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Online Composition Instruction Will Launch October 2007 |
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Updated October 10, 2007 (Markham, Ontario, Canada) -- Bytes of Learning Incorporated has announced it will release a new online writing instruction curriculum in October 2007. The new online curriculum will target all learners who need assistance with basic writing composition. A previous announcement was made at the NECC 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia, where teachers responded very positively to displayed samples. The October release is actually a month earlier than that announcement indicated.
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Writing Rules!™ will address writing basics such as capitalization, punctuation, noun pronoun agreement, subject verb agreement and other elements of composition that form the foundation for writing proficiency in school, college and the workplace.
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Writing Rules! will operate online, requiring no downloads. Students will be engaged by challenges that require whole-sentence written responses. The online software will rapidly identify writing problems relative to the writing skill that is under development. The engine will also provide students and teachers with extensive tracking and reporting.
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Writing Rules! was proposed by teachers who could not find an instructional solution that provided the type of instruction or process they were looking for. Many programs aim to develop higher level writing skills or they approach lower level writing skills with a question-and-answer methodology. Language arts experts agree that writing skill is learned through whole writing, which is not the approach of most basic skill programs.
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It is difficult to develop computer-driven response mechanisms to assess whole writing responses, which may account for the lack of computer-based solutions that have a whole language approach. Bytes of Learning has developed unique analysis technology for its leading title UltraKey®, which is being be applied to Writing Rules! The company will also incorporate its advanced learning management technology.
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| According to Bytes of Learning's research, there are many programs and print solutions in the market that focus on writing processes – planning, organizing and more. But most of these curriculums assume that basic writing skills are already in place. |
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In a holistic writing instruction course, students do a lot of writing which means teachers do a lot of marking. Writing Rules! will benefit teachers by analyzing and recording the results of student responses.
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| Many students do not receive complete instruction in composition or they do not develop basic writing fluency. So they find themselves in later school and college unable to write adequately. This is especially true among students who have recently learned to speak English. A lack of English writing skill is a major obstacle to academic and job advancement for many people. |
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| Bytes of Learning has correlated the writing curriculums of major states and provinces to determine the scope and sequence of the Writing Rules! curriculum. However, rather than provide a single curriculum for everybody, individuals and schools will eventually have the choice of content and curriculum they need and which is culturally appropriate. Bytes of Learning is designing this flexibility into the software and will invite users to help direct new content elements and options. |
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The upcoming release will not contain all the content Bytes of Learning plans to include nor will it have the full flexibility the company plans for. In fact, the company will not charge users for initial usage until all the basic structures are in place and the first release of the curriculum is fully operational.
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Following first release, Bytes of Learning plans to extend the content of Writing Rules! indefinitely as teachers and users provide their suggestions.
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Bytes of Learning is an educational software technology producer and publisher based in Markham, Ontario. The company was founded in 1984 with an expressed purpose of combining the best in technology with the best in educational approaches. For additional information, visit: www.bytesoflearning.com
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| Download a PDF copy of the press release. |
