From: rdshydur@MIT.EDU
Message-Id: <9404040523.AA08877@m1-115-16.MIT.EDU>
To: schools-of-the-future@MIT.EDU
Date: Mon, 04 Apr 94 01:23:48 EDT

Subject: Young Kids and Language Arts


		      Arts and Telecommunication

			   Yolanda Esparza

The world of technology continues its never ending quest to move us
into the technological age.  For educators that means accepting
computers as tools to enhance the learning opportunities of our
students.  Computers and their peripherals have become the
technological tools of the 90's.  As an elementary school teacher, who
has recently become involved with establishing a computer lab at our
elementary school, I have become curious to seek information about the
potential of computers to enhance the teaching and learning of
language art skills and whether telecommunications is appropriate at
the early elementary grades.  The following is information that I
found to support the use of computers in the instruction of language
arts and the use of telecommunications with young students.

It appears that computer use can integrate the essential components of
language abilities by providing opportunities for speaking, listening,
reading, and writing (Roberts, Blakeslee, Brown, & Lenk, 1990).  There
are now available many software programs that provide practice with
the essential reading skills needed by young students learning to
read. It is even possible for students to learn phonics, because of
the ability of computers to produce sound.  Some of these programs are
highly sophisticated and offer management programs for individual
instruction according to the student's individual needs.  These types
of assisted instructional programs address many of the reading and
listening skills of the language arts instruction for the young
elementary child.  It would be naive to believe that this is the only
way computers provide instruction and practice in reading and
listening, but it accounts for much of the software on the market
today.  It is also what most teachers first become familiar with. I
mention it only to emphasize the ability of computer instruction to
address the reading and listening skills.  It is the writing skills,
in my opinion, that have been enhanced greatly by the use of the
computers in the educational setting.  It is due primarily to the word
processor and the features it offers.  A word processor is a software
program that allows the writer to see what he has typed on the screen
and offers editing features to make modifying the work much easier.  I
know my first graders easily learned the basic editing features of
Bank Street Writer.  In a study by Fisher (1983) teachers reported
that students using word processors write, edit, and revise more often
and students reported they enjoy word processing because it makes
fixing mistakes much easier.  Marcus (1990) reports the word processor
teaches about the composing process by giving students the control
over their written words.

The dilemma with word processing especially with the young elementary
student is the skill of keyboarding.  In order to use a word
processor, it is necessary for a student to know how to use a
keyboard. In other words, he must know how to type.  Knowing how to
keyboard has become an issue for educators.  Some believe it is
essential to have adequate keyboarding skills before a student can
benefit from a word processor.  Others feel it is the writing that
should be emphasized and not the keyboarding skills.  Perhaps because
I am a teacher of young children, I agree with the latter statement.
If the goal is to get students to express themselves by writing, then
it makes little difference to me whether they peck at the keyboard or
use proper finger positions to type.  A study comparing fifth graders
that were taught keyboarding skills on a regular basis for two months
with third graders who were not given any keyboarding instruction
showed that the fifth graders were not typing anymore proficiently
than the third graders (Kahn & Freyd, 1990).  Another study showed
that kindergarten students produced meaningful messages earlier on the
word processor than with pencil and paper (Kahn & Freyd, 1990).  The
mention of these studies is for the purpose of focusing on the goal of
writing instead of the physical mechanics.  It should not be the
keyboarding or handwriting skills that are the objective here, but the
ability to express oneself through the written word that is the prime
objective.

The speaking component of the language arts skills was interestingly
addressed by two studies of young children communicating by using a
cooperative learning approach with and about computers.  A study of
kindergarten children learning to use Logo found the children's talk
during practice to be task-related, other-directed, cooperative, and
non playful (Genishi, 1988).  It appears that the young students were
eager to share what they knew and seeked information verbally from
their peers.  What a great way to get students to practice verbal
communication with a real purpose.  In another study by Dickinson
(1986) the computer was used as a tool for a collaborative writing
project with first and second graders.  The project forced the
students to discuss with their partners ideas, opinions, objections
and plans for the writing assignment.  The project made oral
communication a necessary component for accomplishing the task.  These
are just two ways in which computers have provided opportunities for
students to practice and expand their speaking abilities.  Computers
and appropriate software can enhance the teaching and learning of the
language art skills for the young elementary student as suggested by
the sited examples above.  Therefore, I suggest since
telecommunications uses written language as the method of information
transfer and young students can begin to communicate with written
words it is worth investigating the possible advantages it may provide
for our students.

First, telecommunications is communication among computers across
distances by use of computer networks (Roberts, Blakeslee, Brown,
Lenk, 1990).  The necessary equipment needed to access the information
source of the future and the communication link to places around the
world are a computer, a telecommunications software program, a modem,
and a telephone.  If the goal of education is to prepare our children
for the future then telecommunications must be a factor in that goal
(Roberts, Blakeslee, Brown, Lenk, 1990).

Telecommunications is a language arts tool that gives teachers another
strategy for increasing the student's communication skills (Roberts,
Blakeslee, Brown, Lenk, 1990) Since language arts is all about
communication skills, telecommunications makeng.  The use of a special
projectors allows the students to monitor the words transposed to
print.  Telecommunication could begin in this manner with another
class and as the year progresses small groups of students will likely
be able to write letters and stories with little help from the teacher
to send to their electronic buddies.  It is the excitement and joy
that telecommunications bring to the study of language arts that
should not be ignored by any grade level.

We have at our disposal spectacular New Age machines.  The worst we
could do-whatever the age of the learner-is use them for groundless or
unimaginative purposes that fail to lead to children's understanding
and control.  Used thoughtfully, computers could change traditional
visions of classrooms to enhance the children's thinking and learning
(Genishi,1988, p.199).


References

Dickinson, David K. "Cooperation, Collaboration, and a Computer:
Integrating a Computer into First-Second Grade Writing Program."
Research in the Teaching of English, Vol. 20 (December 1986), pp.
357-378.

Fisher, Glenn. "Word Processing Will it make all kids love to
write?" Instructor and Teacher, Vol. 92 (February 1983), pp. 87-8.

Genishi, Celia. "Kindergarteners and Computers: A Case Study of Six
Children." The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 89 (November 1988), pp.
185-201.

Holvig, Kenneth C. "Jamming the Phone Lines: Pencils, Notebooks, and
Modems." English Journal, Vol. 78 (December 1989), pp. 68-70.

Kahn, J. and P.Freyd. "Online: A whole Language Perspective on
Keyboarding." Language Arts, Vol. 67, No.1 (January 1990), pp.84-90.

Marcus, Stephen. "Computers in the Language Arts: from Pioneers to
Settlers." Language Arts, Vol. 67, No.5 (September 1990), pp.519-524.

Roberts, N., G.Blakeslee, M. Brown, and C. Lenk. Integrating
Telecommunication into Education. NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.