The Importance of Teaching Students to Adopt Writing Assistive Technology
by Taiesha Fowler
Teens spend hours online streaming content and interacting on social media, but there are still essential aspects of technology that they have yet to explore. Many adults think that students know how to use technology and fiddling with devices is second nature for them. While this may be true in certain ways, it ignores the fact that kids primarily use technology for social reasons. Just like any other communication tool students have at their disposal (from their pencils to their speaking voices), we must guide students in leveraging resources for educational growth. While 80% of my students had heard of assistive writing tools, only 34% had actually employed the tools to support their writing.
The high schoolers that I serve need teachers to steer them toward using Writing Assistive Technology (W.A.T.). Most students familiar with W.A.T. only knew about Grammarly (19 out of 50 students). They only had limited knowledge about other writing technology products. Easybib, Slickwrite, Grammar, and Writer’s Diet had single-digit responses.
The students who use WAT reported that these tools helped them write better by correcting punctuation and making suggestions for word choice. With its undeniable benefits, teachers should implement these writing aids strategically into lessons. Teaching students to use technology to elevate their educational skills will lead them closer to reaching their goals. According to The New Teacher Project’s 2018 report The Opportunity Myth, we can motivate learners by connecting content to their real lives. Real-life connections to lessons contribute to deep engagement. About 60% of high schoolers surveyed by TNTP reported that their schoolwork was “disconnected from their realities and irrelevant for their futures.” Students need educators to make explicit connections between experiences in school and outside of the classroom. While we often think of relevance in terms of assignments and texts, we cannot forget technology’s influence on every area of our lives.
From now on, introducing WAT tools will be an important part of scaffolding students toward independence. I will model how to use and how to access WAT in order to support editing and revision. One of the first assignments posted for students will be to explore browser extensions and other web tools that will develop their writing skills. While W.A.T. products usually address the latter stages of the writing process, these skills often are more numerous. Correcting students out of the mistakes creates a daunting task for language arts teachers. In addition to providing an introduction, the use of WAT can be incorporated throughout the year during the revision and editing phases of the writing process. Like other teachers, I strive to find as many ways as possible to provide feedback for writing instruction. I regularly use direct mini-lessons, peer review, and teacher conferences. With W.A.T, I can add another layer of feedback through technology to improve student writing.
A hallmark of a well-rounded 21st century curriculum involves teaching students to maximize technology in ways that will directly impact their ability to take care of business in the future.
