Here is some more data to fuel your argument for how and why schools should embrace digital writing that students are already engaged in anyway and, according to the report, largely don’t see as “writing.”
That gives us something to think about, too, in terms of what “counts” and what doesn’t count as text, reading, writing, and communication, both in school and out.
You can download the full report from the link below.
Pew Internet: Writing, Technology and Teens
Writing, Technology and Teens
4/24/2008 | MemoReport | Amanda Lenhart Sousan Arafeh Aaron Smith Alexandra Rankin Macgill
Teens write a lot, but they do not think of their emails, instant and text messages as writing. This disconnect matters because teens believe good writing is an essential skill for success and that more writing instruction at school would help them.
April 24th, 2008
As we begin our discussion of reading and writing with newer literacies tonight, this eSchoolNews article might be a useful reference point:
Top News – Analysis: How multimedia can improve learning
An analysis of existing research supports a notion that already has begun to transform instruction in schools from coast to coast: that multimodal learning–using many modes and strategies that cater to individual learners’ needs and capacities–is more effective than traditional, unimodal learning, which uses a single mode or strategy.
According to a new report commissioned by Cisco Systems, adding visuals to verbal (textual and/or auditory) instruction can result in significant gains in basic or higher-order learning, if applied appropriately. Students using a well-designed combination of visuals and text learn more than students who use only text, the report says.
It also provides insights into when interactivity strengthens the multimodal learning of moderate to complex topics, and when it’s advantageous for students to work individually when learning.
April 23rd, 2008
