Turn teen texting toward better writing

Teachers who co-opt Web tools for class have the best of both worlds.

By Justin Reich

from the May 13, 2008 edition

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Boston - Parents who have struggled to tear a teenager away from Facebook or detach one from texting know that teens increasingly communicate through writing. But how can educators help students carry that motivation for writing from a social world into motivation for writing that will serve them in the classroom? The answer is for teachers to venture into the digital world of "screenagers" and find productive ways to bring social media into the classroom.

The potential of bridging these realms is supported by a new report on teens, technology, and writing by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the College Board. Researchers found that informal writing is an integral part of youth culture: 85 percent of teens communicate through digital writing. Teenagers also overwhelmingly understand the importance of good writing: 86 percent of teens consider formal writing skills essential to future success.

What's exciting is that many teachers have already begun to venture to the far shore in order to build bridges with their students. They are using interactive Web tools such as blogs, podcasts, and wikis in an attempt to mirror the online social networks of youth culture. These teachers are finding that students respond enthusiastically to the opportunity to collaborate, the challenge of publishing for an audience, and the chance to contribute to a learning community, rather than just write for a teacher's binder. (The website Edublogawards.com showcases the best of these learning environments.)

For example, I've had great success occasionally using instant message conversations as a critical inquiry tool in the classroom. My students love the chance to use their social milieu as a space for learning.

Imagine 20 students in invisible groups of three, all silently, furiously typing and reading, immersed in conversations about the dialogues of Socrates or the teachings of Confucius. That classroom time is incredibly intellectually productive: all 20 students are simultaneously sharpening their arguments, supporting them with evidence, and questioning their colleagues.

My students know that they must practice these analytical conversation skills, which are easily transferred to the realm of formal writing, since I'll be reading and grading a copy of their transcript.

Students who use interactive Web tools in the classroom learn that certain features of effective communication transcend media. Strong arguments; compelling evidence; and clear, concise language are prominent features of analytical writing on the Lincoln-Douglas debates, in those oral debates themselves, or on a blog post persuading friends to support a current presidential candidate.

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