Differentiating Instruction Through Software - Additional Writing Information

Let students’ strengths, not struggles, determine the outcome of their work

Additional Information regarding written projects:

providing students with tools to create polished, professional looking projects or assignments may encourage them to write more, particularly those previously embarrassed or frustrated by graphomotor difficulties.
students may be more apt to fully express what they know if they are not struggling with specific skills.
some studies note increased retention through the use of multimedia projects in classrooms.

Beware of:

only using one format for all assignments. Students benefit most from having a variety of techniques upon which to draw.
not allowing a student’s strengths to shine through. Many students may only need help with a portion of their writing assignments, such as using graphic organizing features before writing a rough draft. Just because a computer may help students overcome their hurdles, it does not mean they must rely upon its use for all aspects of their written assignments.
overused or distracting sounds, actions or animation. The focus should be on the content and how the project is organized, not on the software’s bells and whistles.
the natural inclination of children to explore. This is a marvelous aspect of students, but teachers and parents may find it a good idea to allow them time to explore the features of any new application prior to expecting them to produce an assignment with it.
copyright infringement or plagiarism. Ethical uses of the computer should be integrated into any instruction on use of applications.