that they are able to get their thoughts down as they occur. Also, it makes it easier to read, both for understanding, and for editing. Finally, I think my students take their own writing a little more seriously when they see it in print, coming off of the printer. Warner Ferratier

I teach in the elementary schools and we have several programs to help students writing such as Kidspiration and Amazing Writing Machine. Unfortunately, young kids don't know how to type so this makes typing their stories very tedious. For young children, I think they need to be developing writing fluency, an understanding of the writing process as well as grammar and spelling skills. This works best with paper and pencil not a computer. I think that we can use the computer but more to teach the skill of typing so that someday it can be used as a composing tool. E. Elrick elementary/preschool teacher for 7 years.

I truly worry that the writing style and knowledge base of our young people is being negatively affected by the use of word processing programs. If we were to have a student write an essay, for example, would they be able to use correctly grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.? We have become reliant on technolgy and it does have its benefits. However, we still need to make sure the 'computer' in our head, is able to do things without the computer on our desks. -J. Daeschler

I think it has really hurt our students in terms of using technology as a crutch in their writing. I have seen a drop in spelling scores and an increase in grammar errors because they know that the computer will fix it for them. With the increased use of Instant Messenger services, I think this will continue to get worse. -N. Hartz

With my upper elementary students, the biggest advantage I witness in using technology in writing is the kids' willingness to edit. Typically, the idea of rewriting an essay is about as welcome as a dose of cod liver oil. They do it, to be sure, but under duress. However, when the kids compose, edit, revise, and finalize on the computer (complete will illustrations or graphics) they tend to put more time and effort into the process. It is less tedious, more fun, and therefore they learn more about what they're doing instead of dreading the assignment. - Carolyn St

We have used technology to help reinforce writing skills in preparation for ISAT testing. As a computer teacher, I also realize the benefits of grammar and spelling check software to help correct student work. I used to teach Language Arts, and I dreaded the grading of long student essays. We have also used the paragraph punch and citation machine websites at different times. -S. Yunker

This is interesting because I have always wondered what technology has done to the writing ability of our nations children. It seems like with spell check and grammer check that we have installed in our word processing programs hurts are actually writing skills because it doesn't allow us to learn from our mistakes like normally would from having somebody else read over our work. It just simply corrects the problem and allows us to move on. This is something that should be more researched. J. Simmons

The problem of mis-spelling English using technology truly is a problem not only for young kids, but also among college and graduage students. I am not sure if people using other languages have the same problem, but at least the word processor for Chinese that I am using does not correct the Chinese characters. So I think for children who use English as a common communication tool, it is the teachers' and parents' responsibility to work together to help children realize the problem and overcome it. ---X. Zheng

The negative opinions about word processing make me chuckle. We are in the middle of technology change and teaching methods have not caught up fully to the varied options within the new tools (the word processor). When we went from the quill pens to erasable pencils was there a change in how writing took place and thus taught? or to the typewriter? Of course. The writing process is part thinking, part mechanical, part logistical, moving the developing written ideas to final publishing. Word processors shift these activities at each stage around a bit. Just as the pencil, the ballpoint pen, and the typewriter. As teachers we need to be fully cognizant of that and adapt. I can safely bet that electronic writing will not be going away. -J. Tubbs

Technology, although not without some faults, has helped in many ways in the classroom. There are a variety of pieces of technology our district has adapted to help students learn more efficiently. Whether it is a piece of assistive technology for special education students (software to read text, or speech to text, pictureIt, etc), technology that helps the teacher (projects, document cameras, computers, etc) or technology for regular education students there is a large role for it in the classroom and that role will continue to grow. In our district, students for a number of years each had their own laptop checked out to them from grades 4-6 which helped a great deal with research projects, writing their daily journals and so on. Technology helping with writing, or in general, is definitely here to stay so we need to work with it and help downplay the faults in order to best adapt in our classrooms. E. Bostrom

Many educators have embraced how technology and writing go hand in hand. Using a word processing tool to develop writing can be seen as opening a door to a whole different world. Before writing can begin there are many technology programs that help students organize their thoughts. These technology organizers such as Inspiration or Kidspiration do a great job in creating an outline for the student. It is beneficial for all students’ especially lower level learners who might need extra assistance with organization. After putting thoughts into an organized plan, students can use word processors to put their thoughts into reality. Using the computer also allows kids to use spelling and grammar check. Students learn how to make their writing better through the technology programs that are available. S. Nottoli

Although I teach students how to write using several technologies, I often give them a choice on how they would like to compose their writing. I have several students who prefer to type their first drafts, while others absolutely loathe typing and will save that for just the publishing phase. I think the most important is to expose students to multiple methods of writing, and allowing them to discover what works best for them. -S. Becker

I am both an eighth grade writing teacher as well as a technology teacher. I try to integrate technology as much as possible into student writing. I feel that by doing this, students do not even realize they are writing if they are using technology. One resource that I use for informal writing is [Piclits http://www.piclits.com]. Students pick a stock photo and choose words from a given list to describe the picture. I also like to use Google documents for collaborative writing. Student interaction increases this way because students find it more interesting to collaborate by e-mail than sitting in a group in the classroom. Another great editing tool is to use Audacity and have students record their writing. They quickly start editing their writing, both as they are recording and as they listen to their recording. They hear their mistakes as they are reading their writing and catch more mistakes than ever. - L. Storm

As a high school Social Studies teacher, I have taken on the task of improving student writing. The topics they write on always connect to the content we are studying but they are none the less, writing. I have found as many teachers have that the students HATE writing at all levels. We have a program at my school called MY Access which is designed to give students tools to pre-write, write, and revise, which should improve their writing. The program itself has been useful in some cases on a small scale, but overall the kids have manipulated the program so that they get the "score" they want and then they won't work on their writing anymore. I have found a more successful strategy is as L.Storm mentioned above is to have students use technology such as Photostory or Scratch where they are essentially writing a script but they don't realize they are writing at all. It does not serve the exact same purpose (as formal writing is an extremely important skill) but they are writing more often and honing their skills while enjoying learning! - M. Allen

References and other links of interest

"AccessSTEM - Writing Assignments." Northwest Alliance for Access to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. 2001-04. Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology, University of Washington. 03 Feb. 2005

Austin, S. F., & Lacina, J. G. (2003). Technology and the writing workshop. Childhood Education, 80(2), 101+.

Kulik, J. A. (2003, May ). Computer use helps students to develop better writing skills. SRI International, Retrieved Jan 30, 2005, from http://www.sri.com/policy/csted/reports/sandt/it/Kulik_ITinK-12_Writing_IssueBrief.pdf.

Quote of the week. (n.d.). Retrieved Jan. 31, 2005, from http://www.edu.pe.ca/montaguehigh/quotes.htm.

Reed&Darche, P. K. (2003). Twelve simple steps to writing a research paper with technology. Illinois Computing Educators ICE Cube, 2003(3), 4-6.

Study: spell check can worsen writing. (2003). Retrieved Jan. 31, 2005, from http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/03/14/spell.check.ap/.

Days In Classroom:  Monday and Friday

Number of hours a week: 12

Total hours for this class: 32

School Name: Ponderosa Elementary

Location: Spokane Valley

Master Teacher: Mary Shea

1. Evil Crazy Parents
2. Disaster Happening
3. Violent Child
4. Management Plan
5. Legal Issues
6. Reaching out to every child
7. Having no control
8. unmotivated students
9. actions/lessons being perceived as inappropriate
10. Losing control
11. Not knowing how to answer a question
12. getting burned out
13. interacting with different grades/ages
14. students falling too far behind
15. not being good enough/hurting students chances at success