The Writing Trek from the EARTC

I was looking at the list in the EATRC and saw one about helping with writing. I was very excited and thought what classroom wouldn't want something like this in it. I felt that there was not one certain group of students that this technology would not be a great help to in their writings.

Name of the technology:

Writing Trek

Category of AT:

This program is meant to help with writing and building those skills needed to complete quality papers and/or projects.

  Description of how the technology works:

This is a multimedia language arts CD-ROM that helps with key writing concepts such as sentence structure, punctuation and vocabulary. This program encourages students to show creativity when refining their writing. This program helps with building brainstorming, organization, researching, drafting, editing and publishing skills. It also encourages students to collaborate with other student writers.

Which of the Universal Design for Learning principles listed below might be facilitated by this technology?  Explain how.

Universal Design calls for the use of Multiple Means for:

·      Representation of information - make content available and comprehensible to students using a variety of modes (i.e., don’t just present information via text or orally; present it in as many formats as is feasible).  This program really only runs on the computer so you would have to read it or listen to what the program is saying and not everything had words to go with it. However it is very good at explaining and showing examples it only dose this in the two informational ways, text and orally. I don’t feel that it fits with this principle because of this.

·      Engagement in learning – provide varied ways for students to participate in, and contribute to, the learning community. I feel that this program fits into this principle because there are different ways in which learning can be completed. There is many different activities that is throughout this program and it seems to go along with different levels. So if you know how to accomplish one task but need help with another you can use this program for that task. I liked that I could just move through the program exploring the areas and choose what I needed to work on.

·      Expression of knowledge – provide options for students to express their knowledge and demonstrate their learning. I feel that this fits into this program as well. Like I said above there are many different parts to this program, help with sentence structure or just some help in researching about a topic to write about in the first place. There are activities that are in this program that will help the user demonstrate their knowledge.

What types or groups of students might benefit from the use of this technology?  For what learning goals might it be most effective?

I feel that this would be best used for students who are at the age of writing and learning how to structure a paper. It doesn’t have to be a long paper so it could be used in 2^nd grade. It helps students who need some guidelines along the way. They might get stuck and with this program are able to fix this issue. I think I would have loved to have a program like this for me when I was in school. I think it is pretty helpful for anyone in any of the processes of writing. I believe that this technology can be used for the whole class not just a few students. The help with brainstorming who doesn’t need help with that from time to time. Researching is something else that everyone needs help with and that is offered in this piece of technology as well. I feel that there are some students that may not need to use this technology but I feel that it would be widely used in a classroom from most of the students will all different learning styles or levels.

Do you have any concerns or reservations about this technology?

The only concern I had was it was a little confusing, that could be because I was just looking through the different pieces and places on this software. So I didn’t have a focus when I sat down at the computer. It might be help to have some over view of the program if it is to be used by students so they don’t get on and get lost. Other than that I felt like this is a great resource and should be available to students in the classroom.

Any other comments, suggestions, or recommendations you might make to a teacher contemplating the use of this assistive technology? I think as a teacher I would make sure I have gone through this program to see all of the things that is offered and what could be used to help your students there may be parts that are not helpful in certain situations and the students might get hung up in those areas. I know I found it hard to not want to wonder around on the program to see what else I could find. This would be something I would want in my classroom. Writing has never been something I enjoy or feel that I am good at, I don’t want any of my students to feel this way and if there is a program or piece of technology that I can use to help them not feel that way I want it in my classroom. I felt this was fun and learning was easy using this program everything seemed to be step by step with explanations on what you were doing.