Effective Integration of Technology During the Writing Process

Joice
Joice M.
M. Higa
Higa and
and Kathy
Kathy B.
B. Ewoldt
Ewoldt

joice.higa@unlv.edu

Abstract
Abstract
Effective
Effective written
written communication
communication skills
skills are
are
essential
essential for
for daily
daily life;
life; however,
however, many
many students
students
with
with learning
learning disabilities
disabilities demonstrate
demonstrate deficits
deficits in
in
written
written expression.
expression. Evidence
Evidence supports
supports the
the use
use
of
of technology-based
technology-based interventions,
interventions, and
and the
the
writing
writing process
process provides
provides multiple
multiple opportunities
opportunities
to
to integrate
integrate technology.
technology. Recommendations
Recommendations for
for
technology
technology use
use at
at each
each stage
stage of
of the
the writing
writing
process
process are
are provided.
provided.

Background
Background
Proficiency
Proficiency in
in written
written communication
communication is
is vital
vital to
to
the
the achievement
achievement of
of personal
personal and
and career
career goals.
goals.
On
On aa national
national assessment
assessment of
of writing
writing skills,
skills, only
only
27%
27% of
of eighth-grade
eighth-grade students
students demonstrated
demonstrated
writing
writing skills
skills at
at or
or above
above the
the proficient
proficient level
level
(NCES,
(NCES, 2012).
2012). For
For students
students with
with disabilities,
disabilities,
the
the deficit
deficit in
in written
written expression
expression skills
skills is
is
particularly
particularly concerning,
concerning, with
with only
only five
five percent
percent of
of
students
students with
with disabilities
disabilities demonstrated
demonstrated
proficient
proficient writing
writing skills,
skills, and
and 60%
60% were
were unable
unable to
to
demonstrate
demonstrate basic
basic level
level writing
writing skills
skills (USDOE,
(USDOE,
2011).
2011).
Researchers
Researchers have
have examined
examined the
the effect
effect of
of
technology
technology use
use on
on writing
writing outcomes.
outcomes. Students
Students
of
of those
those teachers
teachers who
who implemented
implemented technology
technology
for
for drafting
drafting and
and revising
revising purposes
purposes scored
scored
higher
higher than
than other
other students
students (NCES,
(NCES, 2012).
2012). The
The
lowest
lowest scoring
scoring students
students were
were those
those whose
whose
teachers
teachers stated
stated that
that technology
technology was
was never
never
incorporated
incorporated for
for drafting
drafting and
and revising
revising written
written
work
work (NCES,
(NCES, 2012).
2012).
In
In aa meta-analysis,
meta-analysis, Graham
Graham and
and Perin
Perin (2007)
(2007)
identified
identified word
word processing
processing as
as aa helpful
helpful practice
practice
for
for students
students with
with learning
learning disabilities.
disabilities. The
The
ongoing
ongoing use
use of
of technology
technology may
may also
also increase
increase
student
student engagement
engagement and
and initiative
initiative (Sandholtz,
(Sandholtz,
Ringstaff,
Ringstaff, && Dwyer,
Dwyer, 1994),
1994), and
and struggling
struggling
writers
writers demonstrated
demonstrated increased
increased motivation
motivation
when
when employing
employing technology
technology (Sylvester
(Sylvester &
&
Greenidge,
Greenidge, 2009).
2009).

University
University of
of Nevada
Nevada Las
Las Vegas
Vegas

Drafting
Drafting

Revising
Revising

Use
Use word
word processing
processing software
software to
to
improve
improve speed
speed and
and minimize
minimize frustration
frustration
Create
Create scaffolded,
scaffolded, pre-formatted
pre-formatted draft
draft
documents
documents (e.g.,
(e.g., include
include sentence
sentence
starters)
starters)
Use
Use word
word prediction
prediction or
or text-to-speech
text-to-speech
functions
functions
Use
Use speech-to-text
speech-to-text software
software
Use
Use motivational
motivational web-based
web-based tools
tools (e.g.
(e.g.
WrittenKitten.co)
WrittenKitten.co)
Suggested
Suggested sites/apps:
sites/apps:
Twinword.com
Twinword.com
Phraseology
Phraseology app
app
Voicenote.in/live/
Voicenote.in/live/

Use
Use word
word processing
processing features
features to
to minimize
minimize
the
the frustration
frustration of
of repeated
repeated erasures
erasures
Apply
Apply text
text features
features (e.g.,
(e.g., underline,
underline,
highlight)
highlight) to
to improve
improve writing
writing
-Review
-Review sentence
sentence variety
variety by
by
highlighting
highlighting the
the first
first word
word of
of each
each
sentence
sentence
-Evaluate
-Evaluate flow
flow of
of text
text by
by underlining
underlining
transitions
transitions
Use
Use the
the word
word count
count feature
feature to
to determine
determine
which
which sentences
sentences require
require additional
additional detail
detail
Create
Create word
word clouds
clouds to
to review
review word
word choice
choice
Suggested
Suggested sites:
sites:
writersdiet.com
writersdiet.com >test
>test
Hemmingway
Hemmingway app
app

Prewriting
Prewriting
Conduct
Conduct online
online research
research
View
View images
images to
to facilitate
facilitate descriptive
descriptive
writing
writing
Collect
Collect details
details to
to support
support arguments
arguments
Locate
Locate background
background information
information to
to
enhance
enhance narrative
narrative development
development
Stimulate
Stimulate idea
idea development
development
Increase
Increase understanding
understanding of
of topic
topic
Complete
Complete digital
digital graphic
graphic organizers
organizers
Use
Use concept-mapping
concept-mapping software
software
Create
Create teacher-designed
teacher-designed template
template
specific
specific to
to assignment
assignment
Suggested
Suggested sites/apps:
sites/apps:
Simpleapps.eu/simplemind/
Simpleapps.eu/simplemind/
Spiderscribe.net
Spiderscribe.net

Prewrite

Draft

Editing
Editing
Use
Use spellspell- and
and grammar-check
grammar-check features
features
to
to identify
identify and
and correct
correct errors
errors
Use
Use word
word processing
processing features
features to
to identify
identify
other
other errors
errors in
in mechanics
mechanics
Highlight
Highlight dialogue
dialogue and
and review
review for
for
punctuation
punctuation errors
errors
Highlight
Highlight conjunctions
conjunctions and
and confirm
confirm
comma
comma used
used when
when appropriate
appropriate (i.e.,
(i.e.,
words
words in
in aa series,
series, compound
compound
sentences)
sentences)
Use
Use text-to-speech
text-to-speech to
to listen
listen to
to content
content
and
and identify
identify errors
errors related
related to
to sentence
sentence
structure
structure

ewoldtk@unlv.nevada.edu

Revise

Publishing
Publishing

Add
Add graphics
graphics to
to illustrate
illustrate text
text
Use
Use publishing
publishing software
software to
to create
create
pamphlets
pamphlets or
or brochures
brochures
Design
Design posters,
posters, comic
comic strips,
strips, or
or
presentations
presentations
Use
Use technology
technology to
to integrate
integrate peer
peer
evaluation
evaluation (e.g.,
(e.g., track
track comments
comments on
on
document
document saved
saved on
on shared
shared drive)
drive)
Create
Create classroom
classroom blogs
blogs
Share
Share with
with digital
digital pen
pen pals
pals
Create
Create animated
animated video
video (e.g.
(e.g. Powtoons)
Powtoons)
Create
Create slideshow
slideshow (e.g.
(e.g. Powerpoint,
Powerpoint,
Prezi,
Prezi, eMaze)
eMaze)

Edit

Publish

References
References
Graham,
Graham, S.,
S., && Perin,
Perin, D.
D. (2007).
(2007). AAmeta-analysis
meta-analysis of
of
writing
writing instruction
instruction for
for adolescent
adolescent students.
students. Journal
Journal of
of
Educational
Educational Psychology,
Psychology, 99,
99, 445-476.
445-476.
doi:10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.445
doi:10.1037/0022-0663.99.3.445
National
National Center
Center for
for Education
Education Statistics
Statistics (2012).
(2012). The
The
Nations
Nations Report
Report Card:
Card: Writing
Writing 2011
2011 (NCES
(NCES 2012470).
2012470).
Institute
Institute of
of Education
Education Sciences,
Sciences, U.S.
U.S. Department
Department of
of
Education,
Education, Washington,
Washington, D.C.
D.C.
U.S.
U.S. Department
Department of
of Education,
Education, Institute
Institute of
of Education
Education
Sciences,
Sciences, National
National Center
Center for
for Education
Education Statistics,
Statistics,
National
National Assessment
Assessment of
of Educational
Educational Progress.
Progress. (2011).
(2011).
2011
2011 Writing
Writing Assessment.
Assessment.
Sandholtz,
Sandholtz, J.,
J., Ringstaff,
Ringstaff, C.,
C., && Dwyer,
Dwyer, D.
D. (1994).
(1994).
Student
Student engagement:
engagement: Views
Views from
from technology-rich
technology-rich
classrooms.
classrooms. Apple
Apple Computer,
Computer, Inc.
Inc. Retrieved
Retrieved from
from
http://www.apple.com/nl/images/pdf/acotlibrary/rpt21.pd
http://www.apple.com/nl/images/pdf/acotlibrary/rpt21.pd
ff
Sylvester,
Sylvester, R.,
R., && Greenidge,
Greenidge, W.
W. (2009).
(2009). Digital
Digital
storytelling:
storytelling: Extending
Extending the
the potential
potential for
for struggling
struggling
writers.
writers. The
The Reading
Reading Teacher,
Teacher, 63,
63, 284-295.
284-295.