10 Reasons to Write with Technology

I'm super excited about the two books that I'm studying this summer as part of my summer series.

Today, I'm diving into the first one entitled When Writing with Technology Matters by Carol Bedard and Charles Fuhrken. 

Rather than giving you a laundry list of all of the ways that you could integrate technology into writing, this book goes in-depth into two specific projects. The first project uses reading and writing to launch moviemaking, and the second project is authoring a visual nonfiction essay. As someone who routinely integrates technology in the classroom, I like this book because it examines lots of angles of these types of projects in great detail. But this book is also good for beginners for that same reason. Rather than offering an overwhelming number of ideas, it breaks down projects into manageable and authentic steps. 

I'll be examining each of those projects in future posts, but today I want to talk about the first chapter - 10 Reasons Why Writing with Technology Matters.

The opening chapter is filled with research about how technology integration contributes to student learning. They break it down into a list of the following 10 items:

Something that I would add to this list that captures many of the items is the notion of "authenticity." When you engage students in project-based learning such as making a movie or designing a visual essay, students feel like they have a real purpose. Their work will be viewed by others, and this really motivates students to push a little bit harder. Giving students the freedom, space, and resources to work on something meaningful is a powerful recipe for empowering learners.

I also want to comment on teacher-disposition. A lot of people who visit my classroom think that I have all the answers for technology integration, but let me tell you a secret -- I don't. Almost every day, a student or teacher will ask me a question about how to do something, and I won't immediately know the answer.

And that's okay.

Because one of the most important things I can model for my students is the act of troubleshooting and problem solving. If I can't figure out how to do something, I'll hop on the internet and poke around until I can find the answer. I think a lot of teachers avoid technology because they're not confident in their ability to work with it, but you can find a whole lot of information just-in-time as you need it online. Don't let a lack of confidence divert you from trying some of these projects.

Next week, we'll dive into Part 1: Reading and Writing to Launch Moviemaking. If you haven't already picked up a copy of this book, I'd highly recommend it. And it's not too late to join in the book study! In fact, you're only 14 pages behind! :)

If you are reading this book, I'd love to know what you think. Leave me a note in the comment section!

Happy reading (and writing)!


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