What does Writing mean in the 21st century?

“We want to develop the students’ writing skills.”

I’ve heard versions of that statement many times. The more I hear it, the more I realize that we have not defined writing.

Are we talking about their communication skills through writing?
Are we talking about their handwriting?
Are we talking about literary writing? (Compare these two works of literature.)
Does writing include visuals and sounds?
Does writing mean expressing ideas or correct punctuation? (Text messaging?)
Is writing an individual or a team effort?
What do we want the students to be able to write? A resume? A comparison of two cars? An analysis of a poem? A 20 page term paper? A sonnet? A business plan?
Are there types of writing that students need to do to graduate but will never use again?
Will they write using a word processor as people outside of school do? Or will they be denied the usual tools of writing in the business world?
Who will peer edit it- someone in the class, district, state, or another country?
How will we assess student writing? By using a state writing rubric in which the ideas only count as much as appropriate vocabulary?
What type of writing do students do outside of school?
What type of writing will they be expected to do once they get a job?

Before we can figure out how technology can help students to develop their writing skill, we need to define what we mean by writing. Have you and your team defined it? Does your definition prepare them for the past or their future? What does your definition look like in your classroom?

© Harry Grover Tuttle, 2007

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