When Writing with Technology Matters

Students today have been plugged in for their entire lives. They don't remember a time before Facebook, blogs, texting, and websites, and they have experienced a range of digital tools including laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Writing in the classroom, however, has not kept pace with the digital learner; there is a profound gap between what students learn in school and the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.

When Writing with Technology Matters provides teachers with theory that supports the need for technology in classrooms and strategies on how to integrate technology into the English Language Arts curriculum. This timely book addresses 21st-century themes—critical thinking, collaboration, engagement and empowerment—and targets current educational foci—genre knowledge, research, the importance of process, and the need to make learning relevant.

The authors show teachers how to create a classroom environment that allows students to become invested in writing and provide detailed descriptions of elementary and middle school literacy projects that teachers can follow step-by-step or use as a guide when planning their own technology-based projects. This book demonstrates how to take advantage of the digital generation's affinity for technology in order to change and improve the writing process, empowering students to become better, more nuanced readers, writers, and thinkers who are well prepared for the challenges of a digital world.