Technologies That Will Help with the Writing Process
This is a guest post by Lucy Adams.
Writing is a skill that can be improved through practice and
outside tools. The most common tool used to help improve writing is a person of
greater knowledge. However, you now can also use technology to help you in your
journey to becoming a better writer or writing teacher.
Using technology
either in or out of the classroom is great because it is often very
engaging. There are actually a lot of technologies in writing education out
there! Let’s have a look at a few.
Fun Technologies for
Kids
Writing doesn’t have to be boring! Check out these tools for
some fun:
- Scholastic’s Story Starters: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/
Even if you’re not a child and want something fun to write
about, then this is for you. The Story Starters lets you pick the genre, and
then you spin a few wheels to get your prompt. They lead to some extremely
creative stories.
- Poem Writing: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/theme-poems-30044.html
There are lots of tools to help you when writing poems, but
this one is pretty neat. It gets kids to brainstorm and use their ideas to
create a final masterpiece poem in the theme of their choosing. They can then
print it out and display it.
Blogging is a great way of expression, and now it doesn’t
just have to be for adults. On these websites, kids have a safe space to
publish their work. They can get feedback from peers and parents, which is
really exciting for them. Give them a weekly topic, and let them run with it!
- Story Jumper: http://www.storyjumper.com
Story Jumper is perhaps the best site out of these options
because it allows you to build your entire story online with pictures and the
actual story. There’s even a publishing option in hardback! Check it out.
For the Rest of Us
For those of us who aren’t children, teachers of children,
or parents, there are many options as well. From academic writing to general
writing, here are some of the best tools to use:
- The Thesis Generator: https://awc.ashford.edu/writing-tools-thesis-generator.html
After plugging in all the information, you will basically
have an outline of your paper, and some potential theses to work with and
rephrase to you liking. It’ll give you a really good start to producing a great
essay.
- Voice Typing Softwares
There are several of these out there. Basically, they take what you say and type it
out for you. This is beneficial because it skips that first step of writing it
out. Instead, you can go straight to editing and revising your work.
Ommwriter is a unique idea that you may have not heard
of before. It creates a space on your computer for you to write that is
distraction free. It displays a background and music or other audio that will
put you in the right mind set to unleash
your writing powers!
This tools is super useful! It is a treasure box of information on how to create good and solid writing. It
helps you to cite properly when using
academic sources. Everything important that pertains to improving your writing
can be found here. It’s a great resource to always have at your fingertips.
Scribophile is an online writing group. The great thing
about this is that it is online, so
if you don’t have access to writers groups to meet-up
with in person, or want more eyes, Scribophile is the way to go. Use it as an
educational tool because you’ll be getting lots of feedback from other writers
at all different stages in their career.
It’s a good way to improve, make connections, and read what others are
producing.
Learning writing can be a difficult thing to do. Nowadays,
with so many technologies, it doesn’t have to be. There are so many tools that
you can use for different aspects that you’re never alone when you need help.
Use one, two, or all of these websites to help you on your
path to writing success!
Bio:
Lucy
Adams is a blogger from BuzzEssay, a helpful site
for aspiring writers. She is a generalist, and that’s why she has no problem
with covering a wide range of topics, from business to psychology, education,
and literature. Feel free to share your best ideas and start a mutually
beneficial collaboration!
