2nd Posting!!!

COMPUTERIZED WRITING

Introduction

Hello everyone, we meet again but this time i'm going to talk about computerized writing. Computerized writing or also known as computer assisted writing is a form of writing that is done online via a computer. In my opinion, computerized writing is actually much more easier than normal writing. This is because, with computerized writing, it is actually easier for us to correct and improve our vocabulary and grammar as most online writing web pages offer an online dictionary and the spell check software. This really helps us in producing better quality essays. Besides, computerized writing also helps students to find essay topics, learn the format of certain essays and also how to draft an essay, all with just a click of a button.

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Example of computerized writing activity.

Name:____________________________________ Date:_____________________________________

“HONEY…. I Shrunk the Kids” You’ve suddenly become about an inch tall! What are the rewards and consequences to being this small? Tell the saga of your adventures as a really tiny person. How did you feel when I made you this tiny? Give details of your experiences. Were you able to return to your normal size? Remember to use Awesome Adjectives and Dynamic Descriptions to describe how your surroundings looked to you so that your readers will understand what it was like to exist as a miniature person in a gigantic world! ________________________________________________________________________

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Melissa Warren, 2003

Elaboration on the activity above:

The writing activity above is just an example of computerized writing activities. As you can see, the essay topic above is more of a creative writing essay for lower secondary or primary school students. After completing this activity students can actually post it up at their web site to share it and also so that people can give their evaluation on the essay. Thus for more information regarding computerized writing and also for more activities please do visit www.bristolvaschools.org and www.essay2review.com or www.linktolearning.com

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Examples of software.

A very common software known to all of us in computerized writing would be the word processor. Word processor or also known as Microsoft Words is a very useful software when it comes to writing. This is because it has various functions such as spell check, thesaurus, and also editing options. It makes online writing very much easier.

Besides softwares that are free like the word processor, there are also softwares that you can purchase online for a certain price. For example, just visit www.brighteye.com and you can find various 'texthelp' software products such as 'read and write gold', 'read and write standard', and 'read and write macintosh' which all have different functions when it comes to computerized writing.

For more free softwares that can be downloaded to assist you in computerized writing, please do visit www.download.com and click on educational software.

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How can one improve their writing using the computer?

We can actually improve our writing using the computer in many ways. Take for example, the word processor helps us organize our points and ideas, it also helps us check our vocabulary, grammar and spelling, it also enables us to do word counts faster and more efficiently. Most importantly we can get access to the thesaurus dictionary without actually purchasing it. In other words instead of being a tutor, the computer can actually be our workhorse if we know how to use it effectively. Besides, computers are also really helpful when you need to find information regarding a certain essay format or even on how to write a draft. All you have to do is go online and you can even learn how to write an essay from scratch. In short, these features actually improves ones writing via the computer. According to the "online and offline writing course" by Nuraihan Mat Daud and Ainol Madziah Zubairi, a conclusion was made that there are many advantages of online learning. For one, based on what i read, i think that students who apply online learning actually become independent learners as they are required to find information by themselves compared to offline learners.

Now the real question here is, does the computer help in improving ones writing? According to the "use of computer in an ESL writing class" by Suhaila Sulong and Ridwan Wahid, a research was done in a small university in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Through this research it can be said that students actually improve their vocabulary and grammar when writing essays on the computer. Besides, students also find it much easier to write multiple drafts on the computer than doing it on a piece of paper. But overall, it is proven through this research that students actually produce better quality essays and they become better writers. Thus, through this research it can be said that the computer does help in improving ones writing.