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June 11, 2008

Computer program helps students shape their writing

Alan Borsuk:

If Alegra Holt had $100, she would spend $1 on candy, buy some clothes, give some to charity and see if she had enough left to buy a Chihuahua.

If Alegra had to write a short essay on what she'd do if she had $100, she'd sign on to a program called My Access, using a computer in the basement computer lab of Carleton Elementary School, 4116 W. Silver Spring Drive.

The 10-year-old fifth-grader at Carleton would fill in blanks in a "cluster web" on her screen to begin shaping her essay. From the central idea of using $100, she would put "buy candy" in one branch of the web, with what kind of candy or what store she'd go to in sub-branches, then do the same in other branches for her other plans.

Then she'd begin to type the assignment in sentences and paragraphs.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 11, 2008 4:15 AM
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