How to Select Appropriate Software for Computer-Assisted Writing
Abstract
How to SelectAppropriate Smare By Janet M.Sturm, Joan1.Rankin,DavidR.Beukelman,and LindaSchutz-Muehling Word processing has be-comeincreasinglyavailable to students in making model that addresses writingneeds, writing requirements,and in-lvidual writing characteristics, edu-catorsandpractitionerscanselectsoftwarethatisinalignmentwithindwidualstudentgoals inthegen-eralschoolcurriculum.Thisarticledescribesthreedimensionsofthedecision-makingprocess,including (a) a writing needs checklistfor pri-oritizingstudentwriting needs, (b) aprocess for determining student writ-ing requirements in home and school,and (c) assistive software features andtheir special considerations. The stu-dentwritingneedschecklistguidesingatheringinformationfrompar-ents, teachers, and studentsin ordertoprioritizestudentwritingneeds.Thedescriptionofsoftware featuresand the writing requirements check-listcanthenbeusedtohelpdeter-mine what specific software addressesthe writing needs ofthe student as heor she accomplishes the writing tasksneeded to besuccessful at home andschool. 148INTERVENTIONINSCHOOLANDCLINICVOLUME32NUMBER 3IANUARY1997[PP.148-1611 ----------------------------------------------- This article provides a frameworkfor selecting software to support stu-dents' writing needs. Prior to the pre-sentationofthedecision-makingprocess, wewant to state that we be-lieve thatwriting through word pro-cessing shouldbeviewedasoneofmany toolsembedded withinin thewritingcurriculum(Laframboise, 1991). Word processors with assistivefeatures may scaffold student writing,but should not be viewed as a meansofisolated skill training. For example,aword processor with spelling assis-tance should not be viewed as a solu-tiontospellingneeds.Rather,thespelling assistance becomes a way toscaffold performance throughout stu-dents' current writing programs in theclassroom. The purpose ofusing soft-warethatsupports literacyincludesparticipation,butalsomaybecomepart ofthe intervention addressing aspecific language need. Becausethereare diverse writingneedsandmanywritingprograms,the process ofselecting the appropri-ate writing intervention and supportisuniquetoeachstudent.Inthisarticle, we present an overview ofthedecision-making process provided foronestudent,Kent.Wealsohscussthe writing needs ofother students toillustratedifferentinterventionpri-oritiesthatresultedinalternativedecisions.Thedecisionprocessin-volves a series