Building Habits: How Might Writing Assistance Technologies Help Prepare Students for Postsecondary Writing
In my initial post for our Ahead of the Code Blog, I argued that “Writing tools have a place [in the classroom] — beside a teacher, not in place of one.” As we head toward the end of this year and the conclusion of our inquiry project, I realize that statement needs further explanation and specificity. Perhaps it would be better stated in this way: The effective use of writing assistance tools requires intentionality on the part of teachers. Before this year’s exploration, I asked students to use writing tools like the SAS Writing Reviser, Grammarly, Writable, PeerGrade, and even the built-in tools in Google Docs without much intention. It was just an expected final step in the writing process as students tried to polish their pieces. The first step in using these tools more effectively has been recognizing that they can — and should — be used for more than just final proofreading. In fact, they can be used to teach students the habits of mind, critical thinking, and rhetorical mindset that students will need to be successful at writing at the postsecondary level. In addition, they can be leveraged to create an environment that still honors the apprenticeship model of the writing classroom.
The Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing
The Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing was developed collaboratively with representatives from the Council of Writing Program Administrators, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Writing Project. It identifies the habits of mind students need for postsecondary writing and recommends experiences teachers can use to help foster the habits of mind. It has been a part of the design and delivery of instruction in my high school classes for many years now and I find it helps students to see beyond high school writing. In the past, I have asked students to self-assess their growth on the habits and support those growth statements with evidence from their writing lives.
This year, as I considered the ways in which I have used writing assistance tools in my classes, I realized that I was missing out on an opportunity to tie the use of the tools to the habits we work on all year. Halfway through the year, I began reframing our use of the tools with the habits from the Framework in mind. I have come to believe that writing tools should not be the final step in the writing process. Instead, they should be conversation starters in thinking more deeply about how students develop the skills to be successful postsecondary writers. To that end, I have been trying to work questions into our class periods as we use the writing assistance tools. Here are a few that I have been working into our conversations.
How can we use writing assistance tools to start conversations that help students to build habits of mind?
What are you asking of students as they use writing assistance tools? I would love to keep growing this list and helping my students to be more intentional in their use of the tools as well.
