Argues that to use computers to help teach the writing process, English teachers must develop both short- and long-term plans for computer usage and must insist on helping to select their school's hardware and software. (MM)

Presents the results of an informal user survey on favorite information technology, including the best features of these. Discusses library online catalogs, electronic encyclopedias, CD-ROMs, laser discs, electronic magazine indexes, online services, the Internet, word processing programs, magazines as major sources of technology information,…

This study investigated the verbal interactions of fifth grade students within groups when using simulation and word processing software. Students were grouped according to ability, and conversations were analyzed, which found the largest proportion of student talk was cognitively oriented, predominantly in directing and reporting language; group…

The computer can be a powerful tool to help students who are having difficulty learning the skills of prewriting, composition, revision, and editing. Specific software is suggested for each phase, as well as for classroom publishing. (Author/JDD)

Describes how computers, when cast in a holistic framework, can be a natural complement to students' literacy development. Discusses how six teachers use computers in holistic literacy instruction. (MG)

Describes a case study that was designed to discover how seventh-grade students felt about writing when composed using a word processing program compared to using pen and paper. Student and teacher interviews are discussed, classroom observations are reported, and factors students found important to enjoyment of writing assignments are described.…

Reviews Monsters and Make-Believe Plus, a computer program which supports learners in their quest to become skilled language users. Finds it to be one of the most powerful software programs available to implement a whole language program. (MG)

Describes the use of computer labs in a Texas high school. Highlights include word processing; a study skills course; software programs currently in use by English and English-as-a-Second-Language classes; physical layout, including security considerations and furniture; hardware, including printers; and guidelines for the selection of software.…

Suggests four overlapping areas of exploration that might help spark "creative re-formations" of the way English teachers think about computers and their relationship to writing: (1) computers and teaching writing, (2) computers and language theory, (3) computers and learning from the past, and (4) computer research in other fields. (GEA)

The integration of text analysis programs into realistic classroom writing activities was examined in a study of 39 university students. English-as-a-foreign-language students' own revision processes, teachers' feedback, peer editing, and two commercial packages (Grammatik and Complete Writer's Toolkit) were assessed. Attitudes toward the programs…

Examines some of the ways word processing functions as a tool for beginning writers by focusing on one five-year-old student's progress in composition and understanding of the activity of writing. Writing task, writer skill, learning context, and software capacity intersected in a way that word processing functioned as a felicitous tool. (SM)

Examines the effects of word processing on high school seniors' writing and revisions of essay assignments. Length of papers, the impact of topic on the results, the effect of handwriting papers after computer composition, comparison of writing methods over time, and effects of typing ability and computer experience are discussed. (Contains eight…

Describes a study of undergraduates completing electronic mail and word processing tasks that investigated the effects of experience on attitudes toward computers and judgment of confidence, or self-efficacy. Use of the Computer Technologies Survey is discussed, and treatment of experimental and control groups is described. Survey instrument and…

This column describes British technological aids that can support children with communication and writing difficulties, including (1) writing aids such as predictive typing, abbreviation expansion systems, and alternative keyboards; and (2) socially interactive communication aids such as synthetic speech using portable computers. (JDD)

Describes a study of undergraduates at West Virginia University that was conducted to investigate the effects of computer-based instruction on writing performance and writing apprehension. Computer anxiety is measured, appropriate software is discussed, and the quality of pretreatment and posttreatment essays are compared with essays written…