Verizon supports DreamWriter project

by Sue Moncure

Modern technology in the classroom demands new ways of teaching, according to Peggy Dillner, Education Resource Center. This fall, undergraduate education majors who work directly with children in Delaware classrooms will have new tools to help them teach writing, thanks to a grant from the Verizon Foundation.

The grant has made it possible to acquire DreamWriter word processors, which the UD students in methodology classes can check out and take to classrooms for writing and language lessons.

"The DreamWriters are an important addition to our Education Resource Center, which provides curriculum resources and services for education majors and teachers in the state," Dillner said.

They come in six bookshelves, each containing five word processors. "The students can check out a portable bookshelf and take it to a classroom. There, the word processors can be hooked up to any printer, and they have enough memory so they can be used for several classes and students," she said.

Using the word processors, elementary students will be able to plan, create, revise and publish their writing and also become familiar with technology. Studies have shown that writing with word processors, instead of writing drafts by hand, can improve language and writing skills and make the experience more enjoyable and interesting, Dillner said.

With the grant, UD also received a laptop and projector that Dillner will use to present workshops for Delaware teachers through the Delaware Writing Project, a consortium of teachers teaching teachers, cosponsored by UD, the Department of Education and Delaware school districts.

Verizon Foundation supports a variety of programs that focus on improving literacy, bridging the digital divide, enriching communities through technology and creating a skilled workforce.