Essentially, this product is a super hybrid version of Microsoft Word. Writer's Bench combines a writing analysis tool into Microsoft word. So, while a student writes a paper they have the ability to get feedback from this program. The website says that the analysis covers six areas of writing: "Content, Characteristics, Verbs, Clarity, Words, and Punctuation." Post writing the author has the ability to receive an analysis of their writing, which they can print out on the spot.
I believe that this program would be extremely beneficial for students in the classroom, because additional to peer editing and teacher conferencing, this program allows students to self-teach themselves.
The downside to this software is that some of the feedback might be outdated since it was produced in the 1980's. Also, based on the level of students, some feedback might be a little too complex for students who are not writing at a high level.
Also, this software is expensive. The software is offered to schools on a trial basis, which is very beneficial, however the cost of this software is anywhere from $3,750-$10,000. They do offer "Lab Packs" which is for a smaller institution with a limited number of computers where the software would be loaded onto. The pricing for the "Lab Pack's" are more reasonable, yet still pricey, ranging from $100-$1,000.
As the testimonials have stated, this product has assisted many student's in their writing as it allows students to self-assess and correct their work. It allows students to look at their work from a variety of angles and identify their weaknesses and strengths.
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ReplyDeleteEven if programs like this are expensive, I think if we truly believe they will benefit students with life skills like writing then we should push to get our schools to allow student access to them. This could be a daunting task, especially for beginning teachers when schools are facing constant cut-backs. With No Child Left Behind, we also face losing out on supportive technology like this that could potentially help students because of their lack of writing skills in the first place. Although, with a one time purchase of software, rather than an annual fee you might be able to persuade the administration with evidence that it would encourage and support student learning.
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to have worked with a program like “Writer’s Workbench”, especially when I was in high school. I was required to write more and more papers for the IB program as I continued through school, however, more and more my teachers seemed to rely on peer editing as our major form of review before submission of these assignments. I enjoyed the confidence our teachers had in our ability to be self-motivated and to strive to improve on our own work, but there were times when I missed their feedback. Writing is a powerful way of expressing your understanding in any subject and also a powerful skill to have in almost any career. Proofreading, review, and editing are not only forms of assessment, but great opportunities for teachers to teach. During peer review, even when there was an honest effort to correct mistakes, feedback often amounted to, “It doesn’t sound right.” I think having a program that can not only identify the grammatical mistakes students make, but provide explanations for how their use violated particular language rules and norms would be incredibly valuable. I think this form of proofreading would be more beneficial to students than the automatic corrections made by word processors, which rarely tell you what the offense was before they make corrections.
ReplyDeleteWell, from an English point of view, that seems really cool. It sounds like it really can help some students who have difficulty writing and need that constant guidance, which a teacher is not always there to provide. As you mentioned though, the feedback could be outdated. And as much as we all love the convenience of technology, I would still be skeptical about how effective it is at recognizing all of these different factors (P.S. as I was writing that sentence, the spell check on my Mac caught a few errors...yikes!).
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, it sounds like schools could use a program like "Writer's Workbench," even if it has a few flaws. I am sure that the benefits outweigh the limitations by far, and schools should invest in it, even if it is expensive.