I Can Write Online (ICWO) is student writing process software that you and your students can use over the Internet. Teaching veterans Ann Shaw and Mary Phillips, who both have instructional reading and writing backgrounds, created ICWO. Read more about I Can Write Online's creators.
Students in grades 2 through 6 can use the ICWO software, which has been field tested with thousands of students across the United States. This online writing software isn't some "pie in the sky" idea created by a team of scholars without real world, in-class experience. Ann and Mary have a combined 40 years of experience in the classroom and have created I Can Write Online based on their own experiences teaching writing.
| Feature |
Benefit |
| Web-based software |
- No software to install, maintain, or upgrade on your school's computers.
- Students and teachers can access ICWO from any Internet-connected computer.
- Parents can review their children's writing from home if they have an Internet connection.
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| Until the final (optional) printing process, all student writing and teacher comments are done on the computer. |
- Cuts down on printing costs (ink/toner and paper).
- Reduces paper waste.
- Eliminates the need for teachers to carry stacks of paper to and from home.
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| Aligned with writing performance standards in all 50 states. |
- Teachers can use ICWO without having to make adjustments for their state's standards.
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| Accommodates collaborative and whole class writing. |
- Teachers can pair struggling writers with accomplished ones, and they can use ICWO together.
- Teachers can demonstrate ICWO to students by creating a class writing project from start to finish.
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| Colorful screen graphics accompanied by written and oral instructions. |
- Engages children in the software in a fun and motivating manner.
- Accommodates auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners (by using the keyboard).
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| Student writing and teacher comments are saved on ICWO's server. |
- Students' writing can accompany them to the next grade level.
- No on-site back-up procedures required by your school's I.T. staff.
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| Uses Six Trait Writing as revision criteria. |
- Teachers can plan mini-lessons around each of the Six Traits.
- Students can use the Six Traits as a checklist when revising their writing.
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| Prompts and feedback throughout the online writing process. |
- Students never have to wonder what to do next.
- Motivates and encourages students in their writing.
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| Freddy the Frog gives oral and written online help on every screen. |
- If a student needs help on a screen, it is only a click away.
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| Save button on every screen. |
- Eliminates the disappointment of lost work.
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| Presents each major mode of writing: descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive. |
- Students can focus on mastering one mode of writing at a time.
- In working with each type of writing, students can discover which ones they excel at and enjoy.
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| Supplies topic prompts if needed. |
- Helps students start a writing project.
- Encourages students to think outside the box.
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| Leads students through the writing process with five major steps: pre-writing, drafting, editing, revision and publishing. |
- Students clearly know where they are in the writing process.
- Students learn about writing as a series of steps, which makes writing easier and less intimidating.
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| In the pre-write stage, presents graphic organizers for the student to type in what they know about their subject matter. |
- Students never face the dreaded blank page when they start writing.
- Provides students with a strong visual method of organizing their writing.
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| Software prevents students from moving to the next writing step without finishing the previous steps. |
- Slows down writers who tend to hurry through the process.
- Enforces the proper sequence of writing steps.
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| Teachers can add comments to each student's writing projects. |
- When it's time to review students' writing, teachers can log into ICWO instead of sorting through or carrying home piles of paper.
- Teacher comments are saved with the student's work for later reference.
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