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Technology Affects New Forms of Writing

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Though concerns have been raised by some educators that the advent of certain new technologies, such as texting and instant messaging, indicates the downfall of written language, some professionals simply view these technologies as new avenues of communication that grant students more ease and familiarity with writing.

An recent article from Cleveland-based wkyc.com reports that the Westlake City School District in Westlake, Ohio, is having success at improving children’s literacy skills through the use of blogging and podcasting. Kathleen Bartos, the elementary technology specialist for the Westlake district, teaches students to create blogs and podcasts about curriculum-based stories they read in class.

''We have to make school as interesting as playing Playstation, and I think we have,'' says Bartos, who also instructs her students to use webcams to film tadpole, chick, and butterfly life cycles to improve their science knowledge.



Christopher Caponetti, a junior at Wharton in Pennsylvania who is a teaching assistant for English courses and a peer writing tutor, says that any writing is good practice and that blogs and message boards help students practice writing and evaluating arguments, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian.

''Increased exposure to different forms of writing is beneficial because it spills over into the ability to do good critical writing,'' Caponetti says.

What’s more, Facebook and Myspace are serving as new forums in which student writers and other up-and-coming writers can feature their short stories and novels in a manner that is free and easy to access locally and internationally. Author Evan Quirk, from Canada, uses Facebook to post chapters of his apocalyptic thriller, Intervals of Ares, which now has more than 150 fans listed on the site, according to the Vancouver Sun.

''Mostly, I just want to stress the fact that Facebook’s available, and people can use it,'' says Quirk. ''We need more young people writing, so someone in the same shoes as me should just go for it. There are members in my group from Africa and China. That fact alone is amazing and entertaining to me.''

Because Facebook threads have a limited length, authors must post chapters sequentially, which has led to a suspenseful style with cliffhanger endings for each chapter.

''The serial format is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to write any story because it keeps the reader waiting on the tip of their toes in anticipation for what’s going to happen next,'' says Bassem Kurdi, a medical student in Saudi Arabia whose romantic novel, The Story of Laila, has more than 330 listed members.

This new avenue of writing also allows readers to take a more active role, becoming editors as they point out errors and inconsistencies in the writing and give the authors feedback and encouragement to continue writing.

Though some professionals fear that ''txt speak'' signals the collapse of proper punctuation, grammar, and sophisticated writing, and that technology alters the writing process in that students edit as they write instead of using multiple drafts, others see it as a new revolution in the ever-changing field of language.

Valerie Ross, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Critical Writing Program, compares today’s new technology to the changes in language and writing that accompanied the advent of the printing press, suggesting that violations of standard grammar and spelling rules are the ''etiquette of the moment'' and part of writing’s constant evolution.

''At this point we’re in flux. Who knows where we’ll end up, what new forms writing will take,'' Ross says.
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 educators  courses  communication  degrees  curriculum  MySpace  engineering  Blogging  short stories


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