I can't believe that my first grade is a blogger. The school's technology teacher has introduced blogging in their writing workshop series. For the sake of privacy I won't reveal his blog address, but it is amazing to me that children as young as seven are starting to navigate this arena already. What is even more remarkable is that the technical aspects of blogging such as logging in from different locations and uploading images are becoming second nature for kids. It makes me wonder if this generation will become better writers and communicators since they are exercising their skills more often with so many different forums.
In addition to blogging, children are sending emails, using instant messaging, and even corresponding through social media sites. Add that to all of the endless text messaging and kids are writing a lot!
Some English teachers may argue that the this type of writing is informal and may just be reinforcing bad habits but there are some studies that show otherwise. According to this article in the BBC News Children who use technology are 'better writers'. Children who blog, text or use social networking websites are more confident about their writing skills, according to the National Literacy Trust.
Another article reports that a study conducted by Coventry University in the United Kingdom, "found a connection between texting and superior literacy skills". This study identified that just the increased exposure to written language is a key factor to building better skills.
Perhaps all of these new technological opportunities will provide kids with advantages that my generation didn't have and in the long run they will be better writers. I know for sure that getting a generous head start will help their communication skills in some way and only time will tell exactly how.
