1. Presentation to Gary Troia’s Class, Writing Research and Theory Cindy Okolo okolo@msu.edu Okolo.wiki.educ.msu.edu October, 2010

2. For Your Consideration How is technology changing writing? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4nwe7cW_o g&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4nwe7cW_o g&feature=related Why is technology changing writing? – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_gwww.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g

3. Questions about how digital text affects writing? Is writing somehow “different” when we use technology? Do we write differently? (e.g., less systematically, more freely) Do we think differently? (e.g., ways in which we allocate our cognitive resources) Is digital writing different? – Is digital text different from print text (e.g., audience, links, conventions) – Are “new” forms of expression “writing” (e.g.,texting, video storytelling, audio text)

4. January 3, 1983

5. The research goes “way back” and cycles forward again Mid-1980s, word processing will enable all kids to show their “true potential” Later 1980s, early 1990s—word processing doesn’t really change the way kids write – They pretty much write the way they did before – Improved motivation (important) Mid 1990s, how do we integrate word processing with good writing instruction?

6. Key Ideas about Technology Use in/for Writing (Perkins, Salomon) The fingertip effect: technology puts things “at our fingertips” but does the outcome stay at our fingertips? Opportunities not taken – Is the opportunity really there? – Do learners recognize the opportunity is there? – Are learners motivated to take the opportunity? Mindful use of technology

7. Summary of Research Technology can relieve the mechanical burdens of writing: – Handwriting – Spelling – Grammar BUT – Users have to have the requisite skills for using the technology (e.g., keyboarding skill) – Tools such as spelling checkers and grammar checkers make assumptions about writer that may not be true of all writers

8. Summary of Research (2) Tools that support process of getting ideas to text may positively affect quality& quantity of writing – Word prediction – Text-to-speech (for aural feedback to support writing) – Speech recognition BUT – User needs to know how to use the tool – Is tool available in all settings? – Training/break-in period may be required

9. Summary of Research (3) Tools that scaffold or support the writing process may positively affect quality/quantity of writing – Prompting programs – Concept mapping/outlining/organizing Write or Die – Summarizing tools (e.g. Summary Street, http://www.pearsonkt.com/sstSampleStudent1.shtml), http://www.pearsonkt.com/sstSampleStudent1.shtml – Representational tools (e.g., Word Cloud, Visual Thesaurus), Word Cloud, Visual Thesaurus – Literacy software programs (e.g., WYNN, Kurzweil) BUT Effects seem to accumulate with time and use Effects depend on the way a scaffold is used Effects tend to remain “on the fingertips”

10. New Possibilities Web-based supports (cloud computing) – See attached list of Firefox addons Digital writing (e.g., Digital Writing Workshop, Hicks, 2009) Web 2.0 (3.0) publishing (blogs, video) Texting/tweeting/social networking Mobile technologies – Increasing integration of technologies into one device Technology IS ubiquitous – (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o

11. What New (and old) questions do we need to ask?

12. References Hicks, T. (2009). The digital writing workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Perkins, D. N., (1985). The fingertip effect: How information-processing technology shapes thinking. Educational Researcher, August/September, 11-17. Salomon, G., Globerson, T., & Guterman, E. (1989). The computer as a zone of proximal development: Internalizing reading-related metacognitions from a reading partner. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(4), 620-627.