I’ve changed some formatting but this post came through on a listserv and illustrates so well for me the continuing faith-based teaching that goes on. What evidence is there that this sort of error correction works? Are there not some elements of this exericise that militate against acquisition and even good writing? Will anyone on the listserv challenge him?
Students often retain the effects of correction better when they make
changes themselves. If they can do this under guidance from an expert
helper, such as their teacher, mentor or foreign penfriend, so much the
better.
This writing activity is designed to work on any computer, iPad or tablet
Teachers think of something they would like their students to write
(they can create their own title if desired). It could be a sentence or
two, or a full composition.
The teacher tells their students to write their text at…..x
(Foreign accents are on the keyboard
provided)
The students write their text in the space provided.
The students click the ‘send’ button and enter their expert helper’s
email address.
In the expert helper’s email inbox will be a message stating the name of
the student and a link to their work.
The expert helper will be able to make corrections to any orthographical
mistakes in the work.
The student will immediately see some red underlinings in his/her
writing.
The student will not see the corrected answer, but will have an
opportunity to correct the work by following some hints generated by the
system.
At the foot of the student’s assignment there is a continuously updated
record of the accuracy of his/her writing.