Tech & Learning - June 2008 - (Page 16)

news trends WHAT WRITING CRISIS? One Educator’s Take on Texting and Teens by Tom McHale The recent study “Writing, Technology, and Teens,” conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the College Board’s National Commission on Writing, was welcomed by many of us who teach writing. Unlike some of the handwringing press the report received with worries that texting lingo like LOL and OMG are turning up in term papers, I found much to be optimistic about. Consider the numbers below (see box): While most students report that writing for school assignments can be arduous, they also express real satisfaction and accomplishment when such pieces are recognized for communicating ideas effectively and skillfully. What I found from this study was a profile of students who are connected socially, write prolifically, and motivated by communication that has a real purpose and audience. One particularly interesting focus group were the “super communicators” that the authors termed “multi-channel teens.” They typically communicate daily through a variety of tools including text messaging, instant messaging, and social networking sites. For many of these teens, social networks like Facebook or MySpace form the hub of their communications. Technologies being embraced in a growing number of classrooms try to tap into these motivations. Blogs and wikis provide students with a potential audience and an opportunity to link to online relevant material. In my four years of using blogs in the classroom, I have seen this first hand. But the tool itself doesn’t make it happen. The audience must be cultivated. These multi-channel teens are not impressed by being online, but they do value frequent feedback from peers, from teachers, and especially from outside experts and students. Teachers can use new social networks like ning.com and Classroom 2.0 to find other teachers, students, and experts who would be interested in collaborating. And as more students and teachers join these networks, the possibilities continue to grow. This spirit of collaboration can extend to the writing process as well through the use of wikis. So what are kids looking for from educators? According to this study, they know they need to be challenged to produce more “lengthy, logically structured writing.” They understand the importance of this skill to their future and don’t even consider the enormous amount of text-based communication they are producing to be writing, but like some of their other types of communication, they want more feedback, choice, relevance, and an audience. “In teens’ own views, those who can figure out how to tap into their distinctive, situational communications behaviors and connect them to the process of learning how to write will have taught them an invaluable lesson that will improve their lives.” Are we ready to take on this challenge? 16 | TECH & LEARNING http://ning.com

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Technology & Learning - June 2008 Contents Editor's Desk News & Trends They Said It: What Tech&Learning Insiders Are Writing Online Junket Justifiers Back Office Business Students of the World Unite! Get Small for Fall Summer Reading for School Leaders They Can Hear You Now What's New - NECC Highlights and More Leader of the Year Profile

Technology & Learning - June 2008

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