Writing is hard for all of us. It's especially hard when it's not your first language. Now write in this foreign language in pencil. Correct for content. Correct for format. And again, for all the language errors. Frustrated yet?
The desire to learn to write, to create and present is there.
But it's often easier to give up than to see the project through, especially if you're a language learner. Writing on the computer is engaging, it's inspiring and yes, even fun.
One year I struggled to create writers out of my fourth graders. One student especially could not be brought to write even a single sentence. However, once I introduced the class blog, he could not be stopped. Paragraphs flowed from his fingers during his computer-time and from his work I finally learned that we needed to focus on run-on sentences and punctuation. Now he was willing to create drafts in his journal, if he could edit them on the computer.
My ELL kindergarten kids have additional challenges: they can create words and sentences, but they are still acquiring the motor skills to write. My most struggling five-year-old students have found success writing on the computer. By the end of the year they can even add pictures and create basic bar graphs.
My Project
These chromebooks will add two new workstations to my room, making it possible for four ELL students to work on computers at a time. My ELLs will use them to create everything from sentences and paragraphs to essays and stories, to charting data in bar graphs and manipulating media and presentations.
By taking the frustration out of writing, our ELL students will be able to focus not only on acquiring the skills of good writing, but also learn about creativity and effective communication.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Miller and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
