Digital Tools for supporting writing

Writing is a difficult skill. It is also a skill to strengthen "Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency" (CALP) in students and in adults (teachers). As a 'creation' and 'expression' implicating skill, writing is something to value and cherish. Developing writing skills in every learner is therefore a valuable aim.

"Learning to write" is a process. It would require many things to come together - ideas, expression, vocabulary etc. Getting the 'right ideas' by is itself is a very complex and challenging ask, it depends to quite some extent on life's experiences - actual and vicarious.

In this complex process, digital technologies can play an enabling role.

At an extreme, we can use a LLM AI tool to simply generate the output - but this by itself will not build writing skill.

Rather, using different digital tools, for specific purposes, can act as learning aids to our building our writing skills. The concept map (also shared as an image below) provides some possibilities in this direction. Of course, it is not suggested that digital tools and related skills are sufficient to begin writing, there are many other important abilities that also need to be developed/strengthened. However, the appropriate use of digital tools can help the process of writing. It is asserted that, the greater felicity in the use of these tools, can make the task of writing, less difficult.

Strengthening writing skill using digital technologies

Writing Workshops using digital tools

1. Teachers writing workshop - Thrissur 2024
2. ITfC team writing workshop - April 2024