After consent forms and permission forms were sent out and collected, the researcher explained the assent form to the students. The study was conducted over the course of 10 school days during a normal writing period. For the first five days, the students participating in the study were asked to write using a pencil and paper. For days six through ten, the students were given the opportunity to write using the word processor. The majority of topics were self selected by the students. Students filled out feelings chatis on days one and six.
The results from the study were quite compelling. The students enjoyed writing using the word processor. When using the word processor, the noise level in the classroom as well as the classroom dynamic changed. The teachers in the classroom went from being teachers to coaches. The conversations between students and teachers as well as student to student conversations were all about the writing assignment.
With the above results as well as the interest that students have for technology, it seems like a "no-brainer" to use the word processor when writing. When in doubt with writing, try
using the word processor. Using the word processor is influential for the majority of beginning writers because instead of concentrating on letter formation they are able to push a key and know that the letter is going to look the same every time.]]>