| This five-month case study investigated three kindergarten children's writing with computers. The focal children were raised in families from Taiwan, Arabia, and Nigeria. Taking a socio-cognitive view, the researcher examined the impacts of using two different computer software packages on various aspects of kindergarten children's writing development.; The computer software that served for focal children to practice their writing were: (1) the phonemic spelling component of IBM's "Writing to Read" (WTR), and (2) word processing in "Logo Writer". Acting as a participant observer, the researcher collected data from four major sources: (1) classroom observations, (2) interviews, (3) children's artifacts, and (4) video and audio recording sessions.; The results of this study indicated that the potential of computer applications in writing was influenced by two major factors. First, it depended on the context in which it was used. Second, it was influenced by the extent to which individual writers were familiar with computer use. The kindergarten teacher's interpretation of the role of computer technology determined the degree of involvement in the children's writing with computers. The participating children's prior experiences in writing and in computer use, levels of acculturation, and cultural background were found to be significant contributing factors in the quality and progress of their learning to write. These factors in turn impacted their success in writing with computers.; Over time, the phonemic lessons in WTR was found to be successful in teaching two participating children the letter-sound coordination and spelling. These two children's collaborative writing with word processing helped them to develop a sense of audience and to create more cohesive texts. However, both tools failed to assist the writing of the Arabic child due to his inadequate language learning strategies and unfamiliarity with the American culture. The findings suggested that computers could not be used as the only writing tool. It was also necessary for kindergarten children to experience writing or drawing by hand for them to feel in control and to learn how to plan their writings. |
