In today's digital world, students use text messages and email to communicate, with almost 40 percent even using common abbreviations like LOL, TTYL and BRB in their school assignments, according to a recent report. But, is the decline of writing an unintended consequence? The results of the recent Nation's Report Card writing test found that only one-third of 8th graders scored proficient, and only 25 percent of high school seniors were considered proficient. Some teachers say that keeping today's digital students engaged in learning, especially struggling learners, requires a different approach than years past. For teachers like Mae Guerra at Denver's Valverde Elementary School, who says reading and writing was a huge challenge for her students just a few months ago, the digital approach of Pearson's WriteToLearn has helped her students find success.
Guerra combines classroom teaching with the Web-based, personalized approach of WriteToLearn. Students log onto the Internet, input their work and watch as the learning tool analyzes their writing and measures progress. Since using WriteToLearn, Guerra's students have made tremendous progress, with scores on district benchmark tests rising from unsatisfactory to proficient. Guerra says it's because her students are motivated using the digital tool's personalized learning approach, which is almost like a game to the students.
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