Digital+Writing

= "Digital Writing" By Erinn Bentley =

Overview: What is Digital Writing?
Screen shot, voice thread, zooming presentation, glog, photo story. Graphics, animation, sound, text. These words and phrases hint at the many ways in which 21st century students curren tly communicate to their peers, family, friends, classmates , teachers, and others. Rarely do students pick up pen and paper to write. The act of “writing” is now being replaced with the acts of “designing” and “publishing” created work within classrooms and across cyberspace. In recent years, the number of technology-based writing or composition tools have grown exponentially. The availability of such tools has allowed teachers to develop new pedagogical strategies, new curriculum, and new assessments. In particular, the emergence of digital writing has significantly impacted how teachers and scholars define what it means to “teach writing” to 21st century K-12 students.

For the purposes of this wiki page, the phrase “digital writing” refers to “…compositions created with, and oftentimes for reading or viewing on, a computer or other device that is connected to the Internet” (National Writing Project, 2010, p. 7). For instance, within the English language arts classroom digital writing may augment or replace “traditional” alphabetic text assignments. For example, instead of assigning students to write a book report on lined notebook paper, a teacher may opt for her students to compose a book review and publish it on a website, such as Goodreads. By completing this digital writing assignment, students not only meet “traditional” learning goals associated with English (e.g., create a thesis statement, support a claim with evidence, and utilize appropriate punctuation). By publishing their writing on a website visited by “real world” readers, students may discover that communicating clearly and accurately are skills that extend beyond the classroom – Skills they can use in authentic, real-life situations.

Another reason for incorporating digital writing into the classroom is simple - The digital realm is becoming an ever-increasing presence in adolescent learners’ lives outside of school. According to a study conducted by [|The Pew Research Center](2010), a nonpartisan research organization, “young internet users” (aged 12-33) participate more regularly in online services than older generations. Of the participants in [|this study,] 73% of teens reported using socials media, 78% participated in online gaming, and 49% regularly read blogs (Pew Research Center, 2010, pp. 8-9). In comparison, only 50% of adults aged 46-55 used social media and 26% of that age range played online games; within the 18-33 age bracket, 50% played online games and 83% used social media (Pew Research Center, 2010, p.9). Countless other research groups have confirmed that our current generation of adolescent leaners is immersed in technology. The [|Nielsen Company], after studying cell phone bills and surveying 3,000-plus adolescents, reported that teens –on average – are “sending or receiving 3, 339 texts a month” (2010). Though the statistics reported in these studies may not represent every teenager's media use, it is apparent that a vast number of adolescents spend much of their time outside of school online or communicating via digital texts. Hence, it stands to reason that the K-12 curriculum should adapt and reflect adolescents' interest in the online world. In fact, recent changes to K-12 student assessment standards reflect the need for including technology-based assignments and pedagogy into the classroom. Within in the state of Georgia, the following are some of the technology-based standards have been adopted.

(Standards derived from the Georgia Department of Education's website).
 * ~ Grade Level(s) ||~ Content Area(s) ||~ Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) Related to Technology ||
 * 9-10 ||  ELA || ELACC9-10W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. ||
 *  9-10 ||  History, Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects || L9-10WHST6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically. ||
 *  6-8 ||  History, Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">L6-8WHST8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 7 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> ELA || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">ELACC7RI7: Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words). ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Technology appears to be a permanent part of the curriculum in English language arts and other subjects. In particular, the use of technology in the classroom greatly impacts how today's students gain crucial literacy skills, such as comprehending texts, composing texts, interpreting texts/sources, and publishing texts. Based on the recent emphasis placed on technology integration, one might assume that every teacher is eager to embrace the use of interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, and tablets as part of his/her every day teaching practices. In reality, however, incorporating digital writing into the classroom is not always a simple or easy task for teachers. In the “Trend or Issue?” section below, selected issues related to technology integration in writing instruction will be discussed from a variety of perspectives.

<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif';">Digital Writing as Part of a Trend: What Does it Mean to be a Writer Today?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">For today's students, the tasks associated with writing may be very different from those tasks required of previous generations of learners. Kylene Beers, a literac <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">y scholar and past vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English, best describes the concept of literacy as "a set of skills that reflect the needs of the time" (2007, p. 7). For the scope of this wiki page, it is not feasible to provide a detailed history regarding shifts in students' literacy demands in general (or writing literacy demands in particular). Instead, listed below are some of the key "milestones" in literacy demands that Beers (2007) notes in regards to American education:


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Signature Literacy (Colonial America through Revolutionary War) - To be literate meant "the ability to sign your name" (p. 7).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Recitational Literacy (Revolutionary War through WWI) - "Literate people were those who had memorized poems, speeches, soliloquies" (p. 7).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Informational Literacy (WWI - late 1980s/early 1990s) - "The goal was to amass information and have it stored, handy, ready to regurgitate" (p. 8).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Conceptual Literacy (1990s - present day) - "In this age, creative thinking will be the key to success" (p. 8).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">In short, today's students must do more than memorize facts or repeat back information they have accumulated. Students must read beyond the standard, print-based textbook and write beyond the five paragraph essay. Today's students must be consumers and contributors of knowledge in a digital, hyperlinked world. These contemporary literacy demands are explained by Wilhelm, Friedemann, and Erickson (1998), three education scholars in the following passage:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">We believe that to be literate in the twenty-first century, students must become composers and readers of hypermedia. They must understand its possibilities, uses, and design. Since our future texts even more so than our current ones will be hypertextual, students will need to understand the conceptions and constructions of such texts (p. 20).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">These scholars' definition of literacy echo the definition of visual literacy skills needed for students of higher education put forth by the [|Association of College and Research Libraries](2011):

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to effectively find, interpret, evaluate, use, and create images and visual media. Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. A visually literate individual is both a critical consumer of visual media and a competent contributor to a body of shared knowledge and culture.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Both definitions focus on two key themes: Students need to be critical thinkers as they navigate texts in the digital realm. Next, students need to not only understand the digital/visual texts they encounter, they must understand how to produce such texts themselves. Where might students learn these vital 21st century literacy skills? In the classroom (and particularly in the English language arts classroom). Are teachers equipped to teach these skills? What road blocks or issues might teachers expect when incorporating digital writing assignments and pedagogy into the classroom? Though there is not enough space on this wiki page to discuss all issues associated with this topic, some key issues are described below.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Resources
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">First and foremost, in order to teach digital writing assignments, teachers need adequate Web 2.0 resources. Such resources may include, but are not limited to, computers or tablets for students, reliable Internet access, storage devices for student work (e.g., flash drives or space on hard drives), and video/sound recording devices (e.g., microphones, cameras, and editing software. A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics (2010) reveals that 97% of teachers surveyed possessed at least one computer in their classrooms and 54% of teachers had mobile computers available upon request. The numbers dropped significantly, however, when analyzing other technology tool usage. According to the study, only 23% of teachers' classrooms were equipped with interactive whiteboards and 14% possessed digital cameras in their rooms (U.S. Department of Education, 2010). If this study is indicative of the typical district's resources, it would appear that the majority of teachers have access to some Web 2.0 resources; however, teachers may not have enough resources for individual student use.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">In addition to these material resources, teachers may also need technical support. For example, classroom teachers may need to collaborate with their school’s computer science teacher or their district’s instructional technology personnel in order to assist students through technical difficulties associated with their digital writing projects. Finally, another resource teachers may need is simply time. Depending on the teacher’s (and students’) familiarity with the software and tools associated with the chosen writing project, teachers must budget their instructional time accordingly. For some teachers, spending hours helping their students master specific digital programs may seem like a waste of instructional time. Conversely, other teachers may work with students who are highly competent in using technology and possess resources at home; such teachers may be able to assign digital writing projects as homework without fearing the loss of instructional time. To a large degree, the success of teaching a digital writing project is contingent on the resources available to teachers and students and their willingness to embrace using such technology - either within or outside the classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Teacher Buy-In, Knowledge, and Support
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Though the standards may “demand” students utilize technology within K-12 classrooms and though districts might provide adequate material resources for supporting digital writing projects, the instruction of such projects ultimately rests on teachers’ shoulders. That is, teachers must “buy in” to the value and feasibility of teaching digital writing assignments. Additionally, teachers must receive training (and ongoing support) to imple <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">ment such instruction in their classrooms.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Since many people use technology on a regular basis within their homes and workplaces, some may assume that in order to //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">teach //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;"> with technology one simply need be //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">familiar with //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;"> Web 2.0 tools. Knowing how to download an App on one's phone, however, is not the same skill set as knowing how to choose (and use) software and hardware for instructional purposes. In short, there is a specific type of knowledge needed for teachers to effectively teach their content to their group of learners through technological media. This type of knowledge is called Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge or TPACK. Education scholars Koehler and Mishra (2009) provide a concise definition of TPACK; they explain, "...there are three main components of teachers' knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology. Equally important to the model are the interactions between and among these bodies of knowledge." Their article visually depicts the intersections of teachers' various knowledge bases, and it provides helpful information to teachers wishing to integrate technology into their pre-existing pedagogical beliefs and practices. In short, with the increased use of technology in classrooms, it is crucial for teachers to understand TPACK. Teaching with technology entails more than simply making "old content" seem "dynamic" or "contemporary."media type="custom" key="26146120" align="right"

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Teaching with technology requires teachers to:
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Critically think about how digital tools and media impact what - and how- students learn.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Carefully consider which digital tools best suit specific learning contexts.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">Guide students in critically analyzing their "consumption" of digital media and production of digital media.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Is Digital Writing Considered “Real” Writing?
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">One issue at the core of this education topic relates to how teachers, parents, administrators, and students define what "real" writing looks like. Assessment standards and curriculum may address the need for students to analyze visual media and compose digital texts; however, such assignments "look different" from traditional, print-based textbooks and essays. Are these "different" and innovative assignments accepted by educators and parents as true educational experiences that promote students' acquisition of literacy knowledge?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">According to a recent public opinion research study commissioned by the National Writing Project (Belden et al., 2007), the general consensus among Americans is that high school graduates must be proficient writers to succeed in college and the workplace; additionally, technology is generally viewed as positively impacting students' overall development as writers. In this study, 1501 adults were randomly selected and surveyed regarding their views and beliefs on writing education. Some of the findings from Belden et al.'s research (2007) are as follows:


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">74% of American surveyed saw a "greater need" for citizens to be competent writers now than 20 years ago (p. 8).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">67% of those surveyed indicated that being a proficient writer was "essential" for success in college (p. 11).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">74% believed writing should be taught in all subject areas and grade levels (p. 23).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 1.5;">61% considered new technologies helpful for teaching writing to students (p. 29).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Keep in mind, those adults who were surveyed were randomly selected; they were not trained teachers or professional writers. Interestingly, though most of adults who participated in the study felt strongly about the need for teaching writing (and using technology to do so), they possessed varying opinions on the types of technology resources used. For instance, the majority of participants (71% and 64%, respectively) believed when students create Power Point presentations or web pages, these students' overall writing skills were helped by the use of digital writing (Belden et al., p. 33). Conversely, 60% of participants viewed instant messaging as harmful to students' writing development (Belden et al., p. 33). While this survey only expresses the views of some - and perhaps not all - American adults on the topics of writing instruction and digital writing, the results do clearly indicate that the American public is invested in these topics. Writing is highly valued as an academic skill and workplace skill; technology is now interwoven in the way students read and write within the classroom and beyond.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Though the average American adult seems to recognize the need for K-12 students to become proficient writers (and critical consumers/producers of digital media), our current assessment models do not always support the teaching of digital writing assignments. As English educator Dr. Troy Hicks aptly laments, "What good will it be to teach with digital technologies when we teeter on the cusp of a new testing regimen that will increasingly focus our attention on producing argumentative essays that generally adhere to some variation of the five paragraph format, with six-trait assessment?" (Hicks, 2013, p. 25). In other words, in order for digital writing to be a truly meaningful and valued part of our current K-12 curriculum, the ways in which students are assessed must recognize that "good" writing takes many shapes and forms. Not all writing can be manipulated into a five-paragraph essay or composed within a strict time limit. Sometimes students' texts are aural, visual, layered, and messy. Sometimes they leap off the page (or screen). Sometimes the best work students create resists any kind of numerical grade or evaluation.

<span style="color: #c00000; font-family: 'Arial Black','sans-serif';">Bibliography
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Association of College and Research Libraries. (2011). ACRL visual literacy competency standards for higher education. This association is an affliate of the American Library Association. This website houses policy statements and research findings (along with other resources) associated with the higher education community.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Beers, K., (2007). //Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice//. Portsmouth, Heinneman.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Belden Russonello & Stewart (2007). The 2007 survey on teaching writing. This report details a results from a research project commissioned by the National Writing Project. The purpose of this research project was to explore the general public's opinions and attitudes toward writing instruction in K-12 classrooms.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Georgia Department of Education. The Common Core Georgia Performance Standards. This website, sponsored by Georgia's Department of Education, provides links to documents, instructional materials, training videos, and other resources for teaching the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS).

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Hicks, T. (2013). //Crafting digital writing//. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemman. Written by an English education faculty member and filled with sample student work and teachers' testimonies, this book is a good resource for any educators to learn how to incorporate digital writing assignments in various grade levels and content areas.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge?Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1). Retrieved from[] This article is written by two education scholars and provides a thorough (yet easy to understand) description of TPACK: Technical pedagogical content knowledge.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">National Writing Project (2010, September 29). Teaching writing in the digital age. [Video file].

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">National Writing Project, with DeVoss, D. N., Eidman-Aadahl, E., & Hicks, T. (2010). //Because Digital Writing Matters//. Josey-Bass.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Neilson Company (2010). U.S. teen mobile report calling yesterday, texting today, using apps tomorrow. //Newswire//, 2010, October 10.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Pew Research Center (2010). [|Generations 2010]. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. This is the second report published by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. This study examines how various generations use the Internet. Data was collected through a series of phone surveys.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). [|Teachers' Use of Educational Technology in U.S. Public Schools: 2009]. Interesting study regarding teachers' access to technology and use of technology within their classrooms.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Wilhelm, J.D., Friedemann, P.D., & Erickson, J. (1998). //Hyperlearning//. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Helpful text on the challenges/issues of educating today's "wired" students written by scholars and teachers in the field.